Softex Adult Diaper Review

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

 

Summary

The Softex Adult Diaper is an interesting Southeast Asian diaper. It appears to be an Indonesian brand, though the marketing is different depending on where you look and the original company was bought by Kimberly-Clark in 2020. The Thai version of the product is made in Malaysia, but with subtle Japanese marketing. Regardless of its origins, this diaper demonstrates fairly good performance compared with many cheaper diapers in the region. It consistently absorbed a full wetting without leakage during both daily wear and bedwetting and proved very comfortable and durable during testing. I feel it’d be a good choice for those who need frequent changes or those who prefer a plastic-backed diaper but have had issues with overheating or need to wear in hot weather.

Key Features:

• Plastic backsheet
• Repositionable tapes
• Standing inner leak barriers
• Wetness indicator
• Textured landing zone
  

Pros:

• Comfortable and durable
• Decent absorbency
  
• Easy to get a snug fit
• Good pricing
  

Cons:

• Thin padding/susceptible to tear
  
• Surface dampness issues
• Limited availability

Product Details

For the purpose of this post I will be reviewing and referring to the medium-sized Softex Adult Diaper. However, other available sizes are listed below:

Packaging

Brand: Softex
Manufacturer: Nina Manufacture Co.,LTD.
Origin: Malaysia
Units Per Bag: 10
Cost Per Unit: $
Dimensions (L x W x H): 29 cm (11.4") x 15 cm (5.9") x 24 cm (9.5")
Weight: 0.93 kg (2.0 lbs)
Available Sizes: M, L
Advertised Absorbency: Heavy

1.1 Softex Adult Diaper Packaging

Diaper

Backsheet: Plastic (poly)
Wetness Indicator: Yes (blue text down middle, fades when wet)
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 dot and numbered pattern on landing zone)
Inner Color: White
Front Waistband: No
Rear Waistband: No
Folded Thickness: 2 cm (0.79")
Folded Length: 24 cm (9.5")
Dry Weight: 93 g (3.3 oz)
Fragrance: No
Diaper Dimensions (L x fW x mW x bW): 80 cm (31.5") x 64 cm (25.2") x 33 cm (13") x 60 cm (23.6")
Wing Shape (Front, Rear): Rectangular, Rectangular
Padding Dimensions (L x fW x mW x bW): 64 cm (25.2") x 30 cm (11.8") x 19 cm (7.5") x 36 cm (14.2")
Padding Wing Dimensions (fPW x fPH x bPW x bPH): 5.5 cm (2.2") x 14 cm (5.5") x 8.5 cm (3.4") x 17 cm (6.7")
Padding Wing Shape (Front, Rear): Semicircle, Semicircle
Total Padding Area: 1659 cm² (257 in²)
Tape Spacing (t1 x t2): 5.5 cm (2.2") x 15 cm (5.9")
Tape (W x L): 2.5 cm (1") x 4 cm (1.6")

1.2 Softex Adult Diaper

Laboratory Absorbency Tests

Total Absorption Volume (after press out): 702 ml (24.8 oz)
Total Absorption Volume (before press out): 707 ml (24.9 oz)
Time to Absorb Wettings (first to last): (93 s, 149 s, 150 s)
Wet Folded Thickness: 4 cm (1.6")
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 73%
Total Padding to Absorbency Ratio: 0.42 ml / cm² (0.10 oz / in²)
Press Out Volume: 5 ml (0.18 oz)

Surface Dampness Rating: 4

During the lab test, the Softex diaper demonstrated noticeable surface dampness even after the first wetting. It was also quite apparent during real world testing, where I found there was consistent pooling and frequent pressout moisture. It’s hardly the worst on the market in this regard, but still far from the best performers like the BetterDry or Seni Super Quatro.

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: 682 ml (24.1 oz)
Total Wettings: (1 standing, 1 sitting)
Leaked After Sitting: No
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 65%
Padding to Absorbency Score: 0.41 ml / cm² (0.09 oz / in²)

Standing-Sitting Rating: 6
When testing the Softex Adult Tape Diaper, the first wetting while standing was fully absorbed with no obvious leakage upon sitting shortly after. During the first wetting there was some obvious initial pooling but it was effectively wicked through the padding. I was surprised because I thought this diaper would feel damp immediately after a wetting but that wasn’t the case and it remained comfortable. Much of the lower padding was used but there were still dry areas up the front and rear. On the second wetting while seated, the padding at the front of the diaper quickly reached saturation and became squishy. Shortly after, there was a significant leak through the rear leg gathers and I ended the test at that. Surprisingly, at the end of the test there was still a significant amount of unused padding at the rear. This diaper should be good for at least one wetting during daily wear, though it’s likely to leak when seated after the second wetting.

Lying Down

Total Absorbed Volume: 907 ml (32 oz)
Total Wettings: 2
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 91%
Padding to Absorbency Score: 0.55 ml / cm² (0.12 oz / in²)

Lying Down Rating: 7

The Softex diaper performed better than expected when tested while lying down. On the first wetting there was initial pooling but not long after it was distributed through the padding with no hint of leakage. The diaper’s leak barriers did a good job at redirecting moisture. I did notice some surface dampness that seemed to persist after the wetting but it still didn’t feel saturated. On the second wetting there was initially substantial pooling and some moisture made it into the wings. Surprisingly, there was only a relatively small leak in the rear leg gathers afterward and even a bit of unused padding even though most of the padding was saturated. I stopped the test at that point because it was clearly saturated and the leak, though small, was significant enough it would leave a mark on bedding. This diaper stands out for the remarkable ability of its structure to contain moisture even when the padding is saturated. I believe that owes to the relatively wide area of padding and plastic-backsheet coverage coupled with the effective leak guards. I expect this diaper will typically take 1~2 wettings without leakage when worn for bedwetting.

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

Daily Wear and Bedwetting

The Softex Adult Diaper has a similar design to the Certainty or Carnation diapers and from my experience seems to be at the higher end of what you’d find from adult diapers in Southeast Asia. It has a thin but very extensive honeycomb-like padding, which is very soft and comfortable. Like most diapers in the region, this one uses a soft plastic backsheet and is mostly full featured with a textured tape landing zone, but lacks a waistband. During testing I found its absorbency to be higher than I expected, with moisture wicked through the padding and the snug design doing a good job at directing it away from the barriers. This made it less susceptible to leakage than you might otherwise expect, given the thin padding. I feel that advantage is more apparent when worn for bedwetting because you’re less likely to put pressure on it and the design will continue to resist leaks until well after the padding hits saturation. During daily wear, it’s more likely to have issues if you’re seated and moisture gets a chance to leak through the padding. Its biggest downside is the susceptibility to surface dampness, and this is amplified by pressout when seated. Even so, in my testing I found it could usually handle at least one wetting before leakage would happen during daily wear. The backsheet design is very flexible and durable and will hold up well during activities, with the tapes being notable in their strength. However, the padding has a tendency to deteriorate and it can come loose from the backsheet, causing a lot of noise with movement. So from a discretion perspective you probably don’t want to wear this diaper when going out if you’re conscious about people noticing it. But from a price perspective, it comes at a very affordable unit cost and is perfect for those who need frequent changes.

Suitability for Bowel Incontinence: 8

Although its overall absorbency is lacking, the Softex should perform reasonably for bowel incontinence, where absorbency may not matter as much when you need a quick change. It has extensive rear padding, a plastic backsheet, and strong inner leak guards, which are essential for dealing with bowel incontinence. The tapes also provide an exceptionally strong grip and it should have no issue holding up with additional weight. It would be nice if it had a waistband and was better with surface dampness to cut back on odors, but otherwise I think most will find this a reasonable/affordable choice for dealing with bowel incontinence.

Wear & Tear Tests

Fitting

The Softex Adult Diaper has a plastic backsheet with a patterned landing zone and adhesive tape fasteners. The material is somewhat similar to the Carnation or Certainty adult diapers with a relatively soft plastic and thin honeycomb-like textured padding. Tapes can be refastened and repositioned multiple times after the first application and the patterned landing zone makes it easy to reproduce a good fit.

3.1 Softex Adult Diaper Fastener

Ease-of-Use Rating: 9

I rank the Softex Adult Diaper the same as the Carnation and Certainty diapers for ease-of-use. I found it fairly easy to get a snug fit with this diaper. The landing zone pattern was very helpful because once I figured it out I was able to achieve the same fit every time. The refastenable tapes are also very easy to use and this diaper has beneficial features like standing inner leak guards and a wetness indicator. I did find the wetness indicator to be a bit susceptible to sweat or minor dribbles, but otherwise was fine. Perhaps it could benefit from the addition of waistbands but I have no significant complaints about this diaper when it comes to ease-of-use.

3.2 Softex Adult Diaper Fit

 

Comfort

Comfort Rating (dry): 9

The Softex Adult Diaper is among the top performers when it comes to dry comfort. In spite of its plastic backsheet this diaper feels quite light and breathable. The plastic is quite flexible (albeit noisy) which reduces resistance that comes with movement. Moreover, the thin padding makes it great for heat dissipation (though at a cost to absorbency). It also has the advantage of very extensive padding, meaning less backsheet is in direct contact with the skin. All in all, I was pretty happy with its comfort but couldn’t quite rank it among the best in this category as I still felt the leg gathers could be a little softer and the padding is far from the most durable.

Comfort Rating (wet): 6

The Softex diaper is near mid-rank for what I’d consider to be comfort when wet. It does a pretty good job at distributing heat, yet, it’s quite susceptible to surface dampness and initial pooling during a wetting. I found this to be more of an issue when seated as there was occasional pressout moisture. Otherwise, the padding held up alright, without noticeable clumping but bits of tearing like in its dry state. When wet the padding has a bit of a squishiness to it, but doesn’t swell to a large extent. Aside from that it has absolutely no issues retaining its structure with the tapes holding out remarkably well under its wet weight.

3.3 Softex Adult Diaper Topsheet and Backsheet

Durability

Dry Padding Deterioration Proportion: 14.4% (topsheet), 19.3% (backsheet)
Shake Deterioration Test: 6 shakes to deterioration

Durability Rating (dry): 6
The padding on this diaper is quite thin and seems susceptible to tearing/deterioration. This is the primary reason I’m not scoring it higher than I otherwise might given its strong structure. In terms of the fasteners I found they held up incredibly well through testing and I never had issues with it becoming loose or tapes losing their grip after multiple fastenings. Were it not for the padding deterioration it could be a great choice for active wear.

Durability Rating (wet): 7

Interestingly enough the Softex diaper proved fairly durable when wet. Padding deterioration from its dry state was still an issue but not to a greater extent and it performed unexpectedly well in the “shake test”. Other than that, the fasteners had no issue holding up under the weight of the wet diaper, with no signs of sagging. Since padding deterioration was mostly in non-core parts of the padding it had limit impact on absorbency so I didn’t count it to be as great a factor in terms of wet durability.

3.4 Softex Adult Diaper Dry Test Deterioration

Discretion Tests

Profile

Front Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 5 cm (2"), 5 cm (2")
Back Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 7 cm (2.8"), 6 cm (2.4")
Side Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 5 cm (2"), 5 cm (2")

Profile Discretion Rating: 8

The Softex diaper has a pretty snug fit and is thin and flexible such that it can fairly easily be hidden under clothing. I would say it has a bit of a bulge at the rear, but one that could easily be concealed under underwear or meshpants.

4.1 Softex Adult Diaper Jeans Profile (left) vs Normal Underwear (right)

4.2 Softex Adult Diaper Sweats Profile (left) vs Normal Underwear (right)

 

Noise

Noise Rating: 6

This diaper is in the same category as the Carnation and Certainty diapers when it comes to noise. The plastic backsheet is very easy to disturb and somewhat separates from the padding, giving it a distinctive diaper crinkling noise when standing up or sitting down. It can be dampened a bit with meshpants or underwear but you’re still going to get a bit of it. Otherwise, I noticed it a little less when walking.

4.3 Softex Adult Diaper Noise Profile

Odor Reduction

Odor Reduction Rating: 7
The plastic backsheet and snug fit of this diaper go a ways to cutting back on odors, even if the thin padding and surface dampness makes it more susceptible to formation of odors. I didn’t notice odors too often during wear, but I don’t rank this with top performers, like the Tena Slip Active Fit Maxi, in this regard. I also feel that waistbands could be beneficial in cutting back on odors in this diaper.