Product Consultation for Adult Diapers

What types of products are available?

The variety of products on the incontinence market can initially feel overwhelming. Some terms overlap or are used differently by various manufacturers. With this article, we aim to provide clarity and share our expertise with you.

Modern absorbent incontinence products come in various forms:

• Traditional adult diapers with adhesive tabs (also called taped diapers or diaper briefs)
• Incontinence underwear, also known as pull-ups/ons or pants
• Diaper pants with a hip belt/flex pants
• Pads or liners worn inside mesh pants
• Smaller pads that can be stuck into regular underwear

Additionally, there are external incontinence aids (e.g., catheters, condom catheters), which are not covered in this article. These have their own pros and cons. For example, catheterization can be very uncomfortable for some people and may cause pain for a few days even after the catheter is removed.

All these incontinence aids have one thing in common: they enable an active life despite bladder or bowel incontinence. However, choosing the right product based on the type of incontinence and personal circumstances is essential to ensure optimal care. In some cases, combining different types of products based on the situation can be advantageous. For instance, many people use pants during the day and adult diapers at night because they are more absorbent and leakproof.

Individual Needs

In many cases, high-absorbency diapers are recommended—for example, when the next opportunity for a change is unpredictable or when the diaper needs to last overnight to allow for restful sleep. Leaks and interrupted sleep are exhausting for everyone involved. A significant advantage of adhesive tab products is the ability to change them while standing, without needing to remove pants.

For physical activities, closed adult diapers are often the best choice due to their secure fit. To determine the appropriate absorbency level, it can be helpful to maintain a weighing log, recording the weight of the incontinence product before and after use. This helps evaluate whether a more or less absorbent product might be suitable. A safety buffer should also be factored in to prevent leaks in case an immediate change isn't possible.

During the day, pants can be a practical choice because they can be pulled up and down like regular underwear. This makes them a good backup solution when only occasional accidents need to be managed. Most models have tear-away seams on the sides and an adhesive strip on the back for easy rolling and disposal. Below, we’ll provide a closer look at the different types of products.

Traditional adult diapers with adhesive tabs

Adult diapers with adhesive tabs are the classic choice for incontinence care. This type of adult diaper is frequently used in caregiving due to its ease of use, high leak protection, and flexibility during changes. They are available in higher absorbency levels than other products and usually feature tall leak guards. They are suitable for overnight use, extended wear, sports activities, and changing on the go.

Adult diapers can be easily changed while standing, even without assistance. Due to their high absorbency and excellent leak protection, adult diapers are also sometimes used by divers in dry suits, glider pilots, and astronauts.

The image shows a traditional adult diaper with four adhesive tabs. We offer these in both nighttime and daytime absorbency levels. The nighttime model, BetterDry 10, is an award winner, recognized for its excellent performance (Winner in Performance and Value for Money in the ADISC Advanced Diaper Reviews, April 2020, and rated "Very Good" across all aspects by the Incontinence Resource Center). The daytime model, BetterDry 7, is based on the nighttime version but has a lower absorbency level.

When selecting the appropriate absorbency, it is essential to account for a reserve to reduce the pressure to change for everyone involved. Modern adult diapers contain a high proportion of superabsorbent material, making them significantly thinner compared to older designs. However, even modern diapers swell during use as the liquid must be absorbed and locked in.

We advise against the use of booster pads. Booster inserts can move around within the diaper, their absorption and distribution performance is often inferior to the diaper's core, and they frequently have poorer rewetting properties, which can impact comfort.

Incontinence Underwear, also known as Pull-Ups/Ons or Pants

Pull-ons are diaper pants that can be put on and taken off like regular underwear. They feature tear-away seams on the sides and often have an adhesive strip on the back to make rolling up the diaper for disposal easier. Pants must fit very well to ensure leak protection. However, due to their design, they have lower side leak guards compared to adhesive-tab diapers, making them less reliable when sitting, lying down, dealing with bowel incontinence, or during sudden heavy bladder releases.

Changing pull-ons while on the go can be more challenging than with adhesive-tab diapers since the pants need to be completely removed before a new pair can be put on. This can be inconvenient in public restrooms. For this reason, it might be practical to use an adhesive-tab adult diaper as a replacement product for changes while on the go.

You can find our pull-ons in our shop. Under the circumstances described, we consider them to be a very practical product.

Diaper Pants with Hip Belt/Flex Diapers

With flex diapers, a hip belt is first secured in place during application. The actual diaper is then passed from back to front through the crotch and fastened to the hip belt using Velcro tabs. While this product type is easy to apply and offers good ventilation, it has significant disadvantages: the Velcro tabs used for fastening often cause chafing. Due to their design, these products cannot securely enclose the buttocks, reducing their leak protection.

As a result, flex diapers are not suitable for nighttime use, sports, or situations that demand high leak security. However, they may serve as a replacement product after using pull-ons. Due to their low leak protection and comfort issues, we do not include this product type in our range.

Pads or Liners Worn in Mesh Pants

For mild forms of incontinence, it may be sufficient to use an open system consisting of fixation pants and absorbent pads. These can also be easily changed while standing. Due to their open design, more air reaches the skin compared to other types of adult diapers or pull-ups. A disadvantage, however, is the lower leak protection of these products, especially at night. The absorbent pad can shift, and mesh pants are not liquid-proof. Because of their limited leak protection, we do not include this product type in our range.

Key Components

The Outer Layer
The outer layer of the diaper or pull-up is crucial for wearing comfort. It is available in either fabric-like surfaces or plastic film. Fabric-like surfaces come in two variants: Teflon laminates, which are breathable, and plastic films coated with a textile composite, which are not breathable. However, the breathability only works as long as the product remains dry. Once it becomes wet, a gel block forms, preventing breathability. Instead, due to the user's significant weight, moisture can be pushed through, leading to unpleasant odors. Additionally, products using a textile composite on plastic film as a base material often cause chafing on the inner thighs during longer walks.

Plastic films reduce the risk of leaks and unpleasant odors and pose no chafing risk. Fabric-like surfaces were originally introduced for diapers because many people find them more pleasant than plastic film. However, adult diapers have different weight and size ratios, and exclusively using plastic film also saves material, which would otherwise need to be disposed of.

The Absorbent Core
The absorbent core is another critical feature of a good adult diaper. It ensures that urine is quickly absorbed and that there is no rewetting, even if the wearer sits on the wet diaper. Additionally, the absorbent core must ensure balanced moisture distribution to prevent leaks. High-quality superabsorbents, distribution layers, and cellulose are needed in the core for these tasks. If a diaper contains high-quality superabsorbent and cellulose, it should not emit unpleasant odors even several hours after disposal.

Selecting the Right Product

Before choosing an incontinence product, it is essential to consult a specialist who can clarify the type of bladder weakness, its causes, and possible treatment options. Many forms of incontinence are treatable, and one should not hesitate to explore these options.

Not every incontinence product suits everyone, so affected individuals should start by trying various products. Unfortunately, high-quality products are often difficult to obtain within the framework of statutory health insurance. A few years ago, statutory health insurers moved away from per-item allowances and now only cover costs of 20 to 40 euros per patient per month. With 4–5 diaper changes per day, high-quality care is not feasible with such amounts. Additional payments are also difficult because the statutory health insurance system fundamentally adheres to the principle of benefits in kind. However, there are options for individual agreements if adequate care cannot otherwise be guaranteed. We can advise you on this if needed.

If a care level has been determined, an additional allowance of 40 euros per month for care aids is available. This can cover items like underpads, examination gloves, incontinence aids, disinfectants, and more.

Once these framework conditions are clarified and the right product(s) for the user have been found, daily life becomes significantly easier. Stay active and enjoy your life!