When an adult brief leaks, it's easy to assume the brief isn't doing its job. Usually, though, the real issue is the fit. Go a size too big and you get gaps around the legs. Go too small and it pulls at the waist or leaves red marks. And a bigger size won't hold more, because size only changes the fit.
Learning how to choose adult diapers starts with a tape measure. Measure your waist and hips, take the larger number, and find it on the product's size chart. After that, pick pull-on or tab-style, choose an absorbency that matches your leaks, and give it a day or two before you decide.
Adult diaper sizes aren't standard. One brand's Large can fit like another brand's Medium, and sometimes two products from the same company don't line up either. A brief look at the chart can save you a whole case of briefs that don't fit.
How Do You Choose the Right Size and Type of Adult Diaper?
There are four things to decide, and it's worth doing them in this order:
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Size, based on your body measurements.
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Style, meaning pull-on underwear or tab-style adult briefs. This depends on how mobile you are and who does the changes.
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Absorbency, based on how much you leak and how often.
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Comfort, like soft, breathable material and a backing that doesn't crinkle.
Why size first? Because even the most absorbent brief will leak if it gaps at the legs or slides down your hips. If you're figuring out how to choose adult diapers for the first time, grab a tape measure before you look at anything else.
How to Measure for Adult Diapers
Use a soft sewing tape measure over bare skin or thin underwear and keep it snug but not tight.
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Measure your waist: Stand up straight, breathe normally, and wrap the tape around your body at belly button level.
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Measure your hips: Wrap the tape around the widest part of your hips and buttocks.
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Use the bigger number: The brief must fit over both, so the larger measurement is your size.
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Check the product's chart: Compare your number to the size ranges for that exact product.
If you've gained or lost weight, had surgery, or noticed new swelling, measure again.
Measuring Someone Who Sits or Stays in Bed
If the person spends most of the day in bed, measure while they lie on their back. Slide the tape under their lower back at hip level and bring it around to the front.
Wheelchair users are a little different. Measure them sitting down and standing, too, if they can. The belly often sits differently in a chair, so go with whichever number is bigger.
Adult Diaper Size Chart for Unique Wellness Products
Here's how the waist ranges work out for each Unique Wellness product.
|
Size |
Superio Signature Brief (tab-style) |
Softistico Comfort Brief (tab-style) |
Absorbent Underwear (pull-on) |
|
Medium |
24 to 36 inches |
24 to 36 inches |
19 to 30 inches |
|
Large |
36 to 46 inches |
36 to 46 inches |
30 to 40 inches |
|
X-Large |
46 to 67 inches |
46 to 67 inches |
40 to 60 inches |
|
XX-Large |
Not available |
Not available |
60 to 80 inches |
|
XXX-Large |
Not available |
Not available |
80 to 95 inches |
Say you measure 42 inches. That's a Large in the Superio brief or the Softistico Comfort Brief, but an X-Large in the Absorbent Underwear. So always check adult diaper sizes for each product on its own. When choosing plus size adult diapers, pay close attention to the fit around the thighs and belly, since those areas usually need the most room.
What to Do When You Fall Between Sizes
Sometimes your number lands right where two sizes meet, like 36 inches for the Superio brief.
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Tab-style briefs have tabs you can undo and refasten, so the smaller size often fits closer. If the tabs have to stretch hard to reach the front, go up a size.
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Pull-ups don't adjust. If you're at the top of a range, the bigger size will usually be more comfortable.
Signs the Size Is Wrong
Wear the brief for a full day, then look for these signs.
Signs the Brief Is Too Big
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There are gaps around the leg openings.
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It sags at the waist or between the legs, especially after you sit down.
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The tabs overlap or cross over each other at the front.
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It leaks at the legs, but the middle still feels partly dry.
Signs the Brief Is Too Small
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You see red marks or deep lines at the waist or thighs.
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The tabs barely reach the front or pull at the edges.
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It rolls down or slips low as the day goes on.
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It leaks at the waistband or the back.
Most briefs also have soft ruffles around the leg openings. Once the brief is on, run a finger along the ruffles. They should sit in the crease where your leg meets your body and point outward. If they're tucked in, that's often where a leak starts.
Matching Absorbency to How Much You Leak
Once the fit is right, pick something that can hold what you leak.
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Light leaks, like a few drops when you cough or laugh, may only need a bladder control pad or light pull-on underwear. Kaiser Permanente's overview of absorbent products notes that bladder control pads absorb fluid faster than period pads, so skip the period pads.
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Moderate leaks usually call for pull-on underwear. Unique Wellness Absorbent Underwear is made for light to moderate incontinence and offers up to 8 hours of protection.
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Heavy leaks or bowel incontinence usually need a tab-style brief with a wider absorbent middle. The Superio Signature Brief for moderate to heavy incontinence handles both urine and bowel leaks.
Buy for your heaviest time of day. For many people, that's overnight. If your brief fits well but still can't hold enough at night, put a booster pad inside it. Booster pads are made for this. A folded towel or piece of cloth isn't, and it can bunch up and pull the brief away from your legs.
A booster pad lies flat inside the brief, and knowing how booster pads work makes it easier to place one without loosening the fit around your legs.
And try not to wait too long between changes. The same Kaiser Permanente page notes that wet or soiled products left on the skin can irritate it and raise the risk of urinary tract infections.
Tab-Style Briefs vs Pull-Ups
Pull-ups feel like regular underwear and suit people who change themselves. Tab-style briefs open flat, so they're easier to change in bed or with a caregiver's help.
|
Feature |
Pull-Ups (Absorbent Underwear) |
Tab-Style Briefs |
|
Best for |
Light to moderate leaks. |
Moderate to heavy leaks, bowel incontinence. |
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Who usually wears them |
People who can stand and dress on their own. |
People with limited mobility or a caregiver's help. |
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How they go on |
Step into them like regular underwear. |
Open flat and fasten with side tabs. |
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Changing in bed |
Harder, since pants have to come off first. |
Easier, since the person can stay lying down. |
|
Adjusting the fit |
Fixed waistband. |
Tabs you can undo and refasten. |
Pull-ups come in more than one absorbency, so it's worth comparing incontinence underwear types and absorbency levels before you settle on one.
How to Buy Adult Diapers Online Without Wasting Money
Knowing how to buy adult diapers online mostly means not ordering a big box in the wrong size.
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Check each product's own chart: Adult diaper sizes can vary between product lines, even within the same brand.
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Start small: Order a pack, or one of the Unique Wellness trial-size sample packs, and test the fit before you buy a case.
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Test it for at least two days and one night: Some briefs feel fine by day and still leak at night.
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Compare the cost per day, not the price per pack: A cheaper brief you change more often can cost you more by the end of the week.
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Buy a case once you know what works: A case usually costs less per brief than a pack.
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Use your FSA or HSA: Unique Wellness Absorbent Underwear and Superio briefs are FSA and HSA eligible.
Stay Dry and Comfortable with the Right Size
Once you know how to choose adult diapers, leaks and extra changes become far less of a worry. From there, Unique Wellness keeps ordering simple.
Absorbent Underwear covers everyday light to moderate protection, the Superio Signature Brief handles heavier leaks, and Excelerator Booster Pads give you a little extra at night.
Shop Unique Wellness adult incontinence products today and get protection that fits the way it should.