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Which Incontinence Pad Is Most Absorbent? | All About Incontinence

People often ask us which incontinence pad is most absorbent, with so many products available this is a difficult question to answer, so it’s more important to understand how you can tell how absorbent an incontinence pad is.

Virtually all types of incontinence pad or incontinence pant will be available in a wide range of absorbencies. Generally the most absorbent product will have an appropriate sounding name, e.g. Maxi or Ultima, though in some ranges it could be the Super or Extra is the most absorbent option.

It’s worth noting that different manufacturers use different names so an “Extra” in one manufacturers range may be a lot more absorbent than another’s. Therefore what’s most important is to compare the absorbency ratings. Although each manufacturer has their own ratings scale, Allanda rate all our products on the same scale so you can compare across products. We also give an estimated working absorbency for each product. This is the amount it might absorb in normal use, and is typically around 50% of it’s ISO rated absorbency. The ISO absorbency itself a guide to absorbency but this is based on an immersion test, so the level of absorbency this test gives will always be significantly higher than an incontinence product will be able to manage when worn.

You will find that within the same absorbency description (e.g. Maxi), the absorbency level may differ slightly between sizes, this is because larger sizes have a larger area with which to absorb and thus will be rated slightly higher, so it’s important to compare with a like for like size when comparing products. However the main factor affecting actual absorbency is the amount of super absorbents within the pad (this is what will differ across levels) rather than the size.

All brands offer different absorbencies, so no brand is more absorbent than another. However you might find that the more expensive products have higher quality of construction so these will cope better when full, e.g.  less likely to cause dampness, less likely to fall apart.

All the different product types  (e.g. Belted All in One pads, All in One Pads, Pull up Pants) are available in different absorbencies, generally All in One pads, Belted All in One Pads and Shaped Pads will be available in the highest level of absorbency. However you will find that other features, such as standing gathers and leg cuffs are just important in terms of discretion and leakage security as absorption and therefore these need to be considered when selecting the most appropriate incontinence product.