Why Can'T They Make An Absorbent Pullup?

[Backindiapers]

I see brands like Abena making the Abri flex pullup but doesn't look like its that absorbent. How hard is it to shove more padding and make these thicker. I know they want pullups for people with less of a bladder problem but what about the folks with full bladder incontinence? Why do those folks have to pin on a cloth diaper or tape on a brief? All I'm saying is it would be nice for a super thick pullup for ease of use. I always hated putting on diapers myself. Well granted, I have a wife to diaper me now but still would be cool to just toss on a diaper like underwear and be able to wear it for an extended period with no leaks.

[bedwetter73]

I agree, the pull-ups suck. I would love to buy some thick ones, like Goodnites on a five year old thick. You know so thick that it's really a diaper, it just looks like a underpants. I'm sure it can be done it's just not economical. Freakin' money!

[Sophie ♥]

*sigh* Pull-ups, unlike diapers... were never designed to withstand constant wetting...

Pull-ups are called training pants for a reason. They give the freedom of using the bathroom like an adult while still incorporating a level of protection in case an accident occurs. It's not meant to be intentionally wet and used consistently like diapers are. They're a "just in case" sort of device.

Now I agree, adorable thicker pull-ups would be very nice to have. But that's only because I'd really like the look and convenience of it. Pull-ups are supposed to be discrete. Eliminating that eliminates the point.

-Sophie

[drynot]

I am hoping that some company out there makes a pull up that is plastic backed rather than cloth backed. I know discreet is the rule when it comes to pull ups but I do not like the feeling of the cloth.

[Juliabam]

Tena makes pull ups with their level super absorbancy, but they cost I think about twice as much as their standard style nappy. So either it's very very expensive to produce them or there is a need for that exact type of nappy that they can pull it off taking the double for the same thing. Maybe it's somewhere in the middle even, but I'm pretty sure that the sale will not rocket and therefore the market will not see much of them as long as they are so expensive. Afterall, many of the largest consumers are healthcare facilities or health ensurances of one or other sort that provides them to the users, and those parties know they have to keep cost as low as possible. Besides that, I can imagine there is a bit of practicality in it too, afterall the pull up is only held up by an elastic round the waist, so for a standing/walking person there must be quite some sagging if they saturate a large capasity pull up, which then may cause the need to wear other underwear over the nappy designed to function like underwear, in which case they could as well go back to the old pant and pad system.

I don't see it coming soon

[Sophie ♥]

I am hoping that some company out there makes a pull up that is plastic backed rather than cloth backed. I know discreet is the rule when it comes to pull ups but I do not like the feeling of the cloth.

I don't understand the whole "cloth vs. plastic" debate. By plastic are we talking Depends-ish. And by cloth are we talking Goodnites-ish? If so, I prefer my diapers in plastic and my pull-ups in cloth. Feels more authentic.

-Sophie

[Angela Bauer]

Believe it or not, there are a whole lot of talented and experienced professionals working in the R&D and marketing departments of all the leading disposable manufacturers.

Several years ago I was actually paying well respected consultants to the baby disposable industry because I was willing to invest in the production of baby disposables large enough to effectively fit people up to 5' tall, 95 pounds and with 26" hips. My reasoning was such products, perhaps designated Size 7 (that was before Pampers marketed Cruisers in that size) Size 8 and Size 9, would bridge the gap between standard Size 6 and Attends Youth Briefs or Attends Breathable Small.

As I listened to those consultants I learned several established brands were developing those exact sizes, but only using cloth-like covers and hook & loop fasteners. The manufacturers had already found that cloth-like combined with H&L fastening tabs vastly increases shelf life of disposables while reducing shipping damage. They were very interested in those larger disposable diapers because at that time they were having so many production problems making pull-ups.

Subsequently several major manufacturers did largely solve the pull-up production problem by improving the machinery and reducing the percentage of fluff by increasing the percentage of SAP.

From a practical standpoint the limit on the capacity of any diaper be that actual cloth, cloth-like or poly-plastic is comfort when wet and ability to stay in place. Unfortunately as infants grow into toddlers, then older kids, their body types and proportions vary a great deal. The easiest body type to fit into a diaper has hips larger than a fairly low waist. On such a body there is a place above the hips where the top of the diaper can cinch-in. Making use of this is easier with a non-pull-up, since the waist H&L tab can be pulled really snug.

As people grow from toddlers to juveniles to adults, body-types vary even more. Most adult pull-on disposable undies use an extra-high waist with several inches of stretch material above the absorbent core. Still there is a limit to the weight of the wet core such stretchy material can hold. Market research has concluded that the majority of incontinent people do not need excessive capacity because they prefer to change disposable undies or briefs before urine turns stale or the garment slips down.

In the baby diaper industry Market Research clearly showed that parents had less than no interest in teaching larger kids how to put on their own diapers. It is interesting that outside the USA and Western Europe, parents of larger kids were far more open to buying really big baby disposable diapers. Read the topics about brands not marketed in the USA for kids up to 95 pounds.

The challenge to those of us trying to help parents of kids with delayed toilet learning is that there is no shelf space available in most stores for such specialized products. If P&G cannot hold onto shelf space for Size 7 Cruisers, why would KCWW attempt to market Size 8 and 9? Those already exist and are daily being made on modern machines all over the world, in many of the same factories already producing the diapers and pull-ups being sold by P&G and KCWW. Printing different outer bags for the USA market is not a problem. If there actually are customers, such diapers will be imported. So far no research shows this will be a sensible business venture.

The same thinking holds in the adult incontinence industry. Retail customers prefer pull-on for the convenience and most do not void huge amounts. Those incontinent adults who do void a lot are happy with tape-on briefs. In my case I do not wear pull-on because I need to undress less to change a tape-on than a pull-on. With H&L I have the option of releasing my diaper to use a toilet if I get the chance, then re-fasten that same diaper. I could pull-down a pull-on but could not easily change it if it did get soaked. Trust me, the R&D and Marketing professionals have interviewed enough potential customers they make informed business decisions.

Unfortunately for the AB/DL community usually the adult products are designed to be as non-babyish as possible.

[Darkfinn]

I don't know if any of you have tried them... but I buy Tranquility Overnight pullups for LuvsGurl, from what she has said they work quite well.

[moliman87]

I see brands like Abena making the Abri flex pullup but doesn't look like its that absorbent. How hard is it to shove more padding and make these thicker. I know they want pullups for people with less of a bladder problem but what about the folks with full bladder incontinence? Why do those folks have to pin on a cloth diaper or tape on a brief? All I'm saying is it would be nice for a super thick pullup for ease of use. I always hated putting on diapers myself. Well granted, I have a wife to diaper me now but still would be cool to just toss on a diaper like underwear and be able to wear it for an extended period with no leaks.

I have tried the Abri Flex and I think they are very good.

They do hold a fair bit for a pull-up, I think you would be surprised how much they can hold.

The ones I tried were the larger version and are rated at about 2 litres, which I would say was about right.

They are very comfortable as well, they don't have that plastic feel to them as standard diapers do making them feel and smell more babyish.

You don't sweat in them at all which makes them great for sleeping in or using them on hot days.

The down side that I have found with them is they don't hold in the smell of the pee that great and they are more expensive.

[square_duck]

Most 'protective underwear" i have tried have been disappointing in either performance of capacity. I finally found a product that works well (for me) in the protection plus line of pull ups (made by Medline IE Molicare) I use the overnight / extended wear and they hold up well. but like the Abenas mentioned above they don't do anything about the smell I like them well enough to keep a bag around when I'm in the mood. I do want to try the Abena pull ups also, for, if anything, the reason of finding something that has more capacity. The protection plus extended wear hold about 20 oz-ish, which for me is 1 flood . I even tried a booster in one and it worked a bit better, but still filled up faster than I prefered and I needed to change sooner than I like.

Thats just my 2 cents, if I get around to ordering some of the Abenas I'll write up something comparing the 2 brands....maybe that will help *shrug*

qwack

[rusty pins]

If you have a Rite Aid drug store around, try a package of there pull on disposable underwear in Overnight absorbency. They really do hold as much as a good diaper. As stated, pull on disposable underwear are not designed for people with incontinence. They are for people with light bladder leakage. Why would someone with incontinence wear a pull on underpant when it's not going to be as absorbent and you have to take your clothes off every time you need to change it? Manufacturers know this and the simple fact is they have a much bigger market (that they have helped create) for pull on disposable underwear. I sometimes like the pull on disposable underwear, but I know that when I wear them I have to be very careful not to wet them much at all. The Rite Aid Overnights are definatly ones I can wet 2 or 3 times without leaks. I guess to sum it up, we can't expect disposable underwear to hold as much as actual diapers and really shouldn't. They are different products designed for somewhat similar but not exactly the same uses.

[Loveable_guy]

If you have a Rite Aid drug store around, try a package of there pull on disposable underwear in Overnight absorbency. They really do hold as much as a good diaper. As stated, pull on disposable underwear are not designed for people with incontinence. They are for people with light bladder leakage. Why would someone with incontinence wear a pull on underpant when it's not going to be as absorbent and you have to take your clothes off every time you need to change it? Manufacturers know this and the simple fact is they have a much bigger market (that they have helped create) for pull on disposable underwear. I sometimes like the pull on disposable underwear, but I know that when I wear them I have to be very careful not to wet them much at all. The Rite Aid Overnights are definatly ones I can wet 2 or 3 times without leaks. I guess to sum it up, we can't expect disposable underwear to hold as much as actual diapers and really shouldn't. They are different products designed for somewhat similar but not exactly the same uses.

Plus One on the Rite Aid Overnight style of Pull-On Diapers. You can also find these are K-Mart. Wall-Mart stopped handeling the over night version and came with a mens and Womans version of a day and night time pull on. Not as good. Basicly most of the store brands are made by the same US based company. If you ready the fine print and check the phone number generally offered for comments you will find the are the same.

[Horndog]

I found them on drugstore.com.

[Bettypooh]

I found them on drugstore.com.

and they're 27% off along with all the other Rite Aid Adult incontinence line till Christmas 2010 according to the website!

Bettypooh, missing her 8 other emotions

[AutieAB]

I don't know if any of you have tried them... but I buy Tranquility Overnight pullups for LuvsGurl, from what she has said they work quite well.

AFAIK, pull-ups work a lot better when faced with a female anatomy than with a male one... With a female anatomy, the pee comes from a place that doesn't move . The problem with pull-ups for me personally is that 'it' needs to be pointed in precisely the right place on the padding and the slightest amount of walking or activity makes things move around enough that they leak almost straight away because the pee misses the absorbent area and/or overshoots the leak guards.

I'm sure a pull-up for a girl in just the right size (not too loose or tight) would work quite well. I remain to be convinced that pull-ups for guys will ever be a really viable option.

[pissed_myself]

and they're 27% off along with all the other Rite Aid Adult incontinence line till Christmas 2010 according to the website!

Bettypooh, missing her 8 other emotions

I will also say this is a very good pull-up. I have a thread about them (known to me as the wal-mart overnights before they discontinued them) on this board somewhere, but yeah -- this is a very good diaper (pullup); Several wettings hold easily in these...

[dprby162]

I have been wearing Attends Pullups and tonight I couldn't make it to my apartment before I lost control. First time in these, and I have to say they did a hell of a job absorbing and NOT leaking!

[d_drew12]

I don't know if any of you have tried them... but I buy Tranquility Overnight pullups for LuvsGurl, from what she has said they work quite well.

I've actually tried these and was soooo excited to as they were one of the first I believe to not only offer overnight absorbancy but also the standing leg cuffs. I thought for sure this would be a great diaper and be easy and convenient to put on and take off. Well, needless to say I was quite disappointed when right away I noticed their were gaps around my legs and they didn't seem very snug in certain areas. I where large for everything else and am sure a medium would have been to small. I'm sure the capacity would have been great but all four samples I had received leaked out one part of the diaper or the other almost right away unless I was standing in one position. It wasn't even a flood just a quick spurt and then leakage:( I've worn others like the depends, attends, prevail and probably a few others and nothings really worked for me. None have been great for catching leaks and the padding on most aren't very large so no much room to catch anything. Also with the cloth like sides, if urine does manage to escape the pad area, it soaks right through the cloth sides of the pull-up and into my clothes:( The biggest issue I've seen with all of the brands I've tried which has been most of them, is the lack of material fitting around the thighs. Feels like a regular loop of underwear and if it sags any, it pulls down leaving gaps for leaks. Needs to be wider in the crotch escentially. Also, most are non adjustable so you can't get a super snug fit and have to realy on elastic which is often times to loose for my liking.

Anyway, my two cents here. I've stayed away from pull-ups for now.

[moliman87]

FYI here is a video about the Abri-Flex pull-up.

[d_drew12]

Wow, thanks for the video. I've seen other videos with this lady in a similar format and just skipped over them now. However, I may have to give the abena's a try as they seem to have solved many of my concerns. It appears as they they made the crotch significantly wider than most other pull-up mfgs. They actually almost remind me of boxer shorts. Awesome!!! Also the elastic down the front of the padding forming a pocket or "ditch" like row down the middle looks pretty sweet! I'm going to order some of these up now. Looks pretty interesting and it also appears as though they won't leak through on the sides with what they say with their channeling elasic on the sides.

Thanks, Glad I took time to watch it.

Anyone else have success with these? How absorbant? Showed 500ml in video and it wasn't to capacity.

[moliman87]

Wow, thanks for the video. I've seen other videos with this lady in a similar format and just skipped over them now. However, I may have to give the abena's a try as they seem to have solved many of my concerns. It appears as they they made the crotch significantly wider than most other pull-up mfgs. They actually almost remind me of boxer shorts. Awesome!!! Also the elastic down the front of the padding forming a pocket or "ditch" like row down the middle looks pretty sweet! I'm going to order some of these up now. Looks pretty interesting and it also appears as though they won't leak through on the sides with what they say with their channeling elasic on the sides.

Thanks, Glad I took time to watch it.

Anyone else have success with these? How absorbant? Showed 500ml in video and it wasn't to capacity.

I have used the normal type that is shown in the video, the type that you mentioned with the "ditch" is the Special type , I have not tried these yet but I will be ordering them soon!

The normal type I found were very good and held about 2 litres without any leaking.

I'm in the UK and order mine from http://www.dorset-nursing.co.uk/CategoryTemplate.aspx?catID=1422

I have attached a picture that I have just taken of the standard type that I use as the photo's from some of the websites don't show them too well.

(The coke can is for reference to the size of the diaper, when folded it is quite small, and this one is the large one!)

[Zack Kimz]

I am wearing the new Depends for Men Style briefs and they seem to be holding pretty well, I will comment on how they hold for overnight

[conductor]

I've been using TENA Protective Underwear "Extra" for the past 3 years, and they are great. A bit expensive, but I get them on eBay at about half the retail store price, even taking shipping into account. I just got a case of 4 packages for $48 delivered.

[Zakik]

Just my .02c I am using Tranquility ATN pullups, and they work decently, not perfect. I had leakage once from me testing them out the first time, since then my bf has been wetting them and I wear em.... works great, they're pretty durable, as I've worn them almost 24/7 fully wet, but you really don't feel that wet. Great pullup!

[messymike]

I use the Abri-Flex and it is absorbant . Its as thick as a supper and unless you realy push out your pee and flood it it does not leak . I use them durring the day and the abri-x-plus to bed