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Summary
The Attends Care Waistband Style Brief is a remnant of an earlier style of plastic-backed Attends adult diapers. This diaper appears to have been discontinued but can still be bought online. Newer Attends diapers tend to be cloth-backed and have had mixed reviews with many preferring earlier versions of Attends. However, unlike even earlier versions of this diaper, this waistband style brief falls short in many areas. It could be considered a competitor to the Depend Protection with Tabs, but is worse in nearly every way. In testing I found it was highly prone to leakage with little capacity, but also performed poorly for durability; the lack of a standing inner leak guard appears to be a big deficiency. This diaper would be poorly suited for bedwetting or heavy daytime incontinence, but may work for inactive individuals with light dribble.Key Features:
- Front/rear waistbands
- Plastic-backing
- Refastenable tapes
- Repositionable tapes
- Relatively soft padding and backing
- Tapes can be repositioned anywhere on the backing
- Very poor absorbency, may even leak after a single wetting
- No standing inner leak guard
- Padding falls apart quickly
Product Details
For the purpose of this post I will be reviewing and referring to the medium-sized Attends Waistband Style Briefs diaper. However, other available sizes are listed below.Packaging
Brand: Attends Care
Manufacturer: Attends Healthcare Products Inc.
Origin: USA
Units Per Bag: 22
Cost Per Unit: $$
Dimensions (L x W x H): 46 cm (18.1”) x 15 cm (5.9”) x 23 cm (9.1”)
Weight: 2.13 kg (4.7 lbs)
Available Sizes: M, L
Advertised Absorbency: Heavy
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| 1.1 Attends Waistband Style Briefs Packaging |
Diaper
Backsheet: Plastic (Poly)Wetness Indicator: Yes (blue dashed down the middle with text, disappears when wet)
Standing Inner Leak Guards: No
Leg Gathers: Yes
Product Style: Tab-Style Brief
Refastenable Tabs: Yes
Number of Tapes: 3
Repositionable Tabs: Yes
Outer Color: White
Inner Color: White
Front Waistband: Yes
Rear Waistband: Yes
Folded Thickness: 2.3 cm (0.91”)
Folded Length: 29 cm (11.4”)
Dry Weight: 93 g (3.3 oz)
Fragrance: Yes (very light, perhaps similar to pampers smell)
Diaper Dimensions (L x fW x mW x bW):
78 cm (30.7") x 55 cm (21.7") x 33 cm (13") x 53 cm (20.9")
Wing Shape (Front, Rear): Rectangular, Rectangular
Padding Dimensions (L x fW x mW x bW):
62 cm (24.4") x 31 cm (12.2") x 19 cm (7.5") x 33 cm (13")
Padding Wing Dimensions (fPW x fPH x bPW x bPH):
6 cm (2.4") x 10 cm (3.9") x 7 cm (2.8") x 17 cm (6.7") (height averaged)
Padding Wing Shape (Front, Rear): Rectangular, Rectangular
Total Padding Area: 1536 cm2 (238 in2)
Tape Spacing (t1 x t2 x t3): 4.5 cm (1.8”) x 11 cm (4.3") x 17 cm (6.7")
Tapes (W x L): 2.5 cm (1") x 4cm (1.57")
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| 1.2 Attends Waistband Style Briefs Diaper |
Laboratory Absorbency Tests
Total Absorption Volume (after press out): 682 ml (24.1 oz)Total Absorption Volume (before press out): 697 ml (24.6 oz)
Time to Absorb Wettings (first to last): (186 s, 71 s, 192 s)
Wet Folded Thickness: 4 cm (1.57 in)
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 78%
Total Padding to Absorbency Ratio: 682 ml / 1536 cm2 = 0.44 ml / cm2 (0.10 oz / in2)
Press Out Volume: 15 ml (0.53 oz)
Surface Dampness Rating: 1
The Attends Waistband diaper performed poorly in terms of surface dampness, made worse by the fact that moisture was clearly reaching and wicking up the unpadded leg gathers from the very first test.
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| 2.1 Wet vs Dry Diaper After Capacity Test |
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| 2.2 Used vs Unused Padding After Capacity Test |
"Real World" Absorbency Tests
Posture Tests
Standing-Sitting
Total Absorbed Volume: 782 ml (27.6 oz)
Total Wettings: 2 (1 standing, 1 sitting)
Leaked After Sitting: No
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 98%
Padding to Absorbency Score: 782 ml / 1536 cm2 = 0.51 ml / cm2 (0.12 oz / in2)
Standing-Sitting Rating: 3
The Attends Waistband diaper performed relatively poorly in the sit-stand test. It didn't have any obvious leaks upon sitting after a single wetting, but was easily overwhelmed after the second void. This would suggest it will handle at most one wetting without concern for leakage. I suspect the lack of the standing inner leak guards also played a role as the leakage occurred in the places those would typically hold back moisture. That said, the diaper's padding quickly became saturated so it could also owe to weak overall capacity. I've given it a 3, which may be generous since I wouldn't trust it not to leak on the first wetting.
Lying Down
Total Absorbed Volume: 407 ml (14.4 oz)
Total Wettings: 1
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 90%
Padding to Absorbency Score: 407 ml / 1536 cm2 = 0.26 ml / cm2 (0.06 oz / in2)
Lying Down Rating: 2
The Attends Waistband diaper should not be worn for bedwetting or by bed ridden patients. The diaper is vulnerable to leaks even after the first wetting. In this test it leaked slightly (wicked up the sides) after only a single wetting. The diaper also quickly deteriorated when wet. Moreover, the diaper will feel saturated and uncomfortable when wet. I gave it a 2 because the leak was pretty minor and I'm sure there are worse diapers out there, but those are probably more along the lines of underwear style briefs targeted at light incontinence.
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| 2.3 Pattern of Used vs Unused Padding Test Stand/Sit (right) / Lying Down (left) |
Daily Wear and Bedwetting
I'm not really sure where the Attends Waistband diaper fits in terms of target market. It looks and feels like a diaper that might be meant for bedwetting, but it clearly isn't well suited for this purpose as it will often leak on the first wetting when lying down. On the flip side it shows little resistance to wear/tear and the padding will quickly deteriorate when used for day wear. Moreover, I wouldn't trust this diaper not to leak even after the first wetting if wet while seated. Perhaps the main advantages it has going for it are its relatively slim profile and the softness of the top/backsheet.
Suitability for Bowel Incontinence: 2
The Attends Waistband diaper would be a poor choice for dealing with bowel incontinence. It has waistbands and a plastic-backsheet, but that doesn't mean much when the padding rapidly deteriorates and there are no inner leak guards for containment.
Wear & Tear Tests
Fitting
The Attends Waistband diaper features a rare trait in plastic-backed diapers with tapes that are both refastenable and repositionable. The tapes can be placed anywhere on the backsheet, then later removed and applied somewhere else. However, eventually they will likely become stuck and tear the backsheet when removed. |
| 3.1 Attends Waistband Style Maxi Fastener |
Easy-of-Use Rating: 4
I found the Attends Waistband diaper to be somewhat tricky to apply. It has three tapes and waistbands, features that should help with application; however, the landing zone where the tapes should be placed over the padding seemed a bit narrow. The fact that the tapes could easily be repositioned somewhat makes up for some of the difficulties a wearer or caregiver will encounter during a diaper change, but if you're not careful reattaching the tape it will come loose.
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| 2.3 Attends Waistband Style Briefs Fit |
Comfort
Comfort Rating (dry): 5The Attends Waistband diaper has both a soft back and topsheet. It lacks a standing inner leak guard, which reduces its effectiveness in preventing leaks but does contribute slight to increased comfort. That said, it can only be given half marks on dry comfort as the padding is highly prone to clumping resulting in increased skin contact with the backsheet.
Comfort Rating (wet): 3
If a recently changed Attends Waistband diaper is wet it will still retain some of its dry comfort but you will feel substantial dampness as a result of the slow absorption rate. One unusual problem I've found in this diaper is that wetness will actually wick up the leg gathers causing leaks and discomfort. The diaper also becomes very prone to clumping when worn for more than a couple hours, particularly if wet.
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| 3.3 Attends Waistband Style Briefs Topsheet and Backsheet |
Durability
Dry Padding Deterioration Proportion: 34% (topsheet), 31% (backsheet)Shake Deterioration Test: 3 shakes to deterioration
Durability Rating (dry): 2
The padding on the Attends Waistband diaper will quickly clump and crumble, even when worn dry. I found this to be the case even when worn under very low activity (sitting/laying down). Pulling a new diaper from the back you will notice the padding become detached from the backsheet almost immediately. I wouldn't expect it to last more than 4 hours worn under light activity and wouldn't recommend wearing it for longer. The wetness indicator will also fad with relatively little moisture (e.g. light dribble). The poor state of this diaper after the dry durability test is evident in figure 3.4.
Durability Rating (wet): 1
The Attends Waistband diaper becomes even less durable when wet, with clumping forming almost immediately. If it becomes wet it should be changed shortly after before the padding separates too far from the backsheet.
 
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| 3.4 Attends Waistband Style Briefs Dry Test Deterioration |
Discretion Tests
Profile
Front Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 4 cm (1.57"), 4 cm (1.57")Back Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 2 cm (0.79"), 1 cm (0.39")
Side Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 3.5 cm (1.38"), 2 cm (0.79")
Profile Discretion Rating: 7
The Attends Waistband diaper is similar to the Depend Protection with Tabs when it comes to profile, just slightly bulkier. It will generally be easy to conceal, but its tendency to leak and the crinkling noise will negatively impact the ability to hide them under clothing. I certainly wouldn't rate it as high as the Depend Protection with Tabs and, given its tendency to leak, I've given it a lower rating than the slightly bulkier Tranquility ATN as well.
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| 4.1 Attends Waistband Style Briefs Jeans Profile (left) vs Normal Underwear Jeans (right) |
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| 4.2 Attends Waistband Style Briefs Sweatpants Profile (left) vs Normal Underwear Sweatpants (right) |
Noise
Noise Rating: 5I expected the Attends Waistband diaper to be quieter given the softness of the backsheet. However, in reality it produces a lot of crinkling. I believe this largely owes to the tendency for the backsheet to become detached from the topsheet in this diaper. In figure 4.3 you'll see the observed waveform of crinkling produced by the Attends Waistband diaper when shifting from sitting to standing multiple times nearby in a very quiet room.
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| 4.3 Attends Waistband Style Briefs Noise Profile |
Odor Reduction
Odor Reduction Rating: 5
The Attends Waistband diaper has a very light fragrance that's hard to identify but perhaps could be considered similar to that added to pampers diapers. In terms of odor prevention the waistbands contribute to reducing the escape of odors, but the diaper's poor absorbency and surface wetness will lead to the formation of odors much sooner than you'd get in something like the Tranquility ATN.