NorthShore AirSupreme Review

KatelynG

Est. Contributor
Messages
541
Role
  1. Adult Baby
  2. Diaper Lover
  3. Little
  4. Carer
]The NorthShore AirSupreme is the cloth-backed variant of NorthShore's new line of diapers.

This is a review of the small size, purchased in October 2014. These are designed to fit people with a waist measurement of 22-32 inches and are rated to hold approximately 798 mL. The other sizes available are X-Small (16-25", 591 mL), Medium (28-44", 946 mL), Large (40-58", 1183 mL), and X-Large (48-64", 1242 mL).



Appearance, Size, and Features



The NorthShore AirSupreme is plain white with a yellow wetness indicator line, as well as product and batch information text running up and down it.

262-1-FrontFolded.png


262-2-BackFolded.png


Front and Back of Folded Diaper


Three of the diapers were stacked, pressed down with a heavy object (a PS3), and measured to give an average height. The stack was measured at approximately 6.8 cm, giving an average thickness of about 2.3 cm.

262-3-stacked.png


3 Diapers Stacked


The NorthShore AirSupreme has two refastenable tapes as do most cloth-backed diapers. I did not observe any weakening in the tapes during normal wear, meaning that these could easily be removed and replaced for adjustment.

262-4-tapes.png


The Tapes


I laid out the diaper and measured its dimensions. These are organized below for simplicity:

Length: 67 cm
Width at center: 17 cm between the elastics, 28 cm from edge-to-edge
Width at wings (both sides): 53 cm

262-5-outside.png


262-6-inside.png


Front and Back of Unfolded Diaper



Performance and Fit


In order to measure the capacity of the diaper, I wore it and poured water down the front 100 mL at a time followed by 30 seconds of sitting accompanying each pour, recording any observations I made and repeating. I concluded the test when the diaper leaked.

At around 300 mL, the wetness indicator had turned blue along the visible front of the diaper. At 500 mL, I noticed some wetness in the cuffs when I poured water in, suggesting slightly slower absorbency but nowhere near a leak. There was nothing else notable to report until 1500 mL, when the diaper leaked from both cuffs.

At capacity, it was still relatively easy to walk around in - only slightly less mobility than when empty. The AirSupreme was distinctly less squishy at capacity than most diapers.

I find it reasonable to believe that the capacity of the small AirSupremes is far greater than advertised, as compared to the advertised capacity of 798 mL, I did not observe any leaks as far full as 1400 mL.

When refolded and measured, the diaper had swollen to 6.0 cm, around 2.25 times the dry size - quite a bit less than I would expect from a diaper with this capacity.

The AirSupreme seemed to wick moisture fairly well, and the absorbent material went all the way up the back of the diaper, or at least farther than the absorbent area most adult diapers.

262-7-wetdry.png


Dry Diaper Next to Full Diaper After Quantitative Test


My waist size is around 28 inches, around the middle of the AirSupreme's advertised size range. It fit very well, not peeking above clothing any more than underwear would. It was a relatively soft diaper, although not quite as soft as the previously reviewed MoliCare Soft Supers, but the increased capacity makes up for that pretty well.

To test the diaper out in a real-life scenario, I wore it for a day starting at around 12 PM and ending at around 6 PM. As I always do and advise others to do, I wet the diaper often and in small quantities. The diaper could probably have lasted quite a bit longer, but I try to be a bit cautious in real life tests since I don't want to leak on my housemate's furniture.

The diaper was extremely discreet and easy to move around in, albeit slightly less so than the MoliCare Soft Supers due to being slightly thicker and stiffer. There was no discernible smell. I also did not notice any clumping. I adjusted the tapes a couple of times during the time period and had no issues with them sticking. The diaper sags a great deal and may need to be retaped if worn for a long time. I experienced some chafing with this diaper after the test was concluded.



Price and Final Thoughts


I obtained these diapers for review from NorthShore Care Supply, where they are available in a pack of 20 for $21.80 ($1.09/diaper) or a case of 120 for $118.99 ($0.99/diaper). These are not available anywhere else as they are a proprietary NorthShore product.

These are a good diaper for discreteness but are also plenty absorbent enough for night-time use. I'd imagine that most people would make the mistake of changing before necessary since these hold so much. These probably aren't as good of a diaper for AB purposes if you like squishiness, thickness or cute designs, but they hold a lot and don't leak easily so I imagine they would be good for more active play. I like these about as much as the MoliCare Soft Supers - that is to say, quite a lot! They are almost exactly the same price, so I'd advocate these if you want high capacity and MoliCares if you want something softer and a bit lighter.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Reactions: Wolfman69
My only issue with these if you are wearing cloth backed you are going for discreet. When these start to swell they become anything but discreet. So weaing tight fitting pants with these isn't going to leave much to the imagination. Otherwise for me these are my go to. I've yet to try ABU Preschool cloth backed.
 
Wow what a lot of help thank you
 
i couldnt get behind these at all. the padding fell apart on every diaper i tried in a bag. the tapes would roll up and pop off. and the back sheet caused chafing. just not a good diaper imo. but we all do have different bodies. i prefer the plastic back version which is a terrific diaper!
 
redbullfiend said:
i couldnt get behind these at all. the padding fell apart on every diaper i tried in a bag. the tapes would roll up and pop off. and the back sheet caused chafing. just not a good diaper imo. but we all do have different bodies. i prefer the plastic back version which is a terrific diaper!

I'm pretty sure that you got a bad batch of those.
 
I appreciate the excellent job and detailed information on the Northshore AirSupreme review. I'd not have the patience, unless inspiration hit me.

My experience with the AirSupremes, and thoughts:

For the size large I ordered a year ago, I ended up "back stocking" them to my closet.
Lack of performance with staying on my body, NOT the diaper's ability itself with absorbancy, was the reason. They seem to sag by the three-hour point in and fall down my hips despite re-taping and readjusting. I think the material stretches like crazy, actually.
I even stapled them once, since diapers are expensive. I was seeking a cooler option for the summer when I bought them, and veered later to the "designer diaper" distributors for options, and succeeded, though later resorted back to plastic-backed.

I think Northshore has good cloth-backed. Their other items, etc. always great. So I'm not knocking Northshore, not at all. I'm proud they are a dependable distributor for the diaper world and that they made creative changes with many quality products to bring more color and variety to the diaper world. A genius move.

I guess if someone is prone to sitting the majority of thier time in them, and not moving about a lot, AirSupremes do their job.

But bending down, cleaning the house, putting out the trash, and finishing chores? Or getting in and out of the car? They kept sagging and falling off my body, or the tapes gave way. I did resort to firm supportive vinyl pants for support as a must.

My guess is that the fabric stretches, and the act of re-taping ruins the fabric's integrity. (reattaching and repositioning the tapes, velcro from other sources, staples, etc.) As a last resort, I just tied the wings together like they were bikinis. The fabric stretched enough to do it. The diaper eventually fell apart in places.🤣 They had a lot more potential use left, but they gave up.

I know some other basic cloth versions from grocery stores don't compete. True.

Closing:
Manufacturers should reconsider strengthening/reinforcing the very cheap to make breathable polyethylene film and/or a non-woven film composite outer shell to prevent sagging, leaks, and diaper breakdowns so a person moving around in them can feel safe.

Liquid weight and gauging the fabric's integrity should be considered before spending tons of company money manufacturing them. Or they might as well make the outer shell with pantyhose fabric for an overall miserable experience.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Babybuzz
These are my go-to for long days, airplanes, road trips, or if I really really really need those extra couple cups of coffee. I usually wear a pair of men’s jeans if I do plan on wearing one, as they’re almost noticeable in the back. I’ve had a few small leaks and one big leak over probably 2 cases. Most of the time I don’t need anything to this level of protection, but it’s a huge lifesaver for flying!
 
Back
Top