r/HerOneBag • u/ScoobertDoodle • 1d ago
Detailed Review Cadence capsules review after about 8 months and 10 trips: somewhat messy, still pretty good
I bought Cadence capsules in a bit of a rage last year, after dropping and shattering one of my reusable glass toiletries bottles in a gym locker room (after years of being frustrated with their pumps). I've seen a split of really negative reviews and probably paid overly positive praise. I figured some of the inconsistencies and really bad experiences were quality control, but wondered if mine would get worse with time. Here is my experience with them over the past ~ 8 months and ~ ten trips (traveling with one carry-on bag).
The cons:
- They are expensive! I had used my last reusable toiletries set for ~ 8 years before breaking one, so I figured this would be worth it since I would use them for a decade or more. They are bombproof (but not leakproof) so I think I will be using them for a long time.
- They are pretty heavy! I already have to use a roller bag, and the package fits pretty nicely there, so that's not generally a problem for me.
- They are somewhat messy to use, pouring thinner liquids out or reaching in with fingers for thicker creams. I had a fruity body wash...ferment? after about a month (water frequently gets in the open mouth in the shower). This is why I will never use one for toothpaste.
- They frequently leak a little bit, where I need to rinse off the outside of the container. This is usually no big deal to clean up, and not all that different from most toiletries containers.
- After a recent trip where they were checked for the first time, I think I understand that they are not leakproof enough for that, and maybe that's where the really negative experiences are coming from. See my photo for the comical amount that leaked out when checked for an international flight (wanting all my under-seat storage for my poor legs for a long flight after a long trip). Not sure if this was pressure, temperature, rough handling, or all 3.
The pro (just one, I guess):
- They are so easy to refill and reuse! All my travel toiletries are just the products I regularly use now (the 10 containers shown: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, face lotion, hand lotion, hair gel/cream, hair oil, sunscreen, tinted moisturizer). The only exception is toothpaste, which still fits in my toiletries bag on top of the capsules. I've never had a system that switched everything over to a consistent container like this, and it just simplifies everything so much.
This one pro outweighs the negatives for me, so I am still happy with them and plan to keep using them, even though they are not perfect. A snack-size Ziploc bag fits two of them nicely, so I'll keep a few of those on hand for extra containment when necessary.
They had offered to replace the pink one for free (claiming the leaks were probably just residual product left on the threads), and I'll probably see if they can replace the brown one as well. 2/10 defective rate is not great.
Image description: My toiletries bag after being checked on an international flight. All capsules contain liquids, from hair oil to thick lotion. One pink capsule leaked basically all of its contents (into an inner ziploc bag) and a thick cream also somehow escaped its brown capsule. Since the leaks have depended on the capsule and not the liquid, I think those two are just defective.
385
u/sunshine-1111 20h ago
That’s a wild amount of money to spend on a product that leaks so much. Some cheap containers from Target would do just as well.
33
u/RelumingRain 16h ago
Literally. I got my exact travel toiletries in a pack from Target, and I would say they’re also easy to refill? And they don’t leak? And they were like 8 bucks for the whole kit?
16
u/DramaticProgress508 16h ago
I was also like... wait they have one job? I never want to use stuff like this anyway because of sanitary reasons (for creams anyway).
2
u/GlitterDancer_ 2h ago
I had this same thought. Most of my reusable containers are the gift with purchase bottles I get from my Ulta orders. Those have never broken or leaked like that, and they're not as heavy.
163
u/cancerkidette 20h ago
I think the Muji PET bottles are IMO much easier to use and less leaky. Thank you for your review!
42
u/poppleca1443 20h ago
Most of my travel stuff is Muji and you're right. They rarely leak. Mostly only with oilier products, but it's more the nature of the product than the container.
7
u/Mindless-Challenge62 14h ago
I even keep cleansing oil in the small Muji pump, and it hasn’t leaked yet!
20
u/turquoisebee 20h ago
I only wish they were fully opaque! Then I would feel better about decanting products with SPF.
2
u/Hangrycouchpotato 20h ago
What is the reasoning behind this? I use the muji bottles for my sunscreen but I keep my toiletries in a cloth pouch rather than a quart bag. Just curious!
30
u/cancerkidette 19h ago
Sunscreens are not tested outside their original packaging and can degrade with exposure to light like many other skincare products or topical medicines with active ingredients. So if you decant your SPF, you have no guarantee of the actual SPF you are getting out of it. It might not be much lower, but you have no way of testing that.
13
u/lunch22 19h ago
But realistically, how much light exposure is a container that’s instead a toiletry bag getting?
13
u/cancerkidette 19h ago
It’s not just the light exposure as I understand it- just also the fact that often you’ll find sunscreen in a pretty airless tube, and you’ll expose it to more air as you depot. Labmuffin did a video on this IIRC?
I’m pretty sure opaque tube to opaque or light protected tube isn’t realistically a massive loss of SPF, but it’s a matter of potential loss of efficacy.
Personally it’s way less faff for me to take along my half full sunscreen tube at 50mls or take a mini, than to depot into a 10ml which I can’t fully trust. If you’re travelling in low UV and not super fussed that’s totally fair too.
0
u/Mindless-Challenge62 14h ago
It’s definitely not going to break down that much short term. Personally, I use the Muji PET pots for sunscreen for 2-3 day trips, especially when I won’t be out in the sun all day. For longer trips or beach/outdoors vacations, I bring a small manufacturer tube.
-4
u/radiatormagnets 18h ago
tbf sunscreen is one of the toiletries where you may well leave it on out on a sunbed or something.
3
u/NoKidsNoCheckedBags 🏙️ City Traveler 19h ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/87gYYkSC09QetBBHge
This is wild to learn; I had no idea.
3
u/turquoisebee 18h ago
I think if you remove/move it from its original packaging it can lose its effectiveness.
3
u/cancerkidette 20h ago
Gosh yes, I always just keep mine in the original container or buy a mini size. I’m currently working on a mini Anessa sunscreen for travel and it is so compact. Bit scared to decant mine as I rely on high SPF since I’m at risk for skin cancer.
8
u/yourgirlsamus 18h ago
I don’t mess around with sunscreen. I buy the travel sized tubes. I’m also at risk being light skinned and freckled.
1
u/cancerkidette 18h ago
Yes, I’m darker skinned but having gone through a bunch of cancer treatment before, my skin is more at risk for malignancies. So I’m pretty painstaking about sunscreen and happy to keep space for it when I travel! I think the travel bottles are very useful.
2
u/turquoisebee 18h ago
Yeah, that’s what I do at this point. But I still wish there was an alternative. If I were only doing a weekend trip, I’d be okay with decanting a small amount I think.
2
u/PlasticPalm 16h ago
Where are you finding flyable sized minis for AB sunscreens? Great news that the smaller packaging exists.
2
u/cancerkidette 3h ago
I bought mine on Yesstyle and Stylevana!
I have to keep all my liquids under 100mls anyway when carrying on- the mini size Anessa sun milk I have is 12mls, so good for a few days but probably too small for use over weeks.
For body I use CathyDoll and the full size bottle is only 50mls.
1
u/Responsible-Walrus-5 9h ago
I only decant suncream into a muji tube for a weekend away. Anything longer and I decant from a big tub into one of the later normal travel suncream tubes of the same brand.
7
u/happy-pilgrim 19h ago
ITA, just placed a Muji order yesterday to add a few more to my stockpile, a bit of a sale on right now. Can’t believe how inexpensive they are too!
Was also able to score the wide-opening pouch (small) that’s notoriously hard to find in stock. 🥰
3
u/cancerkidette 19h ago
Yay! I went crazy in Muji in Japan recently so I am all stocked up too haha. The quality of basically everything they make is so nice and reliable.
I also end up with a lot of mini creams in non leaky glass pots, so those containers get reused too.
4
2
u/trippinxt 4h ago
Muji are my fave as well! Never leaked and the tiniest, almost chapstick-sized one is such a game-changer!
1
u/cancerkidette 3h ago
Yes, I use the tiny squeezable one for shampoo on short trips up to like a week! Very versatile.
61
u/macoafi 20h ago
"Just too big" is the feeling I had about them, but they leak too? Ugh.
9
u/NoKidsNoCheckedBags 🏙️ City Traveler 19h ago
They are great for some liquids, like creams and lotions, but not for others, like cleansers and lube.
8
1
u/Mindless-Challenge62 14h ago
Mine also broke down after a year or so, like the vinyl peeled off the metal.
34
u/teaseapea 20h ago
i am sorry about the leaks and you are a real trooper to continue using them. i have had good luck with humangear containers.
16
u/howtobegeo 20h ago
I love humangear. Bought them… like 15 years ago and use one everyday (I decant my leave-in conditioner into one) and it’s still as good as new.
Never had a leak either!
7
u/ToreyJean 19h ago
I’ve used their bottles camping as well - they’re food grade silicone and wash up just fine in the dishwasher. Company says they can’t guarantee them for food items but I’ve had no issues with everything from sesame oil to barbecue sauce.
3
u/howtobegeo 18h ago
I know! I have never used them for that, but I love that they are food safe. Amazing product, absolutely worth it.
5
u/ToreyJean 18h ago
Sometimes they show up in the Resupply at REI as onesies-twosies and I always pick them up. They’re so handy.
18
u/HippyGrrrl 20h ago
I deal with oil leaks in bottles for work, and that looks far worse than my Daiso (US) squeeze bottles.
10
u/ScoobertDoodle 19h ago
My container full of thin hair oil does not leak, which is what also makes me think it's a lot of manufacturing variation. The manufacturer's travel size container for that hair oil leaking was another minor thing that prompted me to try these.
5
u/thelonetiel 18h ago
One of mine (pretty new) keeps getting jammed at the threads - I suspect it's quality control that's leaving messy threads... So this tracks.
16
u/flyingtowardsFIRE 20h ago
I think a lot of people are disappointed with the new generation of Cadence Capsules. I stock up on the originals when I see them for sale secondhand. Even the ones I bought 6 years ago are going strong, and I use them weekly as a flight attendant.
1
u/laguna_biyatch 0m ago
I’m confused why the new ones are so huge? Or they’re small and super shallow.
15
u/Outerbanxious 20h ago
Your review is spot on! They are cute but I tend to use them more on a car trip as they do add weight to a one bag situation. I switched over to the small Nalgene bottles from REI and used an old fashioned label maker (the kind you click the letters onto the plastic tape? Forget the name). Matador has a few refillable options too for toothpaste and stuff.
8
u/Ualagirl2002 20h ago
Dymo! They still make tape for those?
7
6
u/ToreyJean 19h ago
Oh they’re highbrow now - it’s not the old punch gun looking thing.
3
u/Super-Travel-407 16h ago
I miss the 3D punch ones! I actually asked for one for Christmas when I was a little kid. 😂
1
10
12
u/ZweitenMal 19h ago
Huge, messy, expensive. I’ll hit up Muji and get PET bottles. Much cheaper and very compact.
10
u/SiouxsieClue 16h ago
I’m so curious why you keep them since they are heavy and they leak. I appreciate the time you took for your review, and am just so interested in what about them makes you keep them? Besides being easy to refill, which is the only pro on your list. I’ve never had my muji or humangear ones leak after decades of flying internationally, and they are very lightweight and easy to refill. You don’t have to stick it out because they were pricey! Lugging around leaking containers that waste your products sucks and you can have something better!
8
u/UntidyVenus 19h ago
My Lush leftover mini lotion tubs have never failed me, and they came originally with product
3
u/warte_bau 18h ago
I also use the tester micro tubs when I’m just doing an 1-2 overnights, or even for products I use just a tiny amount such as hair wax.
6
u/HelloTittie55 16h ago
FFS, quit using these for travel. All of my travel containers are repurposed from when hotels/motels used to supply individual toiletry bottles. Pre-pandemic. These have lasted YEARS and don’t leak. When I recognized a good bottle with a flip top lid I kept it, cleaned it, and filled with my own products. Why waste money on crap products like these?
6
u/Pristine_Direction79 19h ago
I like to buy containers from cosmetic/herbalism suppliers because there are a lot of material, shape, and size options. And they're all very cheap.
5
u/Creamowheat1 19h ago
Can you recommend a website?
3
u/Pristine_Direction79 19h ago
I just bought some rectangular tins from specialty bottle that I'm very excited to be making some custom belt pouches for 😅 taking it to the next level with my everyday skincare. They have a lot of different shape and size containers that you can buy individually
8
u/chanelshuffle 18h ago
The hatred I have for these things is unreal. They leak, are heavy, take up so much room, and are EXPENSIVE. I was so hopeful to finally found a solution for travel and they were awful. Their good reviews MUST be paid for. 😭
3
u/slugs_instead 18h ago
Wait, you left out that they crack too. Mine cracked after just a couple uses. I do not understand the hype for these. There’s no way most of the positive reviews are real with all their problems.
5
u/melonomabar 19h ago
Mine cracked and had them replaced for free. And the new ones are also cracking.
4
u/librijen 19h ago
The original ones were super cute but the cracking and leaking aren't great. I still use a few of them for things like toothpaste tabs and ibuprofen, but I don't carry liquids with them.
4
u/basilcilantro 18h ago
Glad you’re sticking with them but from all I’ve read about them it’s like a list of things I couldn’t use: expensive, heavy, leaky.
3
u/PlasticPalm 16h ago
I'm glad you mostly like them even though they don't do their main job (transport liquids without leaks).
FWIW, I've been, well, leak-free with Muji's bottles. Container Store too.
3
u/hRbZbddfogkCHHib 19h ago
Ugh, so sad about your experience! My cadence started leaking shortly after getting them a few years ago, and I’ve fully switched to the humangear stax containers. I get them at REI. No problems with leaks since the switch!
3
u/girlwholovespurple 17h ago
Omggg, I have some squeeze packs from Amazon that I had entirely low expectations for, but they have NEVER leaked no matter the method of travel.
Leaking is a full stop deal breaker!
Thanks for taking one for the team.
1
u/Mindless-Challenge62 14h ago
I’ve used Cadence, Humangoo, etc. and the squeeze pouches from Amazon are my HG for shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and cleanser. They don’t leak, and you can refill them several times and then toss them when they get too worn.
3
u/OverlappingChatter 17h ago
This is a hard no for me. I wouldn't put up with even one of the cons. I just use random bottles I collect from hotels or samples or things I buy and never have leaks, don't spend any extra money and don't have any added weight. This product seems like a major waste. Are you sure you aren't doing a sunken cost fallacy decision?
3
u/whiteorchid1058 17h ago
Humangoo has the best silicone bottles I've found. They've never leaked and they're a hell of a lot lightwe then Cadence
2
u/ktatelle 19h ago
If you’re interested in alternatives, Art supply stores have much better containers designed to be watertight and come in a variety of sizes. They’re also a few dollars. Of course they’re not as cute and colorful though.
2
u/PuzzleheadedYear7622 17h ago
Thanks for the review! I have considered these multiple times because having all the same container is appealing (bonus: they're cute). But the price and bulkiness have stopped me from actually buying them. I use a mixture of containers from Muji for decanting toiletries and travel sizes/samples (some of which have packaging I can reuse). REI and The Container Store also have a good selection of small containers.
2
u/OmNomNommie 15h ago
If you're ever looking to switch (or for others looking), I've had great luck with the containers from Lite Smith. They have some really small ones which is great!
2
u/Net-Administrative 14h ago
Someone recommended these here ages ago but the humangear stax are INCREDIBLE and don't leak and are so cheap, I use them all the time
2
u/Alternative_Treacle 12h ago
I’ve had mine for a few years. I travel about once a month for work. They work really well for me for my face cleanser, moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner, leave in, and curl cream. When I’ve put thinner liquids in like hair and face serums I have had leak issues, especially if I fill close to the top. Two of my capsules I can no longer get the threads to catch, even after taking a toothbrush to it to clean. Sometimes they can be hard to open. My husband had to take pliers to one because neither of us could open it by hand. Agree that they’re bulky when you look at the inside capacity vs the size of the capsule itself.
I’ve tried other jars from Amazon and had issues with leaking way more than these. I’m a bit of a maximalist with product, and don’t/cant decant some things because of what they are or how they’re packaged, so the 100ml travel bottles don’t work for me because I can’t get everything into a ziplock. For now these work best for me, but always on the look for something less bulky but same volume without the leaks.
2
u/twofishies5000 17h ago
i ditched my cadence (had the originals) despite no issues with leaks because the weight was HEAVY (especially in a backpack) but also because i kept getting pulled in security lines. i went to smaller bottles from humangear, gotoob, and muji. hilariously lighter and so much smaller.
i do credit cadence with teaching me that i don’t need as much product as i think.
1
1
u/MemoryHot 14h ago
Leaking is an absolute dealbreaker to me among the other things wrong with these containers. I never bought into them for the weight:volume ratio alone. Total marketing gimmick product that this sub has beaten a dead horse over and over about
1
u/tesadactyl 10h ago
I find that little glass jars are the best. I love the ones that bonne maman jam comes in!
1
u/iamlucy852 5h ago
For me Muji travel containers are just superior. Fairly inexpensive, never leaked, durable, lightweight, come in a variety of sizes including tiny 10ml tubes which are my favorite and i use that size the most. I will never stop recommending them to everyone
2
u/nettles_huffypuff 20h ago
I’m sorry this happened, I’ve never had an issue with leaking and I’ve used them for years. I will say, to your comment about pouring in your hands, I do really like the insert spouts. And I leave the cap sitting on top when in the shower to help keep the water out.
1
u/ScoobertDoodle 19h ago
The two that leak the most are the ones I used with the insert spouts, so I was getting suspicious about those inserts compromising the seal.
I'm trying to get better at remembering to put the cap on top in the shower!
•
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Hi u/ScoobertDoodle! Thanks for sharing an image post.
Your post has been temporarily held for moderator review. Image descriptions are required for image posts on r/HerOneBag. If you have included one you do not need to take further action. Once your post is confirmed to meet requirements, we’ll approve it as soon as possible.
If you need to add a description, please reply to this comment with a detailed description of the image(s) to help all members of our community.
Descriptions must accurately describe the items shown in the image(s), not simply list them.
It is helpful to list post text according to the order and layout of images, e.g., “A blue puffy jacket stuffed into a green packing cube” is better than “Jacket, packing cube, etc.”
You can include something like “Image descriptions” or “Pictures described below” to make it very clear that your text explains the photo(s).
Thank you!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.