Attento Tape-Style Adult Diaper Review

 *For more information on how I do reviews see Diaper Test Methodology

Summary

The Attento Tape-Style diaper is a moderate absorbency cloth-backed diaper that is among the most popular brands sold in Japan. The brand has an interesting history as it was originally owned by the P&G Attends brand and still carries some remnants of its history like its baby powder-like fragrance. It’s now owned by Daio Paper Corporation which also makes feminine care and baby products sold almost exclusively in Japan. This diaper features a distinctive tape landing zone with high quality tapes and is incredibly comfortable.

It’s perhaps the softest diaper I’ve ever tried and is often barely noticeable when worn. It owes this to its soft backsheet and padding that has a wide area of coverage but low density. The disadvantage to this is that diaper’s side-panels are easily prone to leaking as they aren’t waterproof and the low density padding offers limited absorbency. Many adult diapers sold in Japan are not meant to be used stand-alone and are instead designed for use with readily-available booster pads. This Attento diaper somewhat fits that category and should be used with a booster pad, but doesn’t explicitly advertise it as a requirement. Japan has developed a rating system for adult diapers with absorbance measured in 150 ml (5 oz) increments. A diaper ranked as a “1” would only absorb up to 150 ml (5 oz) on its own, one ranked at a 2 would absorb up to 300 ml (10 oz), and so on. This Attento diaper was ranked as a 5 meaning expected absorbency of up to 750 ml (25 oz). Generally that would be sufficient for at least a single wetting, but during testing I found this was more the case when sitting or standing and it was more prone to leakage after only a single wetting when lying down.

Key Features:

• Cloth-like (non-woven backsheet)
• Large leak guards/leg gathers
  
• Repositionable tapes with patterned landing zone
• Soft/low density padding
• Refreshing fragrance
  

Pros:

• Very comfortable backsheet/padding
  
• Easy to use
• Breathable design
  

Cons:

• Poor absorbency
• No wetness indicator
  
• Difficult to find outside of Japan

Product Details

For the purpose of this post I will be reviewing and referring to the medium-sized Attento Tape-Style diaper. However, other available sizes are listed below:

Packaging

Brand: Attento
Manufacturer: Daio Paper Corporation
Origin: Japan
Units Per Bag: 30
Cost Per Unit: $$
Dimensions (L x W x H): 52 cm (20.5") x 20 cm (7.9") x 26 cm (10.2")
Weight: 3.2 kg (7.1 lbs)
Available Sizes: S,M,L,LL
Advertised Absorbency: Heavy (750 ml)

1.1 Attento Tape-Style Diaper Packaging

Diaper

Backsheet: Cloth-like (non-woven)
Wetness Indicator: No
Standing Inner Leak Guards: Yes
Leg Gathers: Yes
Product Style: Tab-Style Brief
Refastenable Tabs: Yes
Number of Tapes: 2
Repositionable Tabs: Yes
Outer Color: White (blue line down middle + patterned landing zone)
Inner Color: White (light blue lining/side panels)
Front Waistband: No
Rear Waistband: No
Folded Thickness: 2.0 cm (0.79")
Folded Length: 26 cm (10.2")
Dry Weight: 108 g (3.8 oz)
Fragrance: Scent of freshly washed underwear (baby powder)
Diaper Dimensions (L x fW x mW x bW): 83 cm (32.7") x 64 cm (25.2") x 33.5 cm (13.19") x 64 (25.2")
Wing Shape (Front, Rear): Rectangular, Rectangular
Padding Dimensions (L x fW x mW x bW): 65 cm (25.6") x 33 cm (13") x 18 cm (7.1") x 34 cm (13.4")
Padding Wing Dimensions (fPW x fPH x bPW x bPH): 7.5 cm (3") x 17 cm (6.7") x 8 cm (3.2") x 18 cm (7.1")
Padding Wing Shape (Front, Rear): Rectangular, Rectangular
Total Padding Area: 1713 cm² (266 in²)
Tape Spacing (t1 x t2): 4 cm (1.6") x 16 (6.3")
Tape (W x L): 3 cm (1.2") x 5 cm (2")

1.2 Attento Tape-Style Diaper

Laboratory Absorbency Tests

Total Absorption Volume (after press out): 682 ml (24.1 oz)
Total Absorption Volume (before press out): 692 ml (24.4 oz)
Time to Absorb Wettings (first to last): (83 s, 65 s, 75 s)
Wet Folded Thickness: 3 cm (1.2")
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 64%
Total Padding to Absorbency Ratio: 0.4 ml / cm² (0.09 oz / in²)
Press Out Volume: 10 ml (0.35 oz)

Surface Dampness Rating: 3
The Attento Tape-Style diaper performed poorly for surface dampness during the capacity test with the paper towel soaked after only a single wetting. It wasn’t quite as bad during real world testing, so it may be more adept at staying dry with a realistic distribution of moisture after a wetting.

2.1 Wet vs Dry Diaper After Capacity Test

2.2 Used vs Unused Padding After Capacity Test

"Real World" Absorbency Tests

Posture Tests

Standing-Sitting

Total Absorbed Volume: 617 ml (21.8 oz)
Total Wettings: 2 (1 standing, 1 sitting)
Leaked After Sitting: No
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 91%
Padding to Absorbency Score: 0.36 ml / cm² (0.08 oz / in²)

Standing-Sitting Rating: 3
The Attento diaper was barely able to avoid leaking on the first wetting and had a noticeable problem with surface dampness. It failed to feel dry even half an hour after the wetting. When seated there was no immediate leak, but moisture did seem to slowly “sweat” out from the cloth-like backsheet and rear leg gathers. I didn’t stop the test on account of the relatively limited moisture permeation, but it was clearly near capacity. On the second wetting, while seated there was a substantial leak through the rear leg gathers. This diaper may work if you have a slower dribble incontinence, but otherwise it shouldn’t be worn without a booster pad.

Lying Down

Total Absorbed Volume: 467 ml (16.5 oz)
Total Wettings: 1
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 65%
Padding to Absorbency Score: 0.27 ml / cm² (0.06 oz / in²)

Lying Down Rating: 1
The Attento adult diaper performed about as poorly as you could expect of an adult diaper when wet while laying down. The padding was quickly overwhelmed with little wicking and the moisture pooled near the rear of the leg gathers. The diaper’s breathable sides are not moisture resistant and the diaper leaked when moisture overran the leg gathers and went through the backsheet on the side. This leak happened almost immediately and more leaks surely would have happened had it been worn longer. It’s pretty clear that this diaper will be prone to leaks for those who were for bed wetting and should only be worn with a booster pad. However, even with a booster pad you can’t rely on the backsheet to provide much protection when laying down and it will almost certainly leak as soon as the padding is saturated.

2.3 Pattern of Used vs Unused Padding Test Stand/Sit (right) Lying Down (left)

Daily Wear and Bedwetting

An interesting aspect of Japanese adult diapers is that many require a booster pad and are completely impractical without one. This Attento diaper is one of just a few that doesn’t explicitly require a booster pad. Even so, based on its relatively poor performance in absorbency tests I feel this diaper too is designed for use with a booster pad. Otherwise, the Attento diaper is very comfortable and easy to use. It is also quite durable, which could also be a benefit if used in combination with a highly absorbent booster pad; it’s durability could also be a benefit for more active wearers. If not using a booster pad I believe this diaper would be suitable for moderate incontinence in daily wear as it will still take at least 1 light/moderate wetting without leaking, but wouldn’t be great for heavy wetters. Also, this diaper is way more prone to leaks than plastic-backed diapers because its breathable sides also allow moisture to escape directly through them. For overnight wear, a booster pad would be a must for this diaper, and even then you’d need to be careful due to the ease of leakage through the sides. I wouldn’t recommend this diaper for bedwetters, but I feel that with a booster pad it might work well for use during the day, particularly if comfort is a priority over overall absorbency.

Suitability for Bowel Incontinence: 5

The Attento Tape-Style diaper is probably not what you want to be using for bowel incontinence, at least not without a good booster-pad. It's got good rear padding coverage, strong tapes and inner leak guards, but the padding is thin and the cloth-like backsheet could be problematic. It somewhat makes up for this with its added fragrance, but I don't feel that in itself would put it in the ranks of the top diapers.

Wear & Tear Tests

Fitting

The Attento Tape-Style diaper features a cloth-like backsheet with hook and loop (Velcro-like) fasteners and a dedicated landing zone. The tapes can be fastened or refastened anywhere on the landing zone. They are of high quality and won’t degrade with usage.

3.1 Attento Tape-Style Diaper Fastener

Ease-of-Use Rating: 9
This Attento diaper is very user friendly. It features the most convenient tape system I’ve ever seen. It’s quite easy to achieve and retain a comfortable snug fit. The landing zone on this diaper also features numbers and marks that make it fast/easy to consistently get a good fit. Perhaps this diaper’s only downside in terms of ease-of-use is the lack of a wetness indicator (instead it has an alignment line that runs down the center).

3.2 Attento Tape-Style Diaper Fit

Comfort

Comfort Rating (dry): 10
The comfort provided by these Attento diapers is amazing. Similar to the Certainty Adult Diaper, this diaper feels well suited to warm weather and dissipates heat quickly. Unlike the plastic-backed Certainty diaper, this diaper has a cloth-like backsheet. The softness of the backsheet and padding is incredible, I’d easily rank it among the most soft/comfortable diapers on the market. The backsheet and padding also have a lot of give and won’t result in chaffing. Nor is the padding particularly vulnerable to tearing or clumping. This diaper feels very light owing to the low density padding and it was barely noticeable during the durability test.

Comfort Rating (wet): 8
The wet comfort rating for the Attento diaper somewhat depends on how large a first wetting it receives. The diaper is able to handle a moderate wetting without leaking and remarkably even the obvious surface dampness issues won’t be much of an issue if it isn’t flooded on the first wetting. When tested with only a moderate wetting it felt quite comfortable, nearly as much as in its dry state; however, when tested with a larger wetting it was noticeably damp and uncomfortable. I scored it relatively highly for wet comfort because the diaper seems designed to be worn with a booster pad for those with heavier incontinence and if it’s not saturated it’s about as comfortable as it is when it’s dry.

3.3 Tena Super Stretch Topsheet and Backsheet

Durability

Dry Padding Deterioration Proportion: 6.5% (topsheet), 6.9% (backsheet)
Shake Deterioration Test: 5 shakes to deterioration

Durability Rating (dry): 8
The Attento diaper has a high quality construct and appears to be made with some of the better materials on the market. The padding has a soft/fluffy feel to it, but, surprisingly, it is held together such that it is resilient to deterioration when dry. It’s possible that the low density of the padding material reduces the tendency for the type of shifting that leads to tears/clumping. The tapes/landing zone are also well made and can be refastened multiple times without damaging the diaper. During the dry durability test there was some deterioration, but none to the key parts of the padding. What’s interesting is that from a wearer perspective the diaper didn’t feel any different at the end of the test than it did at the start. So all things considered, I rank this diaper a little higher than what might otherwise be expected given its relatively poor durability test performance.

Durability Rating (wet): 6
Due to the low absorbency it’s unlikely you’d ever wear this Attento diaper long enough to assess durability when wet (unless you use a booster pad). It should be changed after a single wetting if not using a booster pad. Even so it was still assessed for wet durability and performed reasonably well, with no signs of clumping but a little bit of parallel tearing. In the shake test the padding was shown to be fairly resilient when wet and this was confirmed during real world testing. Moreover, the tapes and construction of  this diaper can easily take the weight of a wetting without any hints of sagging.

3.4 Attento Tape-Style Diaper Dry Test Deterioration

Discretion Tests

Profile

Front Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 5 cm (2"), 5.5 cm (2.2")
Back Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 8 cm (3.2"), 4 cm (1.6")
Side Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 5 cm (2"), 4.5 cm (1.8")

Profile Discretion Rating: 8
The Attento Tape-Style diaper is relatively easy to conceal under clothing. The diaper itself is relatively thin and flexible so any “bulge” could be somewhat kept in check under underwear or mesh pants. Perhaps its primary downside when it comes to profile discretion is its large surface area, which means padding can bunch up at front and rear of the diaper. Also good to keep in mind is its relatively light absorbency and the impact that could have on discretion.

4.1 Attento Tape-Style Diaper Jeans Profile (left) vs Normal Underwear (right)

4.2 Attento Tape-Style Diaper Sweatpants Profile (left) vs Normal Underwear (right)

Noise

Noise Rating: 9
This Attento diaper is incredibly quiet. You won’t notice the noise from it at all when walking, even under thin pants. When sitting/standing there will be a very slight crinkling sound but it is mostly muffled. The padding is light and fluffy and the diaper has a lot of surface area, which would typically lead to a lot more noise. Not in this case, perhaps due to the ultra soft/flexible backsheet and padding. Otherwise, the only thing you need to watch out for in terms of noise with this diaper would be the obvious “scratching” sound when removing the hook and loop fasteners.

4.3 Attento Tape-Style Diaper Noise Profile

Odor Reduction

Odor Reduction Rating: 9
The Attento Type Style Diaper is a rarity in that it has an added fragrance. Translated from Japanese it is considered to be the fragrance of “freshly washed underwear”; I’m not sure how to quantify that but personally it smells a lot like baby powder (perhaps the fragrance of Attends diapers from years past). In terms of odor reduction, this diaper performed surprisingly well considering its tendency for surface dampness with odors rarely being an issue. The very breathable design also seems to reduce factors like sweating that can contribute to odors. I consider odor reduction a strength in this diaper and consequently have ranked it a little higher than might otherwise be justified given the surface dampness issues.