Tuesday 17 May 2022

Attends Slip Active Fit M10 Adult Diaper Review

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


Summary

The Attends Slip Active Fit is the most absorbent diaper in the European Attends Active line of products. It can be found at a reasonable price and boosts modest absorbency, but falls short of the Attends Slip Regular Plus. However, this diaper is much more compact than the Attends Slip Regular Plus and features a “hybrid” design with cloth-like wings and a plastic backsheet. It’s also notable in that it has only a single primary adhesive tape per side, but it gets around some of the fitting issues associated with that by including a secondary type of adhesive on the backsheet that keeps the wings more firmly attached.

This diaper is very comfortable and feels perfectly suited to an active lifestyle. It’s highly resistant to overheating and very unlikely to leak until the second wetting. Because it’s so compact it could easily be discreetly carried and changed when out and about. With this diaper you’ll likely want to change frequently, but after a single wetting the padding is surprisingly good at holding off surface dampness and pressout leaks. Because of its overall absorbency I’d tend to recommend it for daily wear over overnight wear, but may work for bedwetting if you’re not likely to wet multiple times a night.

Key Features:

  • Plastic backsheet
  • Cloth-like wings
  • Standing inner leak barriers
  • Single tape per side
  • Refastenable tapes

Pros:

  • Highly comfortable/breathable
  • Discreet design
  • Resists surface dampness
  • Reasonably priced

Cons:

  • Hard to find outside Europe
  • Hook & loop fastener can scratch legs

 

Product Details

For the purpose of this post I will be reviewing and referring to the medium-sized Attends Slip Active Fit M10 Diaper. However, other available sizes are listed below:


Packaging

Brand: Attends
Manufacturer: Attends Healthcare AB
Origin: Europe
Units Per Bag: 28
Cost Per Unit: $$
Dimensions (L x W x H): 37 cm (14.6") x 18 cm (7.1") x 20 cm (7.9")
Weight: 3.4 kg (7.4 lbs)
Available Sizes: M, L
Advertised Absorbency: Maximum (10)


1.1 Attends Slip Active Fit M10 Packaging

Diaper

Backsheet: Plastic (poly)
Wetness Indicator: Yes (blue hash symbols down middle, disappear when wet)
Standing Inner Leak Guards: Yes
Leg Gathers: Yes
Product Style: Tab-Style Brief
Refastenable Tabs: Yes
Number of Tapes: 1
Repositionable Tabs: No
Outer Color: White (blue Attends text)
Inner Color: White (slightly discolored central padding)
Front Waistband: No
Rear Waistband: No
Folded Thickness: 1.5 cm (0.6")
Folded Length: 21.5 cm (8.5")
Dry Weight: 100 g (3.5 oz)
Fragrance: No
Diaper Dimensions (L x fW x mW x bW): 76 cm (30") x 38 cm (15") x 25 cm (9.8") x 78 cm (30.7")
Wing Shape (Front, Rear): Triangular, Rectangular
Padding Dimensions (L x fW x mW x bW): 62 cm (24.4") x 22 cm (8.7") x 15 cm (5.9") x 27 cm (10.6")
Padding Wing Dimensions (fPW x fPH x bPW x bPH): 3.5 cm (1.4") x 9 cm (3.5") x 6 cm (2.4") x 15 cm (5.9")
Padding Wing Shape (Front, Rear): Semicircle, Semicircle
Total Padding Area: 1173 cm2 (182 in2)
Tape Spacing (t1): 3 cm (1.2")
Tape (W x L): 5.5 cm (2.2") x 4 cm (1.6")


1.2 Attends Slip Active Fit M10 Diaper


Laboratory Absorbency Tests

Total Absorption Volume (after press out): 1100 ml (38.8 oz)
Total Absorption Volume (before press out): 1225 ml (43.2 oz)
Time to Absorb Wettings (first to last): (47 s, 45 s, 50 s, 48 s, 61 s)
Wet Folded Thickness: 5 cm (2")
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 94%
Total Padding to Absorbency Ratio: 0.94 ml / cm2 (0.21 oz / in2)
Press Out Volume: 125 ml (4.4 oz)

Surface Dampness Rating: 8

During the lab capacity test the Attends Slip Active didn’t show substantial surface dampness until the 3rd wetting, at which point the padding was already nearing capacity. Not accounting for overall absorbency I put it similar to the larger Attends Slip Regular Plus in terms of surface dampness. The central padding is well suited for containing moisture and breathable design means you’re unlikely to notice surface dampness before it hits capacity.




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: 725 ml (25.6 oz)
Total Wettings: (1 standing, 1 sitting)
Leaked After Sitting: No
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 89%
Padding to Absorbency Score: 0.62 ml / cm2 (0.14 oz / in2)

Standing-Sitting Rating: 7
The Attends Slip Active M10 performed decently during the standing/sitting test. There wasn’t any sign of leak when wet while standing nor was there upon sitting down shortly afterward. The diaper continued to feel comfortable when wet, perhaps owing to the very breathable design and the dampness was hardly noticeable once absorbed. On the second wetting there was a significant leak through the rear leg gathers. The diaper continued to feel comfortable and breathable but it was clearly too big a leak to carry on with testing. I imagine this diaper would be great for 1~2 wettings during the day, but best to keep it at just one. Otherwise, it’s highly comfortable and would be very convenient in daily wear.


Lying Down

Total Absorbed Volume: 875 ml (30.9 oz)
Total Wettings: 2
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 74%
Padding to Absorbency Score: 0.75 ml / cm2 (0.17 oz / in2)

Lying Down Rating: 7

The Attends Slip Active M10 performed reasonably well when lying down. As the name implies it’s probably a better choice for active daily wear, but still absorbent enough to use for bedwetting. The first wetting was absorbed quickly and easily with no signs of leakage. However, one thing to watch for is the cloth-like wings; for a side-sleeper moisture could easily escape through those during a wetting. Aside from that, this diaper remained very comfortable after the first wetting. The second wetting was also fully absorbed, but with a small amount of leakage through the right leg gather. I ended the test at this point because the diaper was clearly at capacity and would likely leak upon sitting. When lying down, assuming you’re not a side sleeper, I feel this diaper will absorb 1~2 wettings before leakage would be a concern but I can’t see it handling 3 wettings in any circumstances.

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


Daily Wear and Bedwetting

The Attends Slip Active M10 has one of the most interesting designs in the market. It features a plastic backsheet over the central section with padding while the wings are of a completely breathable cloth-like material. In this way it perhaps better suits the “active” role than any of the “active” diapers tested so far. It has strong adhesive tapes with an unusual placement of hook & loop coverage facing out from the backsheet on the front wings. This doesn’t give quite as snug a fit as you’d get compared to the diapers with 2 tapes per side (this diaper has only 1 tape per side, similar to baby diapers), but the additional tape does prevent it from sliding around. With this combination, the Attends Slip Active provides the benefits of a plastic-backsheet to prevent perspiration and cloth-like sides that keep it cool and resistant against overheating. When active, a wearer is more likely to be standing or sitting upright so the risk of leakage through the breathable sides is less a factor than when lying down. I found this diaper to be excellent for daily wear and was impressed with how comfortable and breathable it was while it consistently absorbed a single full wetting and won’t leak even after pressout. It’s quite small and compact in terms of size, which makes this more impressive as it’d be easy to take and quickly change on the go. I feel it’s less suited for overnight wear for the same reason as it won’t take much more than a single wetting and could easily leak out through the sides when nearing capacity. With that in mind, I largely avoided leaks when worn for bedwetting, probably because the padding has a fast absorption rate so there’s almost never any pooling to leak out the sides so long as you don’t wet more than once. My biggest complaint in daily and overnight wear was that the hook & loop tapes can fold slightly inward and scratch the wearer’s legs; I had this happen on multiple occasions. In terms of absorbency, this diaper is comparable to the Tranquillity ATN, but that comes at a substantially smaller size. As a final note on these diapers, the central more absorbent padding has an odd yellowish tint and slightly different texture from the remainder of the padding.


Suitability for Bowel Incontinence: 4

I don’t believe the Attends Slip Active M10 to be particularly well suited for bowel incontinence. It has snug leg gathers and leak guards, but I found the leak guards can sometimes fold inward as it shifts when worn and this would be a big problem when dealing with bowel incontinence. The plastic backsheet is a plus, but the cloth-like sides won’t hold back odors like a fully plastic-backed diaper and it doesn't have waistbands to reduce odors coming out the top.


Wear & Tear Tests


Fitting

The Attends Slip Active M10 could be considered a “hybrid” style diaper, but different from others tested so far like the Rearz Barnyard or Tykables diapers. This diaper has a single large adhesive tape per wing with a plastic backsheet, but cloth-like wings. Often this single tape design will lead to sagging or shifting, but this diaper has engineered a way to avoid that by placing a small hook & loop fastener facing outward from the front wing to hold the rear wing in place. Moreover, it doesn’t have a landing zone, but instead uses a double tape mechanism whereby the tape can be reattached from the same position multiple times.

3.1 Attends Slip Active Fit M10 Fastener
 

Ease-of-Use Rating: 8

The Attends Slip Active M10 appears to be perfectly suited for individuals that are actually active and going out. It has a very compact size that could easily be fit into a purse or bag and discretely changed in a public washroom. The sizing is interesting because the diaper itself feels quite small and compact but the sides have a lot of room to stretch. This diaper is easy to apply from a standing position, though properly aligning the inner hook & loop fasteners requires some care. You’d likely want to change this diaper regularly after wetting to avoid leaks, but it’s well designed for that purpose. The hardest part is aligning the inner hook & loop fasteners to avoid scratching the wearer’s legs. It may also take a few tries to figure out the best tape placement because the wings are a bit on the long side and if you don’t properly size it the tapes may end up overlapping, it’s a similar problem to what you’ll find in the Prevail Air Overnight or Tena PROSkin Night Stretch but I found these tapes a little easier and more adhesive than those two.

3.2 Attends Slip Active Fit M10 Diaper Fit

Comfort


Comfort Rating (dry): 7

The Attends Slip Active M10 has a highly breathable feel to it with wings barely noticeable. This has to do with the fact that the wings aren’t very wide and made of a very soft cloth-like material. The padding itself is also super soft and I found it becomes softer with wear as it “fluffs out”. However, as the padding loses some integrity this can lead to minor clumping or tears. The backsheet is made of a soft plastic that’s similar to what you’d find in the Tena Slip Active Fit Maxi or Attends Slip Regular Plus and among the most comfortable on the market. My biggest complaint in terms of comfort with this is that the hook & loop fasteners in the front wings are very close to the edge of the backsheet and frequently fold inward where they can irritate the skin. This reduces my scoring for what otherwise is a very comfortable diaper.


Comfort Rating (wet): 8

The wet comfort of the Attends Slip Active M10 is very similar to its dry comfort, in fact I put it a little ahead because I really didn’t notice much difference between its wet and dry state. The caveat being that this diaper can only really take a single wetting and on the second you’d need to worry about leaks. It also suffers the same problem as in its dry state with its hook & loop fasteners scratching the legs. Otherwise, I never noticed clamminess when wearing the Attends Slip Active. Though the absorption wasn’t great, don’t be fooled, this performs far better than others like the Depend Protection with Tabs and when wet you can tell the difference with the padding doing its job to retain moisture rather than the plastic backsheet alone. Aside from that, the unusual taping does a good job at keeping the diaper from sagging and is a nice addition to the single tape design.

3.3 Attends Slip Active Fit M10 Topsheet and Backsheet


Durability

Dry Padding Deterioration Proportion: 11.5% (topsheet), 9.9% (backsheet)
Shake Deterioration Test: 2 shakes to deterioration


Durability Rating (dry): 7
There was some modest padding deteriorating during the dry durability test, but little in the core area of padding. In fact, the padding at the wings is pretty thin and sometimes has a deteriorated look to start, particularly as it loosens. This doesn’t have much impact on performance so I didn’t weigh it too heavily. I did find sometimes the front tapes will cause minor tears in the front backsheet, if worn and reapplied many times. Even so it’s not in a place that’s likely to cause leaks. The tapes retain a strong adhesiveness with refastening so are unlikely to come loose on you. Overall, the Attends Slip Active wasn’t among the most durable diapers on the market but it doesn’t have any significant flaws.


Durability Rating (wet): 7

The Attends Slip Active M10 was reasonably durable when wet, perhaps comparable to the Egosan Ultra. The padding is far from the most durable and it didn’t perform particularly well on the shake test as it has a tendency to come loose. But during active wear when wet it was never loose enough to be a problem or produce notable clumping. The tapes have a good level of adhesiveness so the diaper will resist sagging. All in all, I wouldn’t rank it as a top performer for wet durability, yet it should be suitable for most purposes with its compact sizing.

3.4 Attends Slip Active Fit M10 Dry Test Deterioration

Discretion Tests


Profile

Front Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 5 cm (2"), 4 cm (1.6")
Back Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 4 cm (1.6"), 4.5 cm (1.8")
Side Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 2 cm (0.8"), 2 cm (0.8")

Profile Discretion Rating: 8

I found this diaper was generally easy to conceal, though for its compact size it had a surprising amount of diaper bulge around the crotch. The rear was largely concealed and when combined with meshpants or underwear I doubt anyone would notice this diaper when worn out. I rank it similar to the Medline Extended Wear in this regard.

 

4.1 Attends Slip Active Fit M10 Jeans Profile (left) vs Normal Underwear (right)

4.2 Attends Slip Active Fit M10 Sweats Profile (left) vs Normal Underwear (right) 


Noise

Noise Rating: 10

The Attends Slip Active M10 may well be the quietest plastic-backed diaper on the market. Of course it’s not fully plastic-backed since the wings are cloth-like but the plastic part of the backsheet is made of a smooth material that’s resistant to crinkling. The material is similar to that of the Tena Slip Active Fit Ultima, but I rank it slightly ahead of that. You’re unlikely to notice any noise from this diaper in all but the most silent of rooms, I found the sound barely perceivable when walking.

4.3 Attends Slip Active Fit M10 Noise Profile


Odor Reduction

Odor Reduction Rating: 7
The Attends Slip Active M10 has a good quality padding with properties that contain moisture and suppress odors. The main issue in terms of odors here is that it doesn’t have a particularly large area of padding and the cloth-like wings could easily allow odor escape. Also, without waistbands it may not always fit snug enough to structurally reduce odors.


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