Is There Truly A "Most Absorbent" Diaper?

[Backindiapers]

I see a bunch of websites "claiming" that their diaper is the most absorbent. XP medical says the new dry 24/7 can hold 93 ounces but Ultra Active claims its the most absorbent diaper on the market. But I'd say Bambino's has to come in there somewhere. Can anybody say for sure? Or anybody own all afore mentioned diapers to test this theory out completely??? Or do they all do a good job and I shouldn't worry about it?

[TDL]

*cough*Abena x-plus*cough*

Edited September 21, 2010 by TDL

[Backindiapers]

*cough*Abena x-plus*cough*

According to XP Medical testing those are no where near the most absorbent. Check it out here.

[square_duck]

I would say the latter. I have tried many of the extended wear diapers and all of them are wonderful The only ones I haven't (that I know of) are the dry 24/7 and the European Tena slip maxis. This is simply due to cost, both are VERY expensive and I have my threshold of how much I will pay for a diaper

Anyways, going purely by tests and imperical data, XP medical does an excellent job of testing to determine a diapers capacity and absorbency, so I don't have any issues with their test results. From personal experience, as I said, all of the extended wear disposables are excellent, but thats just MY observation and me knowing what works for me. this is a question that one really has to answer for themselves. for others the answer will be something different. Some think that molicare super plus is the most absorbant, or the famed Abena X etc. So you actually have to do some work yourself to find 'your' answer.

For me, the perameters are simple as to absorbency, and that is if the diaper allows fluid to 'puddle' or pool in the acquisition zone before moving it down to the lower layers of the diaper or not. this usually happens while flooding, which most disposables don't handle well, but this occurs from either incontinence (urge incontinence) or just emptying a full bladder or consciously deciding to "let go". Either way the diaper should handle the large amount of fluid in a 'reasonable' amount of time, and not over flow. This the problem with thinner diapers like depends and Attends, they don't have enough padding to handle large volums of fluid in a short period of time. This is where Abena X and Molicares and dry 24/7 etc work well. I have flooded Abenas before (and I can pee a LOT when full) and it seemed like the diaper didn't even notice. After a large flood, I used maybe 1/3 or less of the diaper, and I REALLY had to go. I was amazed

The same has happened with others I have tried, the wellness brief, the Eurobrief, Abena X, Molicare super plus, Even bambinos biancos, and the active ultra, all hold a lot and can easily manage a large flood and not be completely wiped out.

This is where you and your experiences come in, you have to do your own testing and finds what would be the most absorbent for you, as I have found there isn't just "one most absorbent" but several, and all are wonderful and equal in their own merits. The wicking of the Active ultra is amazing, but the capacity of the Eurobrief is surprising as well.

Actually, the most absorbent I have found is actually cloth I was wearing a multi layered diaper yesterday that had essentially 32 layers to it, and I know I could have flooded that thing repeatedly all day and probably never would have reached its capacity, much get it to leak, and cotton absorbs instantly, so no puddling, but to each his / her own.

Again, going by pure data, it maybe the 'dry 24/7' is the most absorbent (IE quickest) and has the highest capacity I don't know.

As a side note, I just went to the Xp medical site and saw that they now carry the dry 24/7 line....AND they are all in white! Something no other vendor has, plus they are discounted and on SALE! i love XP medical! I think I'll be ordering a bag so I can play with these too and see for myself

WOW

qwack

[redneck diaper boy]

The most absorbant is cloth but it will be bulky!

It is not uncommon to wear a cloth diaper that is one inch thick or more. You can make them as bulky and absorbant as you want.

If you want to buy cloth diapers buy the thinner diapers and double or triple them up. If you use the realy thick prefolds, it will take forever to dry them. I know the multiple diapers cost more but energy isn't cheap. Where I live it cost about 48 cents an hour to operate an electric dryer. (based in 12 cents per killowatt hour)

Cloth diapers can be much less expensive but they can be a pain in the ass to deal with. Some of the high end disposables run 2 dollars or more each. If you pay 20 dollars for a good diaper they will pay for themselves if you are willing to take care of them. Some of the large prefolds I have cost over 40 dollars. 40 sounds expensive but my wife couldn't buy the material and make them for that. I am big so I wear a 2XL.

I see a bunch of websites "claiming" that their diaper is the most absorbent. XP medical says the new dry 24/7 can hold 93 ounces but Ultra Active claims its the most absorbent diaper on the market. But I'd say Bambino's has to come in there somewhere. Can anybody say for sure? Or anybody own all afore mentioned diapers to test this theory out completely??? Or do they all do a good job and I shouldn't worry about it?

[Backindiapers]

The most absorbant is cloth but it will be bulky!

But alas I don't like cloth, nor do I have a washer and dryer in my apartment to where I could wash them all the time. I was raised with disposables and that is what I will probably stay with the rest of my life. But I do love the idea of plastic pants.

[KittenAB]

Long story short: No

The long story: It depends on so many factors and each person's particular usage, habits, and body will change what's best for them in all areas. For instance, most medical brands are designed for "slow" leaks, not flooding, and not all people who need them are slow leakers, just a lot. Those who enjoy them are in the same boat. A diaper can be ultra absorbent but still not work well for everyone, even the slow leakers can't always find benefits to those designed for flooding. My advice as always is to shop around, try them before you order a lot, test them in everyday situations to, or at least the situations you will be using them. I find the ABU SDK to be very absorbent for outings, but Bambinos to be the best nighttime ... and Secure Personal Plus for when I see the doctor because they don't hold a lot but soak up fast, cheap and effective.

[Guest Unconstruct]

Molicare for me..the only one that I can just let it go hard and not leak..even on my back.

[KittenAB]

But alas I don't like cloth, nor do I have a washer and dryer in my apartment to where I could wash them all the time. I was raised with disposables and that is what I will probably stay with the rest of my life. But I do love the idea of plastic pants.

Not to mention, one thing cloth fans never fully explain, it depends on the type of cloth and type of wetting. Good quality cloth ones are over priced for adult sizes and most people cannot budget that much of an investment all at once. Also, even if you do have a washer and dryer available, it still gets to be about the same cost for the cheap ones, which not only don't work as well as SAP padding but also wear out very quickly. Ultimately it just comes down to preference, in order to get the absorbency of SAP padding you really have to pad the cloth ones, and for truly active people that just doesn't work on many levels, for those looking for discreetness it's a complete bust.

Plastic pants are a good investment, good quality ones will last a while if you care for them well, cheap ones you don't worry about too much. I like the print ones as covers as well, they can add a touch of cuteness to anything. Just order from major sites, like ABU or some other specializing in them, it's a big risk to order from private dealers.

[glycerine]

Just ordered a sample pack of 24/7. We shall see...

[Guitarzan]

Just ordered a sample pack of 24/7. We shall see...

I LOVE them!!! The fit me well, feel great, nice and thick, and hold a *LOT*!

[Darkfinn]

Also ordered a sample of Drys from XP... it's nice that they are carrying them.

[AutieAB]

The concept of "most absorbent" is the same as "fastest" car or "best" games console or "tastiest" chocolate - all in the eye of the beholder.

For starters, the volumes that manufacturers and retailers commonly cite as 'capacity' are often 'dunk test' and 'water test' figures - Abena are particularly guilty of this - they claim the X-Plus in medium holds 3.6 litres of fluid. That's 121 US fl oz!!!! No diaper will EVER hold that much urine. Salt in pee blocks pores in the topsheet, reducing absorbency from the theoretical maximum and it's obvious that a diaper dunked in a tank of water will absorb massively more than under normal use.

You can consider Bambino, Secure X-Plus and Active Ultra to be very similar in terms of absorbency. I believe that Active Ultra and Bambino Teddies are slightly more absorbent than other Bambinos and Secure X-Plus but ultimately, they're the same diaper. Improvements to one of them normally cascade to others within a few months.

TL;DR: Body size, weight, frequency of urination (and concentration) all affect how much any diaper will take. For guys, there's a further complication of where 'it' goes. Basically, take all claims about being the most absorbent diaper with a pinch of salt - try all the brands and find out which works best for you...

[square_duck]

I don't want to split hairs here, but I just wanted to point out that there is a difference between "absorbency" and Capacity" A diaper can be exceedingly absorbent, but not hold a whole lot. This kind of product, to me anyways, isn't that useful, since the wearer would end up changing several times. It might be more useful for incontinence use (dribble incontinence for example) where you don't have a lot of volume.

Versus a product that has a high capacity, due to a lot of bulk pulp and or SAP, but maybe it has a lower / slower acquisition or absorption rate, which might lead to pooling or puddling, which wouldn't matter because of the added materials used. Fortunately, many of todays extended wear (IE thick & bulky) diapers can do both pretty well. They have a high absorption rate with no or minimal pooling or puddling, and a high storage capacity, so the wearer doesn't have to change immediately due to saturation, so, to me this would be a preferable product, since it lengthens the time between changes, and less interruption time for activities etc, and saves money due to fewer changes and fewer briefs being used in a 24 hour period. The only variable would then be the wearers comfort, in being able to wear a diaper that is already wet for a longer period of time. Some people don't like either the thought or sensation of wearing a wet diaper, or remaining in their own 'waste' for protracted periods of time, while others don't mind and are completely comfortable to wear the same diaper until it is soaked and falling off. Still, others like to wear for as long as possible beyond that point so it is no longer the products function that matters, but the wearers preferences and comfort level that become variables.

I was looking at Xp medicals site and pondering a purchase of a sample of the dry 24/7's as they do intrigue me. but I have so many ion my stash already that it's kind of hard to rationalize...but it is 'just' a 'sample' after all

OY! I hate this fetish sometimes!

*clicks over to XPmedical to order*

qwack

[Thickndry]

Having tried Active Diaper's Ultra, and Eurobrief, I would say they are on par. Eurobrief being slightly less expensive. Both are equally good as top notch absorbent, at least in my tests.

If money were no hinderance, I would go with the Active Diaper Ultra, made in USA. But, Eurobrief is also a great diaper, both have plastic backing, which I will stand behind over "cloth-like" any day of the week.

[Knom]

I just ordered a bag of Mediums... Hope they are good too!

Does any one know if it's "cloth" backed? or Plastic? They say plastic, but I have seen THAT before..

[AutieAB]

If money were no hinderance, I would go with the Active Diaper Ultra, made in USA.

I don't think it is Its close relations are manufactured in China and imported*. I'm pretty sure Active Ultra is too.

* Not to suggest there's anything wrong with that, provided the quality is right - which it is

[Bettypooh]

Like Square Duck said- there's little difference at the top except for personal preference And there is always a trade-off between capacity and absorbency rate for the reasons he gave I'd like to see standardized testing but even that wouldn't really prove how they work for everyone- just those who have the 'standard' flow rate and amount

Maybe some reseller will offer a trial pack of all the 'best' rated diapers for those who want to choose for themselves (like all of us do) which one they like best, thus saving our experimenters (research staff sounds better ) from having to buy something they can't/ don't want to/ won't use

Bettypooh

[anned]

capacity and absorbency rate is not everything.

i find that when really wet many diapers leak when you roll on your side.

with 50 years of wearing diapers i have found that attends 10 elastic waistband style with stuffers to be best, attends with its wider area between the legs will hold more stuffers and last longer.plus the tapes can take the extra weight of all the stuffers.

I also like a very thick diaper when i am having a fun day and i still wonder why no one notices when i put 4 to 5 cheap thrift store diapers in a attends and soak them.

They get so swollen up that i can hardly walk.

[Guest NaughtyAshes]

asking about the best diaper on this forum is like dropping chum into the shark tank... Nanny Nanny! Nanny Nanny boo boo!

[DL_DB]

asking about the best diaper on this forum is like dropping chum into the shark tank... Nanny Nanny! Nanny Nanny boo boo!

Just like chum in a shark tank it's always entertaining.

Like has been said before, it comes down to what works for you. Go to XPMedical and Bambino and order samples, and do your own testing. Samples have a relatively expensive per diaper cost, but unless you've got more resources than me it's a good way to compare diapers for yourself, without having to buy entire bags.

[Thickndry]

I don't think it is Its close relations are manufactured in China and imported*. I'm pretty sure Active Ultra is too.

* Not to suggest there's anything wrong with that, provided the quality is right - which it is

They claim to be made in USA, but who knows

[KittenAB]

They claim to be made in USA, but who knows

"Made" in the USA can also mean just packaged here.

[AutieAB]

They claim to be made in USA, but who knows

They seem to be a bit confused, then

[glycerine]

Just got my 24/7's by FedEx this morning from XP. Talk about fast shipping!

First trial (on me now!) is the Mediums. These guys run large. I ordered both a large and medium sample, and I'm wondering if the large is going to turn out to be "too large". The diaper is nice and thick and VERY bulky between my legs. Kind of lumpy under my butt as I sit on the chair.

I'm going out for lunch, and I'll being drinking a LOT of liquids. Let's see how this baby holds up.

Update - 5 PM

Nice... very nice! Amazing capacity, and very resistant to flooding. I had a lot of tea at lunch and the diaper held every drop. I took it off since I didn't feel like wearing it back to the apartment (we move back to our house tomorrow!!! Woot!), but I think I could have kept wearing it for a lot longer. I'll try the Large size on Monday when I can give it a full days test.