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The Tena Slip Maxi is a premium line of taped adult diapers produced by the SCA Group and sold in markets worldwide. It is particularly popular in the United Kingdom and other European markets. Recently, it has begun to appear for sale in the United States.
As with most adult diapers, the Tena Slip comes in a number of different absorbency classes and sizes. In the Tena Slip line, Maxi is the most absorbent followed by the Super, and then the Plus. The available sizes for this line of diapers vary between markets.
This is a review of the medium sized Tena Slip Maxi which fits 28-43" sized waists. The small and large versions fit 20-31" and 39-59" waists respectively. This diaper was bought in the United Kingdom in the early months of 2013.
Appearance, Size and Features
The Tena Slip Maxi comes with all the features you'd expect from a premium diaper: an elastic waistband, standing leak guards, wetness indicators and refastenable tapes. It doesn't have cute pictures or patterns, but it does have a purple color!
When folded, the diaper has a width of 18.5 cm (7.2 in) and a length of 23 cm (9 in). The front of the diaper is printed with Tena logos, size information and the absorbency level. To the best of my knowledge, the purple spots are purely for decoration.
The smooth plastic landing zone allows you to refasten and reposition the tapes easily. As putting on a diaper can require multiple attempts, this can be the difference between a poor and leaky fit or a good and snug fit. The purple boxes are innovative tape positioning guides.
The yellow lines, which run most of the length of the diaper, are the wetness indicators. They turn green when the diaper is wet and fade entirely if the diaper becomes "too" wet. These can be useful if someone else is keeping an eye on the state of the diaper.
Front and Back
Most adult diapers have a roughly equal amount of pulp, which is used for wicking away moisture, and absorbent material, which is known as SAP. However, the Tena Slip Maxi has significantly more absorbent material than pulp. This makes them appear deceptively thin when first unpacked. A 3 stack of Tena Slip Maxi's are 6.5 cm (2.5 in) in total height. An individual diaper is therefore 2.1 cm (.8 in) thick.
3 Diaper Stack
The Tena Slip Maxi has four tapes: two on each side of the diaper. The tapes themselves are small and thin but surprisingly strong and stretchy. Unfortunately, a common complaint is that the tapes have a habit of "disconnecting" from the wings of the diaper when fastened too tight.
Tena Slip Maxi Tapes
The Tena Slip Maxi is sold with a plastic backing in most markets, with the notable exception of Australia. The plastic feels smooth and soft to the touch and, while it does crinkle, it isn't particularly loud. There is an elastic waistband on the back of the diaper.
When unfolded, the diaper measures 71 cm (28 in) in length, 25 cm (10 in) across the core, and has a 54 cm (21 in) width from wing to wing. The diaper is quite stretchy which enables it to fit different body shapes fairly well.
Outside Detail
The non-absorbent surfaces inside the diaper are lined with a soft cloth-like cover. This helps to reduce the chafing problems which often occur with other plastic backed diapers. The surface is also covered with a "Feel Dry" layer which aims to keep moisture away from the skin.
Standing leak guards run the length of the diaper which curve slightly inwards towards the ends. These are often stuck down when the diaper is first unpacked, but they can be easily reopened by gently pulling them back into a standing position.
Inside Detail
Performance and Fit
Most online retailers give the absorbency range of a Tena Slip Maxi as 2100-3900mL. These high values may well be possible in a carefully controlled lab environment, but probably not in real day-to-day situations. An objective absorbency test was conducted in an attempt to simulate real world usage.
The test involved pouring 100 mL increments of water down the front of the diaper and then sitting in a chair for 30 seconds to check for leaks. Mild dampness was noticed around the inside of the leg gathers after 1600 mL, and an actual leak occurred at 1900mL.
As mentioned earlier, the Tena Slip Maxi has a much higher amount of absorbent material in relation to pulp than most other diapers. This means it can swell up significantly. A saturated Tena Slip Maxi measured 9.5 cm (3.7in) in thickness.
Dry/Wet Comparison
Absorbency is a good measure of performance, but a good diaper also needs to be comfortable, convenient, and usually discreet. I put this to the test by wearing the Tena Slip Maxi diaper over the course of an average day.
The diaper lasted for approximately six hours before it became necessary to change. This was under normal usage with no flooding, a small amount of powder, and no barrier creams. The main reason to change wasn't due to a risk of leaking, but due to several tapes being on the brink of failure.
In terms of noise, the diaper is audible but only in a quiet environment. The sound of normal everyday clothing can mostly cover the sound. This makes the diaper fun to wear at home where a noisy crinkle can be welcome, but also practical to wear in public where discretion is needed.
The plastic backing was comfortable against the skin with very little chafing noticed. The cloth-like inner cover was also soft against the skin and kept the diaper feeling comfortable when wet. This makes the diaper practical for long term use.
According to the packaging, the Tena Slip Maxi medium is designed for a hip size of 28-43 in. During testing, the diaper fitted very well on a waist size of approximately 32 in, without being too loose or too tight.
Price and Final Thoughts
The Tena Slip Maxi is available in stores and is also widely available online. The diapers used in this review came out of a case purchased from Dorset Nursing Supplies in the United Kingdom. The case cost £53.24 (approx. $82.45 US) including delivery, which works out to be £0.85 ($1.32) per diaper.
Cases are branded with the SCA and Tena logos, but this can be covered up by most retailers on request. The packs themselves are bright blue and do feature a large picture of the diaper, so it may be worth checking with the retailer before ordering if privacy is a concern.
These diapers have good absorbency, premium features and a comfortable fit. The design gives the impression of having been well-thought-out, tried, tested and improved. The weak tapes are the only noticeable negative point.
Overall, a great diaper at a good price point.
As with most adult diapers, the Tena Slip comes in a number of different absorbency classes and sizes. In the Tena Slip line, Maxi is the most absorbent followed by the Super, and then the Plus. The available sizes for this line of diapers vary between markets.
This is a review of the medium sized Tena Slip Maxi which fits 28-43" sized waists. The small and large versions fit 20-31" and 39-59" waists respectively. This diaper was bought in the United Kingdom in the early months of 2013.
Appearance, Size and Features
The Tena Slip Maxi comes with all the features you'd expect from a premium diaper: an elastic waistband, standing leak guards, wetness indicators and refastenable tapes. It doesn't have cute pictures or patterns, but it does have a purple color!
When folded, the diaper has a width of 18.5 cm (7.2 in) and a length of 23 cm (9 in). The front of the diaper is printed with Tena logos, size information and the absorbency level. To the best of my knowledge, the purple spots are purely for decoration.
The smooth plastic landing zone allows you to refasten and reposition the tapes easily. As putting on a diaper can require multiple attempts, this can be the difference between a poor and leaky fit or a good and snug fit. The purple boxes are innovative tape positioning guides.
The yellow lines, which run most of the length of the diaper, are the wetness indicators. They turn green when the diaper is wet and fade entirely if the diaper becomes "too" wet. These can be useful if someone else is keeping an eye on the state of the diaper.
Front and Back
Most adult diapers have a roughly equal amount of pulp, which is used for wicking away moisture, and absorbent material, which is known as SAP. However, the Tena Slip Maxi has significantly more absorbent material than pulp. This makes them appear deceptively thin when first unpacked. A 3 stack of Tena Slip Maxi's are 6.5 cm (2.5 in) in total height. An individual diaper is therefore 2.1 cm (.8 in) thick.
3 Diaper Stack
The Tena Slip Maxi has four tapes: two on each side of the diaper. The tapes themselves are small and thin but surprisingly strong and stretchy. Unfortunately, a common complaint is that the tapes have a habit of "disconnecting" from the wings of the diaper when fastened too tight.
Tena Slip Maxi Tapes
The Tena Slip Maxi is sold with a plastic backing in most markets, with the notable exception of Australia. The plastic feels smooth and soft to the touch and, while it does crinkle, it isn't particularly loud. There is an elastic waistband on the back of the diaper.
When unfolded, the diaper measures 71 cm (28 in) in length, 25 cm (10 in) across the core, and has a 54 cm (21 in) width from wing to wing. The diaper is quite stretchy which enables it to fit different body shapes fairly well.
Outside Detail
The non-absorbent surfaces inside the diaper are lined with a soft cloth-like cover. This helps to reduce the chafing problems which often occur with other plastic backed diapers. The surface is also covered with a "Feel Dry" layer which aims to keep moisture away from the skin.
Standing leak guards run the length of the diaper which curve slightly inwards towards the ends. These are often stuck down when the diaper is first unpacked, but they can be easily reopened by gently pulling them back into a standing position.
Inside Detail
Performance and Fit
Most online retailers give the absorbency range of a Tena Slip Maxi as 2100-3900mL. These high values may well be possible in a carefully controlled lab environment, but probably not in real day-to-day situations. An objective absorbency test was conducted in an attempt to simulate real world usage.
The test involved pouring 100 mL increments of water down the front of the diaper and then sitting in a chair for 30 seconds to check for leaks. Mild dampness was noticed around the inside of the leg gathers after 1600 mL, and an actual leak occurred at 1900mL.
As mentioned earlier, the Tena Slip Maxi has a much higher amount of absorbent material in relation to pulp than most other diapers. This means it can swell up significantly. A saturated Tena Slip Maxi measured 9.5 cm (3.7in) in thickness.
Dry/Wet Comparison
Absorbency is a good measure of performance, but a good diaper also needs to be comfortable, convenient, and usually discreet. I put this to the test by wearing the Tena Slip Maxi diaper over the course of an average day.
The diaper lasted for approximately six hours before it became necessary to change. This was under normal usage with no flooding, a small amount of powder, and no barrier creams. The main reason to change wasn't due to a risk of leaking, but due to several tapes being on the brink of failure.
In terms of noise, the diaper is audible but only in a quiet environment. The sound of normal everyday clothing can mostly cover the sound. This makes the diaper fun to wear at home where a noisy crinkle can be welcome, but also practical to wear in public where discretion is needed.
The plastic backing was comfortable against the skin with very little chafing noticed. The cloth-like inner cover was also soft against the skin and kept the diaper feeling comfortable when wet. This makes the diaper practical for long term use.
According to the packaging, the Tena Slip Maxi medium is designed for a hip size of 28-43 in. During testing, the diaper fitted very well on a waist size of approximately 32 in, without being too loose or too tight.
Price and Final Thoughts
The Tena Slip Maxi is available in stores and is also widely available online. The diapers used in this review came out of a case purchased from Dorset Nursing Supplies in the United Kingdom. The case cost £53.24 (approx. $82.45 US) including delivery, which works out to be £0.85 ($1.32) per diaper.
Cases are branded with the SCA and Tena logos, but this can be covered up by most retailers on request. The packs themselves are bright blue and do feature a large picture of the diaper, so it may be worth checking with the retailer before ordering if privacy is a concern.
These diapers have good absorbency, premium features and a comfortable fit. The design gives the impression of having been well-thought-out, tried, tested and improved. The weak tapes are the only noticeable negative point.
Overall, a great diaper at a good price point.
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