Home and able to add more a bit easier.
Cottontail said:
My one-line synopsis of pocket diapers would be: They're like all-in-ones, except that when the cover inevitably fails, your investment in padding is safe.
As
@Belarin said, they have their uses...
...In short, I don't think pockets are a bad out-and-about solution for when discreetness is the name of the game. If you also see yourself wearing in private and wanting something with a bit more absorbency, you might look at the wraps too. I they offer a great balance of price/performance/customizability.
That synopsis is pretty much exactly what I say about fitted nappies and why I recommend them over an AIO any day of the week. Also I agree that for discretionary needs they are great and also for those with lighter to moderate IC, people who will not want to be sitting around wet for very long or emptying whole big bladder loads at once.
ben0510 said:
would these be any good for wearing under my clothing?
Yes they are probably among the most discreet of cloth products with the only things more discreet being the pants that have just a little padded area (like 100-300ml worth) in the front like
these.
Or a pocket pull up that are meant to look like pants without any snaps/velcro to do up. (like the Threaded Armor although those are designed to be more nappy like in terms of the amount of padding you put in).
ben0510 said:
what kind of capacity should I expect, as it doesnt state it on the ebay listing.
As said that depends entirely on the pads you use, their size, shape, number of layers, fabric material (cotton/microfibre etc.) How many you can fit into the pocket without overstuffing it and quality/GSM.
As an example, in the UK I tend to buy
these if I am not making them myself, they come in packs of 6 for £25.
They are a 4 layer pad with a blend of bamboo and microfibre, I have run multiple "scientific" tests on these (the science is very basic but I have done some deep testing under a number of methods and situations) alongside several other pads I had collected/made.
Now sadly the table I made with all my results has disappeared (really annoyed by that as it had a lot of good data and I don't want to go through it all again), But from memory I can say that one of these pads (that has been through many uses and wash cycles) will take around 500ml max of fluid before just starts running out and will hold on to about 420ml or so with a bit of compression and about 390ml after really trying to press the fluid out.
Given that an average bladder holds about 500ml (can get up to around 800ml at night or if holding for long times) but usually gives the urge to go at about 200-300ml, then
In theory one of these pads should be plenty to hold one good wetting with maybe a little room to spare for a couple very small dribbles afterward. Two pads should hold a couple of good wettings quite securely.
Now I had another pad the same shape and similar size but with different fibres that only held: max 380ml, 320 after compression and around 270 after really squeezing them. Which means for those pads if you wee regularly and at the first hint of needing then
In theory it they might take one moderate wetting but will probably leak if you try and sit down or use them again, so you would need at least 2 of them to hold one good wee before a change.
I say in theory there because this was under lab conditions where the full length and width of the pads were used to soak up water, in a real life situation there will likely be parts of the pad that do not get the same exposure or gravity will have an effect on where to wee pools/drains too leaving some parts of the pad drier than others, potentially meaning they will end up holding less wee.
ben0510 said:
do the pads come in different absorbencies, and sizes?
See above, but yes they come in many shapes and sizes, some will be too big for a brand of pocket and other my be to thin or short. They can be basic rectangles or a more contoured shape, some may only be double layered some 3 layers some may be 4+ layers, some might combine different fibre types to utilise their best different abilities others all the same.
We can probably help sift through option for advise but often you just have to play around and try a bunch of different ones to find what works best for your needs.