Affordable, quality mid-level diaper?

[goten]

I'm a medium 32-34", 150lbs, 6' or so. Wear 24/7.

On the high end (8-16 hours; overnight use), I like the ABU space/simple/littlepaws or Bambino Bellisimo. All around $2 each. Very happy with these.

On the low end (0-2 hours; as a holdover when I know I'll want to shower soon for bed), I begrudgingly use the TotalDry Plus briefs. These are garbage, and split down the back very easily, and only hold a tiny tiny amount. But at $0.70 each, they fit the bill for when I know any other diaper would just go to waste.

The problem is, I can't find a medium end product (2-8 hours) that is affordable. The Bambino Teddies are a perfect fit on quality, but the price has just steadily soared. They're now at $1.60 each, which is close enough to the high end that it's just not worth it. Too often, the teddies don't make it long enough and I have to change, so it would be more economical to just stick to the high end premium products. But I don't want to do that!

Mid-level is like, I want to go out to dinner or the movies. I'm a little wet. It won't leak, but all the same, it might start to smell a bit. Better to change. I'll probably get dinner, come home, maybe mow the lawn, then hop in the shower. If I put on the low-end, it'd likely fail in public, split or leak. If I put on the high-end, then I'm going to be wasting 70% of the capacity. I need something in between.

What I want is a brief around the $1.00 to $1.30 price point that falls between these two extremes. Plastic-backed, good width between the legs, not a lot of empty plastic space with no padding, and preferably with at least front elastic waist band. Does anyone have suggestions?

What I have tried:

Tena Slip Maxi: these were perfect! So of course they were discontinued =(

Tranquility EliteCare: cloth-back, yuck. Cloth sags, seeps, etc. No thank you!

Dry 24/7: too expensive. Way too stiff and uncomfortable to wear. Leaks easily due to stiffness not being form-fitting.

Tranquility ATN: at $1 each, these could work, but the cut between the legs is very thin, and they have a whole lot of empty plastic with no padding on the front and back. No elastic waist bands also means they don't give a good fit.

ABU Cushies/SDK: $1.70 each. Even worse than the Teddies, the one-tape is cute but gives an awful fit, and not even a waist band. Can't justify buying these for anything but looks.

NorthShore Supreme: the mediums are just way too small. They remind me of ATN smalls. The larges at $1.45 each, this is too close to the teddy pricing. Plus I don't know if the large would fit me well or not.

Contenders!

NorthShore Supreme Lite: at $1.25 for the larges, this could work. If the absorbency were decent (2-8 hours) and the size were closer to a medium in any other brand.

Abena: been a long time since I tried these. Looks to be $1.42 for a medium Classic Level 4, which is getting in the high end again.

Molicare Premium Soft Extra: just shy of $1 each, the price is right, but there's a massive amount of dead space in the front, and no elastic waist bands. Doesn't look comfortable.

Anything else I should consider?

 

[EchoForest]

Ever tried ID Slip? From the ratings I've heard from others, they're better than TSM's. Definitely thicker/stiffer than the Tenas, but super absorbent and still very discreet. Very well priced and they have both cloth and plastic versions.

http://www.xpmedical.com/id-slip-soft.html

 

[Ashley19]

Bambino still sells the Tena Slip Maxi, but they've been out of stock for a while and I don't know if they'll ever have them again... :frown:

 

[bambinod]

Take a look at the Totaldry Plus (not Xplus). No front/rear elastic, but otherwise a good lighter weight diaper, and very reasonably priced. I recently restocked on them for daytime wear when they were having their labor day sale (15% off?) Four cases ought to hold me till the next deal.

http://bambinodiapers.com/totaldry-plus-protection-briefs-c-20/

case of 96 medium for $69.

 

[scott476]

Abena Delta-form? They come in both cloth and plastic, and do hold a fair amount. I once used them for overnight use, but switched to other brands. They do not have an elastic waistband, but do have a wide crotch.

 

[Trevor]

You have a pretty comprehensive list. I think that while the high end has gotten very competitive, there's a lot of room for jockeying in the middle and I hope that someone will really step up. It's a little outside your stated price point ($1.48 each at the case level) but the only other one I can think of offhand are Superios from Unique Wellness: https://wellnessbriefs.com/products/superio-signature-brief/wellness-brief-superio-pack-145.html.

It's been a while since I bought any but they are quite similar in capacity and profile to the defunct Tena Slip Maxi. I didn't like the feel of the plastic nearly as much as TSM, so they weren't my favorites in that class. You might find them worth a look, particularly since Unique Wellness offer free samples. Despite any temptation, I'd steer clear of their Wellness Briefs. Although they were once my favorite low-end diaper, their pinhole leaks makes them unsuitable for me.

 

[alannanicole]

honestly if your not a heavy wetter that floods and looking for a hold over 2-6 hr product that holds approx 18-32 REAL oz of fluid.. as in no leaks etc , Always Discrete makes a good inexpensive product in their maximum absorbancy... not totaly awesome for a flood or a massive bowel movement but... will handle my several times a day voiding of 4-8 oz a void in anything from constant drip to minor flood and not yet have i had a major leak..
id say these coud fit your mid level use demand for the time frame your requesting

 

[LittleICme]

The Tranquility ATN is the best daytime compromise for me. Total Dry Plus as the backup short term/home use only. Dry 24/7 for nighttime.

 

[INTrePid]

I'd recommend the new iD Slip PE (plastic backed) diapers from XP Medical. They're a good replacement of the old Tena Slip Maxis and the price is pretty reasonable at $1.38 per diaper for a case of 45 mediums. They have a slim profile to start off with but expand like crazy and can easily last 6-8 hours. http://www.xpmedical.com/id-slip-PE.html

 

[goten]

Thanks everyone for the replies!

Bambino still sells the Tena Slip Maxi, but they've been out of stock for a while and I don't know if they'll ever have them again...

They're manufacturer discontinued. Bambino is selling off the last of its surplus stock. Once the extra large size is gone, that'll be the end of them.

Take a look at the Totaldry Plus (not Xplus). No front/rear elastic, but otherwise a good lighter weight diaper, and very reasonably priced.

This is my lightweight use diaper. The price is great, but this is basically four Bounty paper towels inside the world's thinnest trash bag for a diaper

I will wear them at home for 0-2 hours, but I won't go out in public with these. Not enough confidence they won't leak. Not often, but I've had the entire back split down the middle from light movement. Even when using for 2 hours, I will find moisture at the leg gathers escaping.

Abena Delta-form? They come in both cloth and plastic, and do hold a fair amount.

Interesting! I only saw the cloth ones on Northshore Care's site. I will try and find these, thanks!

I think that while the high end has gotten very competitive, there's a lot of room for jockeying in the middle and I hope that someone will really step up.

Definitely! It doesn't make sense why the low-end can get to $0.30 - $0.70 a brief, yet the middle is full of $1.60 - $1.70 briefs. Whereas the ridiculously premium brands are only $1.95 to $2.10 each. Obviously I don't expect to get AB custom diapers in the middle price range. But a non-AB mass-produced plain-white Bambino Bianco should only cost around $1.20 each given their capacity.

It's a little outside your stated price point ($1.48 each at the case level) but the only other one I can think of offhand are Superios from Unique Wellness:

Well, if it works as good as the Teddies, it would at least be a small savings. But this is very close to premium prices too =(

Always Discrete makes a good inexpensive product in their maximum absorbancy

Appreciate the suggestion, but: not a diaper (it's a pullup), cloth-backed, and for women. I won't outright dismiss that, but we have different plumbing so something tailored for a woman won't work as well for us guys (think front padding)

The Tranquility ATN is the best daytime compromise for me.

So far I am leaning this way. I used to like these back in 2005 or so. But they've either gotten thinner, or I've gotten pickier due to the abundance of premium products out now.

I'd recommend the new iD Slip PE (plastic backed) diapers from XP Medical. They're a good replacement of the old Tena Slip Maxis and the price is pretty reasonable at $1.38 per diaper for a case of 45 mediums.

Hmm, a little cheaper than the Superios suggestion. Still kind of expensive though. I'll look into a sample of these as well, thanks!

 

[ArchtopK]

why not choose the cheapest low end one that fits and has the cover you like, and add an insert. These can be inexpensive and really boost performance. I used to buy the bambino inserts and use them in Attends w/waistband diapers.

 

[tomviper000]

Try the A+ level 3 or 4. They absorb pretty well and decent capacity. I them fairly comfortable as well, with an almost silky plastic.

Bambinos won't have any more Tena Slip Maxi, as that version is no longer made.

 

[Eclectic]

Plastic-backed, good width between the legs, not a lot of empty plastic space with no padding, and preferably with at least front elastic waist band. Does anyone have suggestions?

I've been through this exercise before although I think some of your requirements are on the top end of the scale (good width between the legs, less empty space with no padding and front elastic waist) so you are essentially asking for more features for less money. Also, almost all of the low-end to mid-level diapers these days are cloth-like instead of plastic backed. Sorry to be a downer, but as I said, I've looked for diapers in this range before too. Abena, Tena and Molicare all make a mid-level diaper (Extra, Ultra and Super, respectively) although I believe the Molicare is the only one with plastic and it's only down the center.

My experience over the last 15 years is the larger manufacturers had better products at one time. Now they are cloth-like, less absorbent, less material and tend to clump more. In other words, not very good. The Northshore Premium is my day to day disposable and I couldn't be any happier with that. I'd be interested to hear your feedback on the lite version. I just can't justify buying the more expensive AB diapers that are almost twice the cost of a medical diaper so I understand why you wouldn't want to diaper up with one of those for only a few hours. The A+ diaper from XPMedical might work for you. My only issue with those are the lack of the inner leak guard, which I find an essential feature.

 

[irnub]

A+ level 3s are around 1.40 each and might fit the criteria. A lot of people are put off by lack of leak guards, but my experience has been that that's not an issue once you find a way to tape them that works with your anatomy (basically make the legs lightly seal and leave room for the middle to sag down a bit).

I was also going to recommend Abena M3/L3, but then I realized it's only the 4 that they still make in plastic backed.

 

[goten]

why not choose the cheapest low end one that fits and has the cover you like, and add an insert.

Inserts always seem to create a poor fit and cause leaks sooner than not using one. Might work better on a thinner diaper, but then it'd bring the cost right back up again.

Try the A+ level 3 or 4. They absorb pretty well and decent capacity.

Thanks, I'll add it to my research list! But it sounds like they're $1.40 each still.

so you are essentially asking for more features for less money.

Mostly, yes. I was wanting to save money by A: not having AB/DL prints, and B: not being as thick, maybe 60% as much actual padding.

My experience over the last 15 years is the larger manufacturers had better products at one time. Now they are cloth-like, less absorbent, less material and tend to clump more. In other words, not very good.

Agreed! Even the Depends, Attends in 2001 used to hold up for 4-6 hours. In 2005, the Secure Plus was my favorite product on the market. (it's now my 0-2 hour light-usage choice)

I just can't justify buying the more expensive AB diapers that are almost twice the cost of a medical diaper

This is what's bothering me. The Northshore Premium you mentioned is $1.45 a brief, whereas the Bambino Teddy comes in at $1.60 a brief, the ABU SDK at $1.70 a brief, and the absolute premium Bellisimo and Space/Simple/Littlepaws at $1.95 a brief. Far from twice as much, it's 15-25% more. It feels like we are missing mid-range products at mid-range prices.

Right now I am thinking that maybe I can make the ATNs work at $1.00 each. They won't really be medium-level quality, but if I can at least trust them not to leak in public for short durations, that might be enough.

 

[Eclectic]

It feels like we are missing mid-range products at mid-range prices.

I think this is intentional and I'm highly annoyed by it. The large medical manufacturers have moved towards diapers that have less protection and are more cheaper to make (eg. Kimberly-Clark). They probably did some research and found that people were embarrassed to wear actual diapers so they rebranded them as "briefs", shrunk them down to the level of barely absorbent and then tried to make them look like regular underwear. Win win. They get bigger profit margins and people get something called a "maximim absorbency" brief that looks kind of like underwear. Wait, but what about people who actually need an absorbent diaper that doesn't leak after one wetting and fall apart after an hour?

In swoops the other companies. People who really want thicker more absorbent diapers are probably disabled enough or abnormal enough (yes, that's us) that they wouldn't mind if we used existing diaper making machines, make a thicker diaper that looks babyish and sell it at ridiculously high prices. Win win. They get bigger profit margins and people who want or need thicker diapers get them. But wait, what about the people that have to frequently wear thick diapers due to incontinence or simply need them because they can't help being born an AB? Who the f**K can afford to pay for a $2 disposable?

The rich get richer and the poor are getting poorer. Meanwhile the person in the middle is left holding a big pile of poo.

 

[rennecfox]

I wear leader supers most of the time, maybe a bit on the cheap side but at the higher end of it about 85 cents a diaper

 

[ArchtopK]

Attends w/waistband 0.76ea + bambino quadro booster 0.60 ea, total 1.36 ea
I wore these for the longest time before switching to Northshore Supreme large.

 

[MetalMann]

It's an expensive habit to have. XP Medical has a good range of products available. They have Attend for cheaper, less capacity. They have Tena Super Stretch which is a bit better but cloth backed. They have Abena's range of products. They have Seni and ID Slip which have a range of stuff to buy.

You just have to know where to look.

http://www.xpmedical.com/id-slip-PE.html

 

[rennecfox]

It's an expensive habit to have. XP Medical has a good range of products available. They have Attend for cheaper, less capacity. They have Tena Super Stretch which is a bit better but cloth backed. They have Abena's range of products. They have Seni and ID Slip which have a range of stuff to buy.

You just have to know where to look.

http://www.xpmedical.com/id-slip-PE.html

You're probably better to buy on ebay for attends waistbands or or walmart when its on sale (which annoyingly is not alot anymore) with ship to store as you can save 10-20 a case if you live in the US