Medi Friends Deluxe Tape Adult Diapers Review

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

 

Summary

The Medi Friends Deluxe Tape Adult Diaper is a plastic-backed Korean diaper that can be found in certain Korean retailers. It’s produced by a manufacturer named “Clean Country” in Korea, which also produces other sanitary and paper products. In terms of sizing it’s relatively limited with only an L and XL size. However, in reality the large would be equivalent to a medium in most countries and for myself, having a typical medium fit, I found the large worked just fine. Key features advertised by this diaper include the absorption layer, elastic design and dual moisture channels that run down the padding. You’re unlikely to find this diaper outside Korea as it seems to be marketed exclusively within the country.

In terms of performance, I found it consistently managed a single wetting under any conditions. I never had issues with leaks or damage to the backsheet/topsheet. It has a quality build and the design makes it really easy to get a snug fit. However, it’s hardly the most comfortable diaper I’ve tested, particularly when wet. When wet it can be susceptible to surface dampness and pressout. Still, for the price point it provides a great degree of value and with a good booster it would be even better. I’d certainly recommend giving it a try if you happen to be in Korea.

Key Features:

• Plastic backsheet
• Standing inner leak guards
• Wetness indicator
• Tape landing zone
• Repositionable fasteners
• Rear waistband
  

Pros:

• Highly durable
  
• Very easy to get a snug fit
  
• Consistent absorbency
  

Cons:

• Surface dampness
  
• Limited availability
• Limited sizing options

 

Product Details

For the purpose of this post I will be reviewing and referring to the large-sized Medi Friends Deluxe Tape Adult Diaper. However, other available sizes are listed below:

Packaging

Brand: Medi Friends Deluxe
Manufacturer: Clean Country Co., Ltd
Origin: Korea
Units Per Bag: 10
Cost Per Unit: $
Dimensions (L x W x H): 23 cm (9.1") x 16 cm (6.3") x 25 cm (9.8")
Weight: 0.95 kg (2.1 lbs)
Available Sizes: L,XL
Advertised Absorbency: Quadruple

1.1 Medi Friends Deluxe Tape Adult Diaper Packaging

Diaper

Backsheet: Plastic (poly)
Wetness Indicator: Yes (line of blue drops down the 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 (reddish-brown numbered landing zone + blue drops down middle)
Inner Color: White
Front Waistband: No
Rear Waistband: Yes
Folded Thickness: 2.50 cm (0.98")
Folded Length: 24 cm (9.5")
Dry Weight: 100 g (3.5 oz)
Fragrance: No
Diaper Dimensions (L x fW x mW x bW): 81.5 cm (32.1") x 63 cm (24.8") x 29 cm (11.4") 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 27 cm (10.6") x 17 cm (6.7") x 33 cm (13")
Padding Wing Dimensions (fPW x fPH x bPW x bPH): 5 cm (2") x 12 cm (4.7") x 8 cm (3.2") x 17 cm (6.7")
Padding Wing Shape (Front, Rear): Semicircle, Semicircle
Total Padding Area: 1480 cm² (229 in²)
Tape Spacing (t1 x t2): 4 cm (1.6") x 11 cm (4.3")
Tape (W x L): 2 cm (0.8") x 4 cm (1.6")

1.2 Medi Friends Deluxe Tape Adult Diaper

Laboratory Absorbency Tests

Total Absorption Volume (after press out): 695 ml (24.5 oz)
Total Absorption Volume (before press out): 700 ml (24.7 oz)
Time to Absorb Wettings (first to last): (94 s, 63 s, 84 s)
Wet Folded Thickness: 4 cm (1.6")
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 77%
Total Padding to Absorbency Ratio: 0.70 ml / cm² (0.16 oz / in²)
Press Out Volume: 5 ml (0.18 oz)

Surface Dampness Rating: 3

During the lab test, the Medi Friends diaper showed obvious surface dampness from the first wetting and a lot of surface dampness after the second wetting. The presence of surface dampness was also confirmed during real world testing and I’d say this is one of the diapers where you’re likely to notice surface dampness on the first wetting. I rank it about the same as the Leway diaper in this regard.

 

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: 625 ml (22.1 oz)
Total Wettings: (1 standing, 1 sitting)
Leaked After Sitting: No
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 81%
Padding to Absorbency Score: 0.42 ml / cm² (0.10 oz / in²)

Standing-Sitting Rating: 5
The Medi Friends Deluxe diaper performed reasonably when tested while standing and sitting. The first wetting while standing was easily absorbed and distributed through the padding. The moisture briefly pooled around the mid padding with much of the front and rear padding remaining dry. After a short while the moisture did wick through into the other padding and it didn’t feel particularly damp. There was no hint of leakage upon sitting shortly after nor any obvious pressout moisture. On the second wetting while seated, moisture pushed up the front and there was noticeable pooling above the crotch. However, nothing made it past the leak guards and into the wings so it stayed within the padding. Eventually the pooling subsided and the moisture made it down into the mid-padding where it still felt quite saturated. Surprisingly there weren’t any leaks below the diaper as the moisture made it back down and slowly wicked backward. However, after a more extended period of sitting I noticed two distinctive leaks through the rear leg gathers even though there was still a decent area of dry rear padding. The leaks were enough to leave a substantial mark, so I ended the test at that. I do feel this diaper should be safe for absorbing at least one wetting during daily usage, but I wouldn’t count on it absorbing more than that because moisture tends to end up in the middle padding where it’s susceptible to pressout.

Lying Down

Total Absorbed Volume: 730 ml (24.8 oz)
Total Wettings: 2
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 94%
Padding to Absorbency Score: 0.49 ml / cm² (0.11 oz / in²)

Lying Down Rating: 6

The Medi Friend Deluxe diaper performed decently when tested while lying down. In the first wetting there was initially a bit of pooling but it was completely absorbed after a short while and distributed through the rear padding. By the time it was fully absorbed the rear padding was mostly wet but there was still a large area of dry padding at the front since the looser fit resulted in most moisture moving downward below the crotch. The diaper felt a little damp at this point, but not to the point of discomfort and there were no signs of any leaks. The second wetting was clearly going to leak given much of the padding was wet after the first wetting. Initially the leak guards did a great job at keeping the pooling contained within the structure so it didn’t leak immediately but there was a substantial pool of moisture that could never be absorbed over the mid-padding and eventually a lot of it made it through the rear leg gathers resulting in a substantial leak. There was also a significant, but smaller, leak out below the rear waistband. Given these findings, I believe the Medi Friend Deluxe will generally absorb a single wetting while lying down but I wouldn’t have confidence in it absorbing any more than that. Its absorbency seems quite tuned to a single wetting level of protection.

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

Daily Wear and Bedwetting

The Medi Friends Deluxe Tape diaper proved surprisingly robust during testing. Overall absorbency wasn’t particularly high, with just enough to comfortably absorb a large single wetting. However, it was remarkably consistent in how well it prevented leaks at this level, without even so much as minor leakage when wet while sitting or lying down. I attribute this to the diaper’s very effective leak barriers and snug fitting design. The padding itself is susceptible to surface dampness and pressout moisture, even after a single wetting, but at least you can have confidence that it won’t leak. Notably, this diaper also has two distinctive moisture channel groves running down the padding, which help it with wicking. Were it more absorbent, it could easily rank among the premium diapers. As it is, I find it can feel a bit damp when wet and that can detract from comfort. From my testing I can say I’d have confidence with this diaper for daily wear or bedwetting as long as there’s only a single wetting. I found its design to be highly durable and I feel it will be fine with exercise and active wear, though I’d be a bit more worried about padding clumping or tearing when wet so you’d want to change relatively quickly if active. I never had any issues with the tapes moving and if anything they were a bit too adhesive and could be difficult to remove (similar to what I experience with the NorthShore MegaMax). Another interesting aspect of this diaper is that the plastic backsheet has small indentations similar to the Leway diaper, but again it’s completely moisture impermeable. Aside from that, I found it very easy to fit consistently, partly because the landing zone has patterns to repeat the same good fit and partly because it naturally has a very snug fitting design that doesn’t require much adjustment. It’s not the cheapest diaper on the market, but cheaper than most North American or European diapers you’d find so it provides a good amount of quality for the price. If you’re in Korea, I’d highly recommend giving it a try as it performed the best of those I’ve tested so far, above the Saehan Gumbi or Leway diapers.

Suitability for Bowel Incontinence: 9

I feel the Medi Friends diaper will manage bowel incontinence a little better than the Leway diaper and rank it among the better diapers in this category. It has a plastic backsheet with a generous amount of rear padding, strong elastic leg barriers and a rear waistband. All these features seem geared for effective containment. The only reason I don’t give it a perfect score is because the padding can be susceptible to surface dampness, where I feel a perfect diaper for the job should be highly resistant to surface dampness as well as providing strong containment barriers.

Wear & Tear Tests

Fitting

The Medi Friends Deluxe Tape diaper features a plastic backsheet with a large tape landing zone at the front. The fasteners use an adhesive tape material and are high quality and have a very strong grip when fastened. Interestingly, the tapes have the two tone pattern you might expect for stacked double-tapes like the Tranquility ATN, but there is only a single tape per fastener in this diaper. The tapes can be repositioned multiple times for adjustment after the initial application. The plastic in this diaper is textured and resembles other Korean diapers like the Leway diapers. It has a rear-waistband, which helps with fit. Meanwhile, the sizing also seems to match other Korean diapers, with the large being similar to what you’d typically expect from a medium in terms of fit, although this brand seems to start at large with no medium size in the lineup.

3.1 Medi Friends Deluxe Tape Fastener

 

Ease-of-Use Rating: 9

The Medi Friends Deluxe Tape diaper is highly user friendly. I found it very easy to get a snug fit with this diaper as the elastic leg gathers and waistband wrap the wearer’s body when applied. It’s also easy to apply the tapes to the landing zone and the landing zone numbering makes it easy to reproduce a good fit once you’ve found the fit that works best. This diaper also features a wetness indicator of blue dots down the middle that fade when wet, making it a good choice for care environments as well. The only thing that might make this diaper a bit more difficult to use is that the tapes are almost too adhesive. I found it can be difficult to remove the tape at times to adjust it and if you pull the tape too hard it can result in damage.

3.2 Medi Friends Deluxe Tape Diapers Fit

 

Comfort

Comfort Rating (dry): 8

I put the Medi Friends Deluxe diaper ahead of the similar Leway diaper when it comes to dry comfort. I found the fit on this diaper to be outstanding with the rear waistband really helping to keep it snug. The padding and backsheet are quite soft, though not the softest on the market. Likewise, this diaper is good with heat dissipation, but not quite among the best either. The padding in this diaper, while fairly thin, proved more durable than the Leway diaper. I never had any issues with tapes coming loose or dry sagging in this diaper.

Comfort Rating (wet): 6

The Medi Friends diaper’s padding felt noticeably damp when wet and I wouldn’t rank it among the higher rated diapers for wet comfort. However, surface dampness was really the only issue I noticed in terms of discomfort. Otherwise the padding itself held together without obvious clumping or tearing and condition was little changed from the dry state. The tapes held up incredibly well so there was no obvious dip or sagging with the added weight of the wet diaper, though the looseness of the padding does mean the padding will sit a little lower when wet. I didn’t find this diaper’s plastic backsheet to be as breathable as others like the Dr P. and thus the lower rating.

3.3 Medi Friends Deluxe Tape Adult Diapers Topsheet and Backsheet

Durability

Dry Padding Deterioration Proportion: 8.9% (topsheet), 12.7% (backsheet)
Shake Deterioration Test: 5 shakes to deterioration

Durability Rating (dry): 8
The Medi Friends Deluxe has a remarkably durable design. During dry durability testing I didn’t notice any sort of shifting in the fit and the tapes held up strongly with multiple refastenings. If anything the tapes are probably a little too strong as I feel that removing them too quickly could risk damaging them, but I didn’t count that as too big a factor in terms of dry durability. Other than that, the padding in this diaper was surprisingly durable given its relatively thin structure. After the extended test there wasn’t any obvious clumping or tearing with most of the deterioration in non-core padding where the wider padding collapsed inward and on the outer parts of the wings. As far as dry durability goes this diaper may perform surprisingly well for active wear when absorbency is sufficient.

Durability Rating (wet): 7

The Medi Friends diaper had wet durability roughly equivalent to its dry durability with limited padding deterioration, mostly at the edges. The core padding didn’t show any signs of clumping or obvious tearing. Otherwise, the tapes held remarkably well and were completely unmoved by the added weight of the wet diaper during testing. I feel the structure of this diaper will hold up well to active wear or even more intensive exercises, but the padding still feels a bit more susceptible to coming apart than the more durable diapers on the market like the Drylife SlipSuper.

3.4 Medi Friends Deluxe Tape Adult Diaper Dry Test Deterioration

Discretion Tests

Profile

Front Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 4 cm (1.6"), 5 cm (2")
Back Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 6 cm (2.4"), 5 cm (2")
Side Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 9 cm (3.5"), 7.5cm (3")

Profile Discretion Rating: 7

This diaper has a notable rise above the waistline, but otherwise keeps quite snug to the wearer’s body. I think with some care you could easily cover it under most outfits, but it will show through tighter fitting clothing. If not worn under meshpants or regular underwear there may be a slight bulge at the crotch and rear of the diaper where the backsheet allows a bit more of a gap. I rank it similar to the Attends Care Poly Briefs in this regard.

4.1 Medi Friends Deluxe Tape Adult Diapers Jeans Profile (left) vs Normal Underwear (right)

4.2 Medi Friends Deluxe Tape Adult Diapers Sweats Profile (left) vs Normal Underwear (right)

 

Noise

Noise Rating: 6

I noticed a slight crinkling noise from the Medi Friends Deluxe diaper when walking, sitting or standing up. It wasn’t super obvious and far less than you’d get from something like the Forsite Under the Sea, but clearly a noise you’d get from a diaper. I feel that at this level you could mostly cover it up with use of meshpants or underwear. I suspect a lot of the noise is actually coming from the thicker padding in the landing zone.

4.3 Medi Friends Deluxe Tape Noise Profile

Odor Reduction

Odor Reduction Rating: 8
I rank the Medi Friends Deluxe diaper highly in terms of odor reduction. A large part of this comes from how effective the structure is at containment. I can’t say I noticed odors very often while testing this diaper and it does seem to have some design elements to help with that. However, it’s also quite susceptible to pressout and surface dampness, which can contribute to the formation of odors. Overall, I feel the structure still gives it a slight edge over many other diapers on the market in this regard.