*For more information on how I do reviews see Diaper Test Methodology
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Summary
The Walgreens Certainty Unisex Adult Briefs are a stretch-side style adult diaper with a cloth-like backsheet. These share the same name with a previously reviewed Southeast Asian diaper, the Certainty Adult Diaper, but are a completely different product. I suspect many who were searching for the “Certainty Diaper” and ended up on the blog were in fact looking for this diaper. This diaper is sold by the Walgreens Pharmacy chain in the US under their store brand label. From what I can tell, this product previously had a classic four tab design but more recently has moved to this single tab stretch style design. These are not easy to find outside the US and, on that note, I’d like to give a special thanks for the donation of 6 of these to complete this review. As always, all suggestions and donations are greatly appreciated! As you might expect with the smaller sample set to work from, this review is a little less thorough than our typical reviews but I’ve tried my best to capture the key performance metrics. However, in this case it proved pretty easy to get a sense of how these diapers will perform because I found them to be virtually identical to the previously reviewed CVS Health Stretch Fit Adjustable Briefs and I suspect both were produced in the same manufacturing facility. Walgreens seems to have given away the supplier as Attends Healthcare Products, Inc, which is hardly surprising given it’s one of the larger incontinence producers in the US. I did find a slight weakness in these compared with the CVS diaper but it’s hard to tell if that was due to slight differences in product, manufacturing or the condition of the individual units tested. In researching the two, I found that these tend to run cheaper than the CVS diapers, so it’s not unreasonable to think they could be a slightly lower quality. Yet from my testing I don’t think the difference was enough to make the CVS worth the additional cost compared with these. These diapers will comfortably manage a single wetting without leaks both in daily wear or bedwetting, but they will consistently fail beyond that point. They also may not be the best choice for active wear due to certain durability issues. Even so, the very low unit price gives these a pretty strong edge as far as economics are concerned. So if you want something cheap that’s comfortable and can reliability be changed after every wetting then this could be a good choice for you.
Key Features:
- Cloth-like backsheet
- Stretchable wings
- Standing inner leak guards
- Wetness indicator
- Repositionable fasteners
Pros:
- Comfortable/breathable design
- Consistent performance
- Decent resistance to surface dampness
Cons:
- Limited sizing
- Limited availability
- Durability issues
Product Details
For the purpose of this post I will be reviewing and referring to the small/medium-sized Walgreens Certainty Unisex Adult Briefs. However, other available sizes are listed below:
Packaging
Brand: Certainty
Manufacturer: Attends Healthcare Products, Inc.
Origin: USA
Units Per Bag: 20
Cost Per Unit: $
Dimensions (L x W x H)*: 25 cm (9.8") x 15 cm (5.9") x 30 cm (11.8")
Weight*: 1.6 kg (3.5 lbs)
Available Sizes: S/M,L/XL,2XL/3XL
Advertised Absorbency: Maximum
[1.1 Packaging Pictures Unavailable - TBD - please share if you have these]
Diaper
Backsheet: Cloth-like (non-woven)
Wetness Indicator: Yes (two yellow lines down middle, blue when wet)
Standing Inner Leak Guards: Yes
Leg Gathers: Yes
Product Style: Stretch Sides Brief
Refastenable Tabs: Yes
Number of Tapes: 1
Repositionable Tabs: Yes
Outer Color: White
Inner Color: White
Front Waistband: No
Rear Waistband: No
Folded Thickness: 2.16 cm (0.85")
Folded Length: 22.5 cm (8.9")
Dry Weight: 83 g (2.9 oz)
Fragrance: No
Diaper Dimensions (L x fW x mW x bW): 81 cm (32") x 53 cm (20.9") x 29 cm (11.4") x 74 cm (29.1")
Wing Shape (Front, Rear): Rectangular, Rectangular
Padding Dimensions (L x fW x mW x bW): 61.5 cm (24.2") x 22.5 cm (8.9") x 18 cm (7.1") x 24 cm (9.5")
Padding Wing Dimensions (fPW x fPH x bPW x bPH): 2.3 cm (0.9") x 13 cm (5.1") x 3 cm (1.2") x 13 cm (5.1")
Padding Wing Shape (Front, Rear): Semicircle, Semicircle
Total Padding Area: 1243 cm2 (193 in2)
Tape Spacing (t1): 5 cm (2")
Tape (W x L): 11 cm (4.3") x 2 cm (0.8")
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| 1.2 Walgreens Certainty Unisex Adult Diaper |
Laboratory Absorbency Tests
Total Absorption Volume (after press out): 750 ml (24.4 oz)
Total Absorption Volume (before press out): 775 ml (23.5 oz)
Time to Absorb Wettings (first to last): (43 s, 52 s, 58 s)
Wet Folded Thickness: 4 cm (1.6")
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 74%
Total Padding to Absorbency Ratio: 0.54 ml / cm2 (0.12 oz / in2)
Press Out Volume: 25 ml (0.9 oz)
Surface Dampness Rating: 5
The Walgreens Certainty diaper build is almost identical to the CVS diaper. However, there was a little more surface dampness present after the first wetting in comparison during the lab test. It wasn’t a huge amount, but enough to be noticeable. That said, in real world wear this diaper felt nearly the same as the CVS one even when wet and dampness was less noticeable as a consequence of the otherwise very breathable design.
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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: 692 ml (24.4 oz)
Total Wettings: (1 standing, 1 sitting)
Leaked After Sitting: No
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 88%
Padding to Absorbency Score: 0.56 ml / cm2 (0.13 oz / in2)
Standing-Sitting Rating: 6
The Walgreens Certainty diaper had a respectable performance when tested while standing and sitting. The first wetting while standing was readily absorbed with no signs of leakage. Initially there was a lot of pooling in the mid-section but it easily spread through the padding. At this point only the mid-padding was wet and there was still a significant amount of dry padding at the front and rear. I felt the surface dampness initially but it wasn’t particularly noticeable over time. I believe the breathability of the diaper went a ways to mitigating it. The second wetting was clearly going to leak based on tests with previous similar diapers. Moisture quickly pushed up the front of the diaper and spilled into the sides, producing a rather large leak, particularly on the right side. The front padding was completely saturated, but the rear padding still has a section of dry padding. Generally this diaper should be fine for a single wetting when worn for daily wear but I wouldn’t trust it to manage two or more wettings.
Lying Down
Total Absorbed Volume: 817 ml (28.8 oz)
Total Wettings: 2
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 93%
Padding to Absorbency Score: 0.58 ml / cm2 (0.13 oz / in2)
Lying Down Rating: 6
The Walgreens Certainty diaper performed fairly well when tested while lying down. The first wetting was fully absorbed without any signs of leakage. Moisture quickly pooled down to the midsection and the diaper felt quite damp. The surface dampness never fully went away but the breathability somewhat mitigated it and I noticed it less after a few minutes. The front padding was still dry at this point and there was a bit of dry rear padding as well. The second wetting resulted in a substantial leak through the rear leg gathers. Initially there was again significant pooling in the midsection while some of the front padding remained dry. I feel the relatively loose fit means not as much moisture will hit the front and this diaper isn’t particularly strong at wicking. It managed a relatively large amount of absorption for a store-bought diaper. I suspect you’ll generally manage a single wetting with this diaper when used for bedwetting but I wouldn’t count on it beyond that.
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| 2.3 Pattern of Used vs Unused Padding Test Stand/Sit (right) Lying Down (left) |
Daily Wear and Bedwetting
The Walgreens Certainty Unisex Adult Brief would have been a more interesting diaper to review had I not previously reviewed the CVS Adjustable diaper. It was much harder to develop a distinct opinion on this diaper when the two were nearly identical down to the same manufacturing flaw (triangular bits of backsheet surplus cutting falling off). With only 6 diapers to test, this was also more of a compact review as it was a relatively small sample size to get a feel for daily wear and bedwetting after performing my routine tests. In any case, I was able to form a bit of an opinion. Unsurprisingly, it felt exactly the same as the CVS diaper. I didn’t have any skin irritation when testing it, even after wearing it for a long duration. It also felt quite well suited for warm weather wear and I didn’t notice much sweat or clamminess when wearing this diaper. When worn around the house, I noticed more of a crinkling noise from this diaper than I would have expected for one with a cloth-like backsheet. Of particular note was that the layers in this diaper seem to separate with the backsheet, padding and topsheet detaching and moving independent of one another, which I feel is the primary reason for the noise tendency. That also made the padding more susceptible to tearing. Although, even with deteriorated padding, the core structure was fairly resilient and sufficient to handle wettings in the deteriorated state. In terms of performance I found this diaper was reliably able to handle a single large wetting both in daily wear and bedwetting. It also proved sufficient at resisting leaks when sitting after a wetting, which is critical for usefulness in daily wear. In fact, I found it impressive that at its very low unit price, not far off the price of many incontinence pads, this diaper was consistently able to manage a full wetting without leaking in both daily wear and for bedwetting. I did notice a few factors that could indicate slightly lower quality than the CVS diaper, including a little more surface dampness and padding deterioration. It was tough to say if those were due to actual differences in material makeup or a result of testing on diapers that weren’t recently compacted from being in the bag. The deterioration factor will make these less useful for active wear, though they do a decent job at distributing heat. They also feature a wetness indicator and may be helpful in less active environments like care facilities where the low unit cost is prioritized and frequent changes are necessary.Suitability for Bowel Incontinence: 4
The Walgreens Certainty diaper can manage bowel incontinence, but it’s far from the best in this regard. It has some beneficial features like inner leak guards. Though it lacks waistbands and is cloth-backed so unlikely to retain odors well. Once again, you can expect the same results from this diaper as you’d get from the nearly identical CVS diaper.
Wear & Tear Tests
Fitting
The Walgreens Certainty diaper has a design and fit that’s nearly identical to the CVS diaper. This diaper is cloth-backed with stretchy sides and a single hook & loop fastener per side. The backsheet on this diaper has a very high rise, but the padding rise is pretty typical. The waistband gives it a snug fit around the hips, but the waistline material is quite wide, giving it a loose fit. The sizing on this is nearly the same as the CVS. The medium fit me just fine, which is typical for a medium, but the tapes were quite close to crossing so there wasn’t much more room. So I would say sizing is slightly on the large side. More generally the sizing of these leans toward the larger end with the smallest sizing starting at a 31” waist (S/M) going up to a 100” waist at 2XL/3XL.
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| 3.1 Walgreens Certainty Unisex Adult Briefs Fastener |
Ease-of-Use Rating: 7
I’m rating the Walgreens Certainty diaper the same as the CVS diaper because it’s nearly the same product. If you look at the dimensions these two are almost identical and the material makeup is the same. These diapers are generally pretty user friendly. They have stretchable sides that can easily be repositioned or refastened multiple times. They also feature a wetness indicator to assist carers with knowing when the diaper is wet. The fastener folding pattern means they can take a little while to apply because you’ll need to unfold several folds to get it to the proper length for fastening. The fasteners can wear out the backsheet a little over time and after multiple refastenings. Most should find this diaper to be quite user friendly.
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| 3.2 Walgreens Certainty Unisex Adult Briefs Fit |
Comfort
Comfort Rating (dry): 7
The Walgreens Certainty diaper is highly breathable and I found it to be quite comfortable in its dry state. These have a light /airy feeling that’s pretty much identical to the CVS Adjustable diapers. The cloth-like material and padding is quite soft and easy on the skin. This design also makes them a bit prone to shifts that can detract from the comfort a bit. Moreover, while the hook & loop fasteners are generally pretty strong, they can shift with wear as well and potentially cause friction with the wearer’s legs. The padding wasn’t super prone to clumping or tearing but it did noticeably deteriorate. Once again, with these being virtually identical to the CVS Adjustable diapers I can’t justify a different rating.
Comfort Rating (wet): 7
I rate the Walgreens Certainty diaper about the same as the CVS Health diaper when it comes to wet comfort. Both diapers are similarly designed with similar absorbencies. There’s a tendency for surface dampness in both cases but the impact on the wearer is mitigated by the very breathable nature of the product. I never felt this diaper being particularly clammy and the padding held up just fine when wet, without awkward clumping or tearing. By its nature this diaper will be slightly prone to sagging when wet, but the tapes shouldn’t have issues keeping it fastened around the hips at its expected absorbance range.
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| 3.3 Walgreens Certainty Unisex Adult Briefs Topsheet and Backsheet |
Durability
Dry Padding Deterioration Proportion: 16.7% (topsheet), 12.7% (backsheet)
Shake Deterioration Test: 2 shakes to deterioration
Durability Rating (dry): 5
For whatever reason the Walgreens Certainty diaper actually performed a bit worse in the dry durability than the CVS diaper. It may have been because these weren’t fresh out of the package and had “fluffed” up in a way that made them more susceptible to deterioration as opposed to the more compacted padding you’d get out of the package. In any case this is one area where I’m giving it a lower rating than the CVS diaper, given substantial enough disparity and the absence of information indicating otherwise. That said, most of the padding deterioration was still at the edges with only a little overlapping with the core padding area. Other than that, the fasteners actually held up reasonably well during testing. Though it also had the same issues as the CVS diaper with padding easily separating from the backsheet and small triangular bits of backsheet falling off (a manufacturing side-effect as a result of cutting excess material that didn’t actually impact performance). Based on these findings, I wouldn’t recommend these for active wear.
Durability Rating (wet): 5
There wasn’t a substantial difference between the wet and dry states for the Walgreens Certainty diaper in terms of durability, so I’m ranking them the same in this regard. The fasteners were fine holding the weight of the diaper and it seemed quite resistant to perspiration through the backsheet (a common problem for cloth-backed diapers).
 
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| 3.4 Walgreens Certainty Unisex Adult Briefs Dry Test Deterioration |
Discretion Tests
Profile
Front Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 7 cm (2.8"), 6 cm (2.4")
Back Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 7.5 cm (3"), 4 cm (1.6")
Side Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 4 cm (1.6"), 6 cm (2.4")
Profile Discretion Rating: 8
This is basically the same diaper as the CVS diaper so I’m rating it the same in terms of profile discretion. Once again, the rise above the waist is quite high and can produce a slight bulge at the front and rear. However, the padding is pretty thin and although it can fluff up a bit it’s also easy to conceal under meshpants or underwear.
  
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| 4.1 Walgreens Certainty Unisex Adult Briefs Jeans Profile (left) vs Normal Underwear (right) |
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| 4.2 Walgreens Certainty Unisex Adult Briefs Sweats Profile (left) vs Normal Underwear (right) |
Noise
Noise Rating: 6
This diaper also earns the same noise discretion rating as the CVS Adjustable diaper. Both produce a muffled crinking noise during movement. It’s not the level you’d get with some thin plastic-backed diapers, but still enough that it may be noticed if not careful. You’ll want to choose appropriate outerwear to cover up the noise from these.
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| 4.3 Walgreens Certainty Unisex Adult Briefs Noise Profile |
Odor Reduction
Odor Reduction Rating: 7
Though my testing was fairly limited I wouldn’t say I noticed much in the way of odors. Even though surface dampness appeared slightly worse, I couldn’t see a compelling reason to rank this diaper any different from the nearly identical CVS one in this regard.
