Have Abena M/L4s Really Changed?

There was a time when the Abena X-Plus (now level 4) diapers were the best. They might have been the very first "super diaper" and were almost universally thought to be the gold standard for us diaper wearers.

But a lot has changed since then. Better, higher-capacity diapers from NorthShore, Bambino, ABU, Tykables, Rearz, etc. etc. etc. have come along to take the crown.

Have the Abenas really gotten worse? I've read a lot of posts saying that they clump more than they used to and that their quality control just ain't what it used to be. Or is it just that there are so many better diapers now and the Abenas, by comparison, just don't hold up?

I've been considering getting some lighter-use diapers (funny to think of the previous king of absorbency as a "lighter-use" diaper, but . . .) and wondered if they're still worth it. Thoughts?

-RMS

It's a little of both. Abena L4s used to be my primary diaper, but right around the rest of the market was overtaking them, they switched the majority of their line to a cheaper cloth-like backing, and massively cut costs on the plastic backed ones. The absorbency is mostly still there, I think, but they lost their waistband, and the plastic feels like a bit thinner gauge, and they do clump more.

Still functional as a product, but the lack of waistband makes bad messes extra bad, and with other products in a similar price range outperforming them, combined with their constant threats to shut down production entirely on the L4s, convinced me to convert to ABU full time instead.

Well they certainly aren't what they used to be, a shadow of their former selves. Aren't as thick, absorbent or as high quality as back then.
They really were the best at one point

But for a daytime diaper they're still my go to, and I still use them often at night with a booster.
Plus if you get them from DiaperBuys you can get the classic plastic backed M4 by the case(42 per case) about $15 cheaper than NorthShore.

Here's my pros and cons

+The fit they provide I just haven't been able to find in any other diaper, they fit me just right.
+Still plenty absorbent and the tapes are pretty much the stickiest I've ever used, it would tear right off the wing before it popped(99.95% of the time, just don't touch it with powdery fingers )
+The backing is alright, haven't had pinhole issues in a good while, it doesn't tear too easy and is nicely smooth.
+has awesome racing stripes! :biggrin:

-No more elastic waistband to save money
-They do have a bit of a clumping issue, though a booster and a supporting onesie or mesh pant really helps
-The quality control is a big let down, some cases in the recent past have had pretty disappointing flaws like bad cuts, elastics and tapes.

Yes.

Not just once but there have been multiple rounds of cost cutting since the original X-PLUS product. It is a lot thinner than it was, and prone to clumping.

I was quite happy with the M4/Xplus until Abena didn't sell the plastic backed briefs here anymore. The cloth backed ones I've tried but I don't like them as they leak way too quick on my.
My preference are plastic backed diapers anyway, so I had to look for something different. I'm currently using Forma-Care Xplus briefs, size M. My first choice had been ID slips but the new ones are just shite. I may revert to MyDiaper Night or try the Lille Classic briefs.
It gets tougher getting common market plastic backed diapers over here, that's for sure.

Thank you all for your (very disappointing) responses. I was so hoping that they had only faded in their standings by comparison to their thicker competition. It's disheartening to learn that they've just been cheapened.

I was in a local medical supply store and, like so many here in the States, they don't sell anything good. Their "high-quality" overnight diaper is the Tranquility ATN, which I think is one of the worst diapers ever made. They don't wick wetness beyond ground zero; they're all SAP and no fluff, so they swell like a blow fish, but are slow to absorb; and they're so thin that they can only take one or two wettings max. All Through the Night my ass.

But I needed something and wasn't in a position to order it from any of the usual places, so the ATNs would have to do. While there at the medical supply store, I struck up a conversation with someone who may be the manager and said, "May I ask a loaded question?" She said sure, so I asked, "Why do you suppose no one, at any pharmacy or medical supply store in this city sells a top-shelf adult diaper? You can get Tena and Tranquility, but those are the best you can get locally. If you want anything better, you have to get it off the Internet."

She was floored, but curious. "What's better than these?" she asked, pointing to the ATNs I had just bought.

That opened up a can of conversational worms and I started listing as many non-AB/DL brands as I could. The first one I said, and the one she glommed onto, was the Abena M/L4. She said she was going to Google it and learn more.

She may have just been appeasing me, but what if she wasn't? What if she was actually willing to get another brand in? Hmmm.

Ever since then, I've been playing a scene over and over in my mind where I go back to the store with a Tranquility ATN, a NS Supreme, a Dry 24/7, and an Abena M/L4, just to show here what I meant. It's silly, I know, but I really think I've piqued her curiosity.

Sorry for the ramble, but all of that is why I asked about the Abenas.

-RMS

i wear the L4's at night and find them to be just right. So, like all things, best to try one and see for yourself.
I flood diapers with a full bladder, so they have to have fast suction to satisfy that. The L4's and the Better dry diapers both have great suction and good leak guards.

Andybun said:

I I'm currently using Forma-Care Xplus briefs, size M. My first choice had been ID slips but the new ones are just shite. I may revert to MyDiaper Night or try the Lille Classic briefs.
It gets tougher getting common market plastic backed diapers over here, that's for sure.

Click to expand...

I really like the Forma Care too (they remind me of the Abena X-PLUS back in the very old days) but again I find it's prone to clumping

Agree with you about the iDSlip's - that was a really good product at a really good price point and they ruined it :wallbash:

RMS401 said:

There was a time when the Abena X-Plus (now level 4) diapers were the best. They might have been the very first "super diaper" and were almost universally thought to be the gold standard for us diaper wearers.

But a lot has changed since then. Better, higher-capacity diapers from NorthShore, Bambino, ABU, Tykables, Rearz, etc. etc. etc. have come along to take the crown.

Have the Abenas really gotten worse? I've read a lot of posts saying that they clump more than they used to and that their quality control just ain't what it used to be. Or is it just that there are so many better diapers now and the Abenas, by comparison, just don't hold up?

I've been considering getting some lighter-use diapers (funny to think of the previous king of absorbency as a "lighter-use" diaper, but . . .) and wondered if they're still worth it. Thoughts?

Click to expand...

I've still got a couple bags left from when DiaperBuys did that bogo a few years back. While capacity is okay, they lack some popular features. The leak guards are quite short, tapes don't stick terribly well, the front and back have over 4" of unpadded plastic on the ends, and they don't have front or rear elastic. They also are prone to clumping even when dry.

I haven't bought any recently so I don't have anything to compare to in order to tell if they've gone downhill, but it's clear that the diapers available on the market has been gradually improving during this time. So even if they haven't changed at all, their position in the market certainly has gone down.

I've got these in the cabinet right now on the "use up" shelf for wearing after work until bedtime. Once they're gone though, I don't intend to re-order.

It IS interesting to think about how these used to be one of my "premium diapers" I kept in stock. But I don't buy "trash diapers" anymore so these have gradually became some of the lowest quality in my cabinet. Life's too short to wear cheap diapers

bambinod said:

I've still got a couple bags left from when DiaperBuys did that bogo a few years back. While capacity is okay, they lack some popular features. The leak guards are quite short, tapes don't stick terribly well, the front and back have over 4" of unpadded plastic on the ends, and they don't have front or rear elastic. They also are prone to clumping even when dry.

I haven't bought any recently so I don't have anything to compare to in order to tell if they've gone downhill, but it's clear that the diapers available on the market has been gradually improving during this time. So even if they haven't changed at all, their position in the market certainly has gone down.

I've got these in the cabinet right now on the "use up" shelf for wearing after work until bedtime. Once they're gone though, I don't intend to re-order.

It IS interesting to think about how these used to be one of my "premium diapers" I kept in stock. But I don't buy "trash diapers" anymore so these have gradually became some of the lowest quality in my cabinet. Life's too short to wear cheap diapers

Click to expand...

Thank you, Bambinod. That's kind of what I thought but it's good to know for sure. I think they still might serve my purposes as a lighter-duty (never doodie) diaper. It is funny to think of them as that now, given how revered they were back in the day. I wonder why Abena has made the decision to not only up their game but to even take the 4s down a peg in performance. It's a bit sad, really.

-RMS

RMS401 said:

Thank you, Bambinod. That's kind of what I thought but it's good to know for sure. I think they still might serve my purposes as a lighter-duty (never doodie) diaper. It is funny to think of them as that now, given how revered they were back in the day. I wonder why Abena has made the decision to not only up their game but to even take the 4s down a peg in performance. It's a bit sad, really.

-RMS

Click to expand...

Abena xplus used to be my go to diaper as well, and they were lremimum grade years ago. I remember when they really started to "cut the corners" and began having problems with the tapes, pinhole leaks, sagging, clumping- the works really. I emailed Abena and asked them why the cheaper diapers. They basically said it was because of inflation and rising production costs, yet they felt their customers didn't want to pay more so they cheapened them up. I pointed out to them that was a really bad move, because now the customers who need well performing diapers will be forced to look elsewhere and they would loose even more money overall.

Go figure, they lost so much more money they tried to outright discontinue their plastic diapers in the US. I relate this to the seemingly in-response rise of Confidry at the time too. I, and many others, let our wallets do the talking but Abena chose to not listen. So yeah, their quality took a nose dive, and their market share went with it.