Last updated on Nov 06, 2023
In the 1930s the first mass-marketed disposable diaper for adults became available for purchase. Johnson & Johnson released a product called Chux in 1935, composed of shredded paper wadding sandwiched between a plastic backing and a tissue lining.
Finding the correct adult diaper is more than just preventing leaks, though.
Incontinence leaks are often caused by a diaper that doesn't have enough absorbent capacity or was not changed in time. However, leaks are not the only challenge an absorbent adult diaper can solve. Absorbent diapers can help to keep moisture against the skin, which prevents the skin from cracking or developing bacterial infections. In addition, a well-designed, highly absorbent diaper provides comfort and security for the wearer.
When using an absorbent overnight diaper, bare skin must remain dry for easy-to-maintain sleep without irritant effects, especially for sensitive skin. The highest-quality, most absorbent adult diapers help with more than just leaks – they also help reduce odor, keep skin healthy, ensure a good night's rest and eliminate embarrassment for a happier and healthier life. Here is our list of overnight adult diaper options that utilize highly absorbent technology to help people experiencing urinary incontinence to stay dry and healthy.
- The Most Absorbent Overnight Diaper
- The Perfect Adult Diaper Solution for Daytime Absorbency
- Absorbent Adult Diapers for Swimming
- Highly Absorbent Pad for Regular Underwear
- Heavy-Duty Booster Pads to Add Absorbency
Finding the Ideal Adult Diaper Solution for Absorbency
The correct adult diaper will improve both your short-term, and long-term quality of life. This will give you the confidence to do the activities you love, with the ones you love. Diaper products listed below are durable and comfortable, eliminating the smell of urine and retaining the skin's ideal microclimate.
1. The Best Adult Diapers for Overnight Use
Tranquility Premium Overnight Disposable Absorbent Underwear
These adult nighttime diapers are heavy-hitters for absorbency, holding up to 34 oz of fluid. We can confidently say they are the best overnight adult diapers on the market. These overnight diapers continue to be one of our best sellers, coming in sizes XS to 2XL. They provide maximum leakage protection and are safe for extended wear, guarding fragile skin for long daytrips or all through the night.
This product in particular is a pull-on style adult diaper, as opposed to a disposable brief with tabs. The ability to slide this diaper easily on and off provides a sense of independence to the wearer at night, and is recommended for those changing out their own incontinence products.
The super absorbent core pulls moisture away from the body and reduces nighttime leaks, making a good night of sleep a well-deserved reality for those facing the challenges of adult incontinence. The overnight diaper wetness indicator changes colors when the product is wet, making it easy for both caregivers and wearers to recognize when it is time to change. These continue to be among our most popular selections for adult absorbent products, making them top recommendation for the best overnight diaper on the market.
2. The Perfect Adult Diaper Solutions for Daytime
Tranquility Premium Daytime Disposable Absorbent Underwear
So, we have the overnight diaper covered, but what about daytime? With these heavy-duty daytime diapers for adults from Tranquility, it's easy to ensure incontinence won't interrupt your day. These disposable underwear hold up to 25 oz of fluid, or roughly a little over 3 cups. This is not just maximum liquid absorbed, this is also liquid contained. Just like with this Daytime DAU's overnight counterpart, this is one of the most long-lasting absorbent adult diapers on the market today. Additionally, this is also a pull-on style diaper, not a disposable brief with tabs. This style diaper makes it easier for the wearer to change out their products throughout their day-to-day activities, as well as lower the frequency of changes needed overall.
This adult diaper fits sizes Medium-2XL. The disposable underwear is also soft, has comfortable leg openings and has a full-rise waist panel with ample fabric to provide a better fit. Another useful feature of this latex-free diaper is a wetness indicator that changes color when it is time to dispose of the product.
3. Adult Diapers for Swimming
Swimmates Disposable Swimwear
Swimmates are the only disposable swim diaper for adults on the market. A specialty product brought to the market by Tranquility, these adult diapers are just another example of this brand's dedication to making products that enable those challenged with incontinence to live the lifestyles that make them happiest.
Coming in sizes Small to 2XL, these pull-ups can be worn under a bathing suit to provide containment for fecal incontinence, and they will not swell up in the water. The tear-away side seams are used for easy removal and disposal. Inner leg cuffs contain fecal accidents, promising to keep the pool and bathing suits clean. Enjoying a day at the beach, or being poolside with family is made easier and possible with these diapers for people who experience bowel incontinence.
4. Highly Absorbent Pad for Regular Underwear
Tranquility Overnight Personal Care Pad
For wearers who prefer using regular underwear but need protection from incontinence, underwear pads are the ideal solution. The overnight personal care pad is the most absorbent pad offered by Tranquility. This product features an hourglass shape for a comfortable fit and an adhesive strip that secures the pad in place.
A gentle elastic forms a slight cup shape to create a secure fit. Each pad has embossed channels to direct fluid into the pad's core. The pad core holds an impressive 16.9 oz of fluid, or a little over 2 cups. It also provides odor control and limits bacterial growth.
For some, utilizing pads feel like the more practical, comfortable option. This is a great place to start if you or a loved one are looking for a product that is reliable and secure, but perhaps don't need those even higher levels of absorbency that diapers provide.
5. Heavy-Duty Booster Pads Create the Most Absorbent Adult Diaper Available
Tranquility Super-Plus Topliner Booster Contour Pads
Want to prevent leaks? Try adding a booster pad! Last up on our list of the most absorbent adult diapers and incontinence products on the market today comes the Tranquility Super-Plus TopLiner Booster Contour Pads.
Different from the personal care pads mentioned above, these pads are not applied to normal underwear. Instead, this is an extra layer of absorbency that can be added to an adult diaper.
Tranquility's most absorbent booster pad holds up to 27.5 oz of fluid and can be added to many briefs for extra protection. For example, Tranquility's tab-style SmartCore Brief can hold up to 34 oz of fluid. When a wearer adds the booster pad to the SmartCore brief, the combination can hold up to 61.5 oz of fluid! (34 + 27.5 = 61.5) That's nearly 8 cups of fluid, or half a gallon!
Pairing one of Tranquility's booster pads with your disposable underwear or tabbed-style brief will extend the lifetime of the diaper. This can be used to extend time between changes overnight, enabling a fuller night's sleep. It can also help prevent interruptions during the daytime so that the wearer has more peace of mind while going about their daily activities. A booster pad can be an invaluable tool to add to your repertoire of incontinence supplies, and we can confidently argue that Tranquility makes some of the best.
Adult Diaper Comparison
Still wondering "how can I choose the right product"? If absorbency is not the most important feature for you, check out our Adult Diapers Guide. This guide provides a further breakdown of the perfect overnight diapers and daytime incontinence products for each unique use case.
Incontinence Selections Evolve
Over the decades, adult diapers have evolved drastically. Materials and features have improved to address needs like getting a good night's sleep, keeping skin dry, and protecting from both bowel incontinence and urinary incontinence. Today, there are over 24 million Americans affected by incontinence. Additionally, incontinence can be caused from a wide variety of physical and mental ailments. Due to the growing population of incontinent adults, as well as the many possible causes, there needs to be an expansive selection of products to choose from to meet each individual's personal health care needs. This means there is no shortage of diapers for adults, with plenty of options from which to choose the right adult diaper for you or your loved one..
One of the features that has come the furthest since the creation of disposable diapers is absorbency. The diapers available today can hold urine from multiple episodes without issue. These diapers wick moisture away from skin, maintaining skin health and protecting wearers both during the day and all through the night. For individuals with heavy incontinence, maximum absorbency is a must. Today's diapers are capable of holding waste from multiple episodes while still guaranteeing skin dryness. On top of this, not only can these more advanced designs absorb more, but they can also retain more. While creating products that can absorb more liquid is important, keeping that liquid contained is vital for comfortable, secure use. Retaining, not just absorbing, is a key feature to look for in products when wanting to enable the wearer to confidently live their normal day-to-day lifestyles, uninterrupted.
As technology improves over time, so do incontinence products in stores. Innovation for the items on the shelves doesn't stop at adding absorbent layers or more comfortable material. Beyond the standard adult diaper, we've also seen the number of complementary products expand to include items like swim diapers, incontinence pads, booster pads, underpads and more. There now exists solutions on the market for every unique incontinence challenge.
Finding the Right Diapers for Adults
You may be asking yourself, “How do I choose the ideal adult diapers with high absorbency and durability to suit my needs?” After all, there are so many brands and types of incontinence products on the market, it can be hard to find the best diapers for you or your loved ones.
Our favorite brand for extremely absorbent diapers is Tranquility. Founded in 1961, the company makes all products in the USA and uses materials of exceptional quality. They make accessible products in a wide range of styles and sizes, including youth up to 5XL.
Their adult diapers and complementary products are used for individuals in their home, in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and veterans' facilities. All of their products provide leakage control and odor reduction, and guarantee skin protection. Utilizing patented features such as the Peach Mat core and Kufguards®, Tranquility has proved themselves to be a brand dedicated to preventing bacteria buildup, maintaining high levels of absorbency, and promoting independence and freedom for the wearer.
In other words – we have found Tranquility to be a leader in three categories: Comfort, Cleanliness, and Confidence.
Why Tranquility?
What makes Tranquility different from other brands is how they measure the absorbency of their products. They use a proprietary test method called "capacity under pressure." This method measures the product's retention capacity with applied pressure, which is the amount of fluid absorbed by the product that cannot be forced out with pressure. This is essential for a realistic understanding of how much fluid a product can hold.
Capacity Under Pressure Explained
Think about it - if you're wearing a diaper and you're sitting or lying down, your body weight is applying pressure to the product. On the other side of the coin, active adults who are constantly moving are applying and reapplying pressure to their products while going through their days. Other brands do not test their product with applied pressure, making their absorbency estimates unreliable when considering the reality of applying these products to daily life! Tranquility's stated absorbency is a more accurate representation of the product's absorbency under daily use. Whether lying down, or engaging in high-movement activities, Tranquility designs their products for real people living real lives.
Is there anything else I should know?
The diaper shopping process might seem overwhelming. There's so much variety that making a good choice seems impossible. When you buy a new diaper, prepare yourself that it might not be right on the first try. Comfort Plus makes this process easier by offering samples on many Tranquility products so you can find the best adult diapers to fit you or your loved one.
Do you need help?
Please get in touch if needed. We're here for you always!
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About Comfort Plus
Since 1992, we have prided ourselves on providing the best overnight diapers and daytime products, briefs, disposable underwear and other incontinence supplies on the market.
Comfort Plus features products that have been proven to prevent embarrassing moments, skin breakdowns and other side effects associated with incontinence and other bladder issues. Learn more about Comfort Plus.
This article has been verified by Judy Borcherdt RN, BSN, CWCMS
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