4 incontinence pad features that'll keep you leak-free

Do you find that your incontinence pads are leaking regularly? There are a bunch of reasons your pad might be leaking urine into your clothes. They might not be absorbent enough, the right size, or absorbing the liquid fast enough. If you’re buying supermarket own brands, you’re probably not getting all of the best features that you need to stay dry and fresh throughout the day. 

That’s where Vivactive disposable incontinence pads come in. Not only are they a premium quality (rivalling and sometimes even beating the leading brands) but they’re super cheap too. Vivactive are all about providing confidence without the cost. What does this mean exactly? It means we want to give you the best possible incontinence products at the lowest possible cost. We understand that incontinence isn’t a choice. Nobody chooses to leak urine, so why should you have to pay above the odds just to feel comfortable in your own skin? We’re incontinence experts. We live, breathe and pee incontinence, it’s what we do. Do you think Jimmy the shelf-stacker in the supermarket knows much about the importance of sizing and absorbency levels? Probably not, but we do. 

Without further ado, let’s take a look at four great features that you should keep an eye out for when buying incontinence pads. 

If you’re experiencing big urine leaks, you need a pad that’s got the ability to soak it all up. For example, if you’re wearing incontinence pads that can only absorb 400ml of urine, but you’re leaking 600ml, what do you think’s going to happen? They’re going to fill up. With nowhere else to go, it starts to leak out into your clothes or furniture. Not cool. In this case, the best thing to do is get yourself into a pad with a higher absorbency. 

Most incontinence pad ranges come in all kinds of absorbency levels. You might find that in the supermarkets or pharmacies they simply don’t have the shelf space to stock every absorbency. If you’re frequently finding yourself scratching your head in the incontinence aisle, why not try buying online instead? Retailers like us have a huge range, with every absorbency level you can think of, in a bunch of different brands. Household names like TENA and Vivactive, we’ve got them all.

Incorrectly sized pads can cause all kinds of issues. If they’re too big, issues. If they’re too small, issues. You need to get yourself into those pads that are the perfect size. But, how?

Try a few different sizes! If you think you might be in the wrong size, next time you stock up, buy a pair that’s a size up, and a pair that’s a size down. I know it might cost you a bit extra, but if you find they fit better, it’ll save you some money in the long run, and improve your quality of life. 

If your pads are too big, you’re leaving wiggle room for urine to escape. We’re trying to reduce leaks here, so getting into that Goldilocks size is really important. That doesn’t mean going out and buying a super-small size though. If they’re too small you might find they’re restrictive, or cause chafe (nobody wants chafe). So make sure you spend some time getting the right fit. 

‘Incontinence pads’ serves as a broad term that covers two main varieties of pad: large-shaped pads and discreet pads. Unlike some other incontinence products, pads need manual placement and are secured with adhesive strips. The larger-shaped pads typically pair with fixation pants for added security, while discreet pads are typically worn with regular underwear. 

Large Shaped Pads: 

Large-shaped pads are a heavy-duty option, built specifically to handle big leaks. Their huge absorption capabilities and traditionally bulky design mean they’re geared mostly toward people with chronic incontinence and people who are less mobile. 

Discreet Pads:

Discreet pads, as you may have guessed by the name, are built with discretion in mind. They tend to be smaller than large-shaped pads and are usually worn inside your regular underwear. The absorbency levels of discreet pads are lower than what you might find with large-shaped pads, but what they lack in absorbency they make up for in discretion and mobility. 

There you have it, four features to look out for when buying your next set of incontinence pads that’ll help you stay leak-free.