Tenera Adult Diaper Review

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

 

  

Summary

The Tenera Adult Diaper is a moderate absorbency cloth-like diaper that appears to be commonly sold through Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This diaper is made in Turkiye, but the branding all appears to be Serbian, with a bit of English as well. The common distributor for this diaper is a company called KT Cosmetics, which is Turkish and not to be confused with a Korean company of a similar name. The company also manufactures baby diapers and a variety of other consumer hygiene products. The sizing options for this diaper are relatively limited, with only a medium and large available. The sizing is interesting in that it has both a waist sizing, 85-125 cm (33.5-49”), and a max weight, 70 kg (154 lbs); these being for the medium. The weight seems surprisingly low for the given waist sizes.

In terms of performance, I can’t say I was very impressed with this particular brand. Absorbency allowed up to maybe a single wetting without leakage, but it wasn’t reliable and there were obvious surface dampness issues. That could possibly be managed with additional protection like booster pads. However, this diaper also had a very strong tendency to come loose and sag. Sagging was a concern even during minimal activity like sleeping. This was a major detractor in terms of comfort and durability. Otherwise, the pricing of the diaper is relatively low, but hardly the lowest on the market and perhaps a bit expensive for the markets it sells in. If you do end up using this diaper and experience heavy leaks then you’ll want to prioritize additional protection. If you have bowel incontinence then you should pass entirely and go with something that isn’t so susceptible to coming loose.

Key Features:

• Cloth-like backsheet
• Standing inner leak guards
• Wetness indicator
• Repositionable fasteners

Pros:

• Comfortable/breathable design
• Relatively discreet
• Decent padding durability

Cons:

• Tendency for sagging
• Surface dampness issues

 

Product Details

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

Packaging

Brand: Tenera
Manufacturer: KARATEK
Origin: Turkiye
Units Per Bag: 16
Cost Per Unit: $
Dimensions (L x W x H): 27 cm (10.6") x 14 cm (5.5") x 26 cm (10.2")
Weight: 1.13 kg (2.5 lbs)
Available Sizes: M,L
Advertised Absorbency: 5 Drops

1.1 Tenera Adult Diaper Packaging

Diaper

Backsheet: Cloth-like (non-woven)
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 (alternating blue / green sizing + icons)
Inner Color: White (blue-green rectangle in middle)
Front Waistband: No
Rear Waistband: No
Folded Thickness: 2 cm (0.79")
Folded Length: 24.5 cm (9.7")
Dry Weight: 75 g (2.65 oz)
Fragrance: No
Diaper Dimensions (L x fW x mW x bW): 77 cm (30.3") x 68 cm (26.8") x 28 cm (11") x 64 cm (25.2")
Wing Shape (Front, Rear): Rectangular, Rectangular
Padding Dimensions (L x fW x mW x bW): 58 cm (22.8") x 20 cm (7.9") x 16 cm (6.3") x 26 cm (10.2")
Padding Wing Dimensions (fPW x fPH x bPW x bPH): 2 cm (0.79") x 11 cm (4.3") x 5 cm (2") x 12 cm (4.7")
Padding Wing Shape (Front, Rear): Semicircle, Semicircle
Total Padding Area: 1092 cm² (169 in²)
Tape Spacing (t1 x t2): 7 cm (2.8") x 16 cm (6.3")
Tape (W x L): 3 cm (1.2") x 4 cm (1.6")

1.2 Tenera Adult Diapers Premium

Laboratory Absorbency Tests

Total Absorption Volume (after press out): 700 ml (24.7 oz)
Total Absorption Volume (before press out): 710 ml (22.4 oz)
Time to Absorb Wettings (first to last): (39 s, 39 s, 48 s)
Wet Folded Thickness: 3 cm (1.2")
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 92%
Total Padding to Absorbency Ratio: 0.58 ml / cm² (0.13 oz / in²)
Press Out Volume: 65 ml (2.3 oz)

Surface Dampness Rating: 3

Resistance to surface dampness isn’t a strong point for the Tenera diaper. During lab testing, significant dampness was noticed as early as the first wetting. I also found dampness to be quite noticeable in real world testing; only somewhat mitigated by its breathability. There was initially a lot of pooling and a tendency for moisture to press back out upon sitting. It wasn’t quite as bad as the NONISEC diaper in this regard, but hardly a top performer.

[VIDEO COMING SOON]

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: 750 ml (26.5 oz)
Total Wettings: (1 standing, 1 sitting)
Leaked After Sitting: No
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 93%
Padding to Absorbency Score: 0.69 ml / cm² (0.16 oz / in²)

Standing-Sitting Rating: 4
The Tenera diaper was adequate when tested while standing and sitting, but far from a high performer. The first wetting while standing quickly sunk and pooled in the mid-section padding. The pooling lasted a considerable amount of time. It felt damp and the padding sagged. Upon sitting shortly afterward there was clear pressout moisture that pushed back up through the padding and against the leak guards. There wasn’t any obvious sign of leakage but the edges felt quite damp. The second wetting was clearly going to leak and indeed it did. Shortly into it, moisture pushed up the front and leaked out through the sides. There was still a little dry padding at the rear where a tear had formed but otherwise the padding was deeply saturated. I wouldn’t expect this diaper to ever manage more than a single wetting during daily usage and even then you’d probably want additional protection to avoid leaks. 

Lying Down

Total Absorbed Volume: 775 ml (27.3 oz)
Total Wettings: 2
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 100%
Padding to Absorbency Score: 0.71 ml / cm² (0.16 oz / in²)

Lying Down Rating: 4

The Tenera diaper wasn’t particularly strong when tested while lying down, though it did manage one wetting without obvious leakage. The first wetting saw moisture quickly make it into the mid/rear padding and took a while to be absorbed. Initially it felt really damp with substantial pooling long after the wetting. I was surprised there were no leaks and suspect it could have been susceptible to instant leakage if wet while lying on one's side. Eventually all was absorbed through the padding but it still felt quite damp. In fact nearly every bit of padding was damp at this point. The second wetting was clearly going to leak based on the state of the first wetting. Indeed, there were substantial leaks out the front through the wings and below almost immediately. There was virtually no extra absorption in this wetting. Clearly, this diaper will only manage a single wetting when lying down and even that might be pushing it.

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

Daily Wear and Bedwetting

I can’t say I found the Tenera diaper to be reliable when testing during daily wear and bedwetting. It was generally able to manage a moderate wetting without leaking. However, it won’t reliably manage a single wetting, particularly if you’re in a situation where pressout moisture might occur. When tested for bedwetting I never fully trusted the diaper and combined it with diaper covers/boosters to reduce the risk of leaks. During daily wear I also went with additional protection for testing. I found it highly susceptible to pressout moisture upon sitting and it leaked after a single wetting several times (even though it didn’t happen in the real world standing-sitting test). The padding also remained very damp after a wetting and never seemed to dry off. Moreover, I found that no matter how snug I fastened the diaper on application, it would inevitably come loose and sag. The sagging was particularly noticeable when wet, but even when dry and under limited activity it was quite obvious. Removing the fasteners to adjust it was also a challenge as they tended to pull significant parts of the backsheet material off and could be even more difficult to fasten afterward. In many ways this diaper reminded me of the Lille SupremFit, but that diaper was far more absorbent and reliable in comparison. The main plus side for this diaper was that it was initially quite comfortable before any sagging started. It’s not a diaper you’d want to wear for active wear and not a good choice for heavy wetters. So the target market appears to be inactive moderate wetters, and even then you’d likely want to use a booster pad or diaper cover as additional protection.

Suitability for Bowel Incontinence: 3

The Tenera diaper has decent standing inner leak guards, but otherwise doesn’t have a lot that will assist with bowel incontinence. The cloth-like backsheet will make it more prone to odors. It lacks waistbands. But the biggest problem is that it is very prone to sagging, which will be particularly problematic for bowel containment.

 

Wear & Tear Tests

Fitting

The Tenera diaper has a cloth-like backsheet with fasteners that are a mix of hook & loop material and adhesive tape. This diaper doesn’t have waistbands and the fit tends to feel a bit loose. Although, in terms of actual sizing it’s not particularly large and I found the medium to be in line with common European medium-sizing. As far as I can tell these only come in two sizes: medium and large. Also, while the tapes can be refastened multiple times, I found they quickly lost their adhesiveness and can be difficult to remove without also pulling out parts of the backsheet.

3.1 Tenera Adult Diapers Fastener

  

Ease-of-Use Rating: 4

I can’t rank the Tenera diaper high in terms of ease-of-use. It had many of the same issues as the Lille SupremFit. Notably it has a high tendency for the fasteners to slide and it will often sag even when dry. This was noticeable both in daily and overnight wear. However, the fasteners are also very difficult to reapply after they’ve been applied. The glue part of them has a very strong fit that pulls pieces of the backsheet off and takes a lot of effort to remove. After pulling the fasteners from the backsheet there’s a high risk that the bits of the backsheet pulled into the fastener will make them difficult to reapply. Moreover, these diapers don’t have waistbands to help with snugness. I had trouble consistently getting a snug initial fit, but if you do find one that works then you could use the backsheet pattern as a guide to reproduce it. They do have wetness indicators, which appear as tiny bits of text with the word “wetness”. These are small so they may be hard to see and they fade when wet. On the plus side, these diapers have standing inner leak guards, which can help with managing bowel incontinence and contain temporary pooling. I don’t think these diapers are suitable for daily active wear, but may suffice with low activity if they can be changed quickly after usage.

3.2 Tenera Adult Diaper Fit

Comfort

Comfort Rating (dry): 6

I used the Lille SupremFit to guide comfort scoring for these diapers. Like that diaper, these diapers have a cloth-like bachsheet that’s very soft and highly breathable. So, materially, these are quite comfortable. The biggest problem is that it’s almost impossible to keep them from sagging. Even when I initially was able to get a relatively snug fit I would still find them coming loose after a short amount of time. There wasn’t much I could do to prevent that from happening as it also happened when worn overnight with minimal movement. Additionally, I found the padding on these to be slightly susceptible to tearing but generally it wasn’t enough to have a meaningful impact on comfort. If it weren’t for the loose fit I’d certainly rank these much higher in terms of dry comfort.

Comfort Rating (wet): 5

The Tenera diaper’s tendency to sag is even more noticeable when wet. The padding itself generally stays as it was in the dry state and I didn’t notice obvious clumping or much tearing in core areas. However, one area this diaper falls a little short is with respect to surface dampness. I found dampness and pressout to be noticeable from the Tenera padding. It also tends to pool moisture for an extended amount of time immediately after a wetting. Otherwise, the material structure remains quite breathable when wet and surface dampness will be less noticeable for that reason. Still, the combination of surface dampness and sagging give this diaper a lower scoring for wet comfort than might otherwise be expected.

3.3 Tenera Adult Diapers Topsheet and Backsheet

Durability

Dry Padding Deterioration Proportion: 6.5% (topsheet), 9.1% (backsheet)
Shake Deterioration Test: 7 shakes to deterioration

Durability Rating (dry): 6

The Tenera diaper padding is reasonably durable when dry and I never noticed much in the way of clumping or tearing. Its biggest durability fault is in its fasteners and tendency to sag. It was a bit hard to tell exactly what the problem was, because the fasteners appear to have a very strong grip. I suspect there are a combination of factors that cause it to loosen. There’s likely some degree of slippage as the fasteners are pulled back and carry some of the backsheet with them, but there may also be some inelastic stretching of the diaper backsheet materials. The end result is that the fit you experience when you first fasten it is not maintained. It was also notable that removing the fasteners pulled pieces of the backsheet off and made them even more challenging to fasten again.

Durability Rating (wet): 5

I’m ranking the Tenera diaper slightly lower when it comes to wet durability than dry durability. I do so in spite of it's relatively strong ability to resist padding deterioration during the wet shake test. This is due to its even greater tendency for sagging when wet compared to the dry state. I didn’t notice much in the way of obvious perspiration through the backsheet even in the face of considerable dampness. That can be a problem for cloth-like diapers but wasn’t the case for this one. The padding also remained relatively resilient to clumping and tearing in the wet state, little changed from its dry condition. So again, the biggest flaw is the tendency for sagging. Without that this diaper would score significantly higher for wet durability.

3.4 Tenera Adult Diapers Premium 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): 6.5 cm (2.6"), 3.5 cm (1.4")
Side Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 4.5 cm (1.8"), 3.5 cm (1.4")

Profile Discretion Rating: 9

The Tenera diaper has a relatively thin padding and won’t produce a particularly noticeable diaper bulge at the front or rear. The sagging is the main thing you need to watch out for with this diaper. That could be mitigated by combining it with regular underwear or meshpants. Generally this diaper should be easy to conceal, but it isn’t among the most discreet on the market.

4.1 Tenera Adult Diapers Jeans Profile (left) vs Normal Underwear (right)

4.2 Tenera Adult Diapers Sweats Profile (left) vs Normal Underwear (right)

 

Noise

Noise Rating: 9

Resistance to noise is one area the Tenera diaper excels. I almost never noticed any noise coming from this diaper when standing/sitting or walking in wet or dry states. The only bit of noise that could be noticeable when standing is the fasteners, as they pull at the backsheet and create a slight rustling. However, this would be easy to further suppress under a thicker outfit or combined with underwear or meshpants. I wouldn’t quite rank this diaper at the top in this regard, but it certainly scores highly.

4.3 Tenera Adult Diapers Noise Profile

Odor Reduction

Odor Reduction Rating: 6

I didn’t notice odors too often when testing the Tenera diaper. However, the breathability means any odors that do form are likely to escape. Moreover, the tendency for surface dampness makes the formation of odors more likely. I rank this diaper about average in this regard and there’s certainly room for improvement.