For me, it doesn't really matter. The vagina is a dead end so they can't get lost or go too deep. i personally have a very short vagina and a low cervix so using my fingers to retrieve them really isn't an issue and the cord sometimes gets in the way for me. Anatomically speaking, nothing can actually end up irretrievable in the vagina, you just may have to do some contortionist move, enlist some assistance, use gravity by standing so they fall towards your opening, use your muscles to move them around, or do a wiggly little dance to shake them downward if you can't simply hook them with your finger. They might be a little slippers but there are ways to retrieve even the most stubborn balls, especially if you don't panic. They really can't go anywhere. The cord is really for convenience. Through movement, clothing, using the bathroom, etc, i've had tampon strings get pulled all the way up inside me and had to use my finger to fish it out to be able to remove the tampon. More recently, i've switched to menstrual cups. Since i have a heavy flow and clotting, i need a larger size cup but, as i mentioned, my cervix is very low so there's not much room. So i cut all stems off my cups because with my size, they're more comfortable with out them, and i've never had a single issue removing a cup even without a stem. That said, the cords certainly do make it easier and more convenient. But there's no reason to be afraid of the cordless ones.