*For more information on how I do reviews see Diaper Test Methodology. For a list of all product reviews see the Product Index.
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Summary
The Certainty Adult Diaper is a relatively cheap low-medium plastic-backed absorbency diaper from Thailand. What’s interesting about the branding on Asian diapers like this is that they don’t seem to have the North America/European stigma around naming. These are labeled Certainty Adult “Diapers” on the package as opposed to “Briefs”, which avoids confusion with their similar protective underwear product. This diaper has got to be one of the most comfortable I have ever tried when dry and is amazing at reducing heat; however, the same can’t be said when it’s wet as it has a serious surface dampness problem.
In terms of features this diaper provides a decent set for its very cheap unit cost. It includes a tape landing zone in the front with helpful markings to consistently get a good fit. It also had decent leg gathers and leak guards. The padding has a broad area of coverage and the tapes and backsheet are of decent quality, though it can be somewhat noisy. Acquiring this diaper outside of Asia can be a problem as overseas resellers are few and far between (don’t confuse it with the similarly named Walgreens “Certainty” brand, which is probably even less absorbent). If you want to try an incredibly comfortable diaper and don’t care as much about total absorbency I’d highly recommend this one, but it’s probably not the best if you’re a frequent heavy wetter.
Key Features:
- Plastic-backing
- Tartan repositionable tape landing zone
- Standing inner leak barriers
- Wide padding coverage
Pros:
- Incredibly comfortable
- Breathable/good for warm weather
- Very affordable pricing
Cons:
- Slow absorption rate
- Issues with surface dampness
- Tapes can lose stickiness after multiple re-attachments
Product Details
For the purpose of this post I will be reviewing and referring to the medium-sized Certainty Adult Diapers diaper. However, other available sizes are listed below:
Packaging
Brand: Certainty
Manufacturer: DSG International
Origin: Thailand
Units Per Bag: 10
Cost Per Unit: $$
Dimensions (L x W x H): 25 cm (9.8") x 19 cm (7.5") x 22 (8.7")
Weight: 0.88 kg (1.9 lbs)
Available Sizes: M, L
Advertised Absorbency: Regular
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| 1.1 Certainty Adult Diapers Packaging |
Diaper
Backsheet: Plastic (Poly)
Wetness Indicator: Yes (blue print "certainty", 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 (checkered blue tape landing zone)
Inner Color: White
Front Waistband: No
Rear Waistband: No
Folded Thickness: 2.0 cm (0.79")
Folded Length: 28 cm (11")
Dry Weight: 92 g (3.25 oz)
Fragrance: None
Diaper Dimensions (L x fW x mW x bW): 83 cm (32.7") x 65 cm (25.6") x 31.5 cm (12.4") x 63 (24.8")
Wing Shape (Front, Rear): Rectangular, Rectangular
Padding Dimensions (L x fW x mW x bW): 66 cm (26") x 34 cm (13.4") x 17 cm (6.7") x 44 cm (17.3")
Padding Wing Dimensions (fPW x fPH x bPW x bPH): 8.5 cm (3.4") x 12 cm (4.7") x 13.5 cm (5.3") x 16 cm (6.3")
Padding Wing Shape (Front, Rear): Semicircle, Semicircle
Total Padding Area: 1758 cm2 (272 in2)
Tape Spacing (t1 x t2): 4 cm (1.6") x 12 cm (4.7")
Tape (W x L): 2.5 cm (1") x 3.5 cm (1.4")
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| 1.2 Certainty Adult Diaper |
Laboratory Absorbency Tests
Total Absorption Volume (after press out): 648 ml (22.9 oz)
Total Absorption Volume (before press out): 658 ml (23.2 oz)
Time to Absorb Wettings (first to last): (44 s, 93 s, 108 s)
Wet Folded Thickness: 3.0 cm (1.2")
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 78%
Total Padding to Absorbency Ratio: 0.37 ml / cm2 (0.08 oz / in2)
Press Out Volume: 10 ml (0.35 oz)
Surface Dampness Rating: 2
The Certainty Adult Diaper failed its surface dampness test on the very first wetting; it didn’t even try to stay dry. Also apparent was its very slow absorption time. In the lab test it performed worse than the Depend Protection with Tabs, but in real world testing I found it to be comparable. It can only confidently take a single wetting and it feels very damp immediately after, but after maybe 10~20 minutes of wear the dampness will become less noticeable.
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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: 808 ml (28.5 oz)
Total Wettings: 2 (1 standing, 1 sitting)
Leaked After Sitting: No
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 97%
Padding to Absorbency Score: 0.46 ml / cm2 (0.10 oz / in2)
Standing-Sitting Rating: 5
The Certainty Adult Diaper performed fine for a low range diaper during the standing-sitting test. It took a full wetting while standing without any sign of leakage, but like the Depend Protection with Tabs the moisture pooled for a while and wasn’t immediately absorbed by the padding. It felt very damp for several minutes before it was absorbed, yet the structure did a good job at containing it. There was no leakage upon sitting, although I expect had I sat shortly after the initial wetting it would have leaked due to all the unabsorbed moisture. On the second wetting the diaper clearly became saturated to the point it could no longer absorb moisture, but surprisingly there was very little initial leakage. I ended the test on the second wetting because there was some leakage and the diaper clearly couldn’t take more at the front and wasn’t effectively wicking to the back where there was still some dry padding. It’s fair to say the Certainty diaper could easily take a wetting either seated or standing, but it should be changed shortly before the next.
Lying Down
Total Absorbed Volume: 708 ml (25 oz)
Total Wettings: 2
Used to Total Padding Ratio: 80%
Padding to Absorbency Score: 0.40 ml / cm2 (0.09 oz / in2)
The Certainty diaper had no trouble absorbing the first wetting in spite of a lot of initial surface dampness. I attribute this to the large padding surface area, effectively wicking the moisture around. After first wetting the padding became quite soft but didn’t quite clump. After a few minutes most of the dampness was absorbed and the diaper felt only slightly damp. On the second wetting there was again very noticeable surface dampness and the diapers structure and large padding surface area initially held off leakage, but shortly afterwards it started leaking through the back. This experience was very similar to that of the Depend Protection with Tabs diaper and I don’t have confidence this diaper can take more than a single wetting laying down without some sort of leakage.
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| 2.3 Pattern of Used vs Unused Padding Test Stand/Sit (right) Lying Down (left) |
Daily Wear and Bedwetting
Certainty Adult Diapers are like the Depend Protection with Tabs in Southeast Asia, perhaps even more widely used as they seem to be on par or better for sales than the protective underwear products based on shelf stocking in Thailand. In terms of performance for day and night wear it’s generally similar with a few important differences. During testing I was very impressed with how well it dissipated heat and little I sweat while wearing it even during warmer weather. This is definitely a plus in a hot climate and surely would reduce skin irradiation. This diaper is also ridiculously comfortable (especially for having a plastic backsheet) and often barely noticeable. However, the overall absorbency is somewhat lacking and it can only be expected to handle a single wetting without leakage whether seated or lying down. For many I feel this diaper would be better suited for daytime usage as it should be changed before a second wetting might occur. It also struggles a bit with surface dampness, with the padding slow to absorb and frequently releasing excess moisture when wet. Aside from that, it would probably be a great diaper for those with fecal incontinence because the bottom has a large pocket of space and the breathability could be particularly beneficial in that case. In terms of features, this diaper has the typical landing zone commonly seen in Asian diapers and is well constructed with decent leg gathers and leak guards. This diaper might be cheap, but it has an interesting balance of pros and cons and may suit some better than others.Suitability for Bowel Incontinence: 7
Wear & Tear Tests
Fitting
The Certainty Adult Diaper features two tapes per side with a refastenable/repositionable landing zone in the front. Unlike the double tape mechanism this means you can move the tape to a different position if you get it wrong the first time and will still be able to reattach it later if needed. The tapes are of decent quality and will be very sticky on the first attachment but will lose some of the grip if re-attached multiple times.
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| 3.1 Certainty Adult Diaper Fastener |
Ease-of-Use Rating: 9
The Certainty diaper is very easy to use due to its snug fit design and helpful landing zone pattern. The leg gathers and leak guards will fit to the wearers form when applied with minimal interference. The tape landing zone is useful for those who self-apply and carers alike because it has a checkered pattern with numbers to be used for tape alignment. This means once you find the perfect fit you can consistently reproduce it by noting the location of the tapes. The tapes may wear out a bit after multiple re-attachments and this diaper doesn’t have a waistband, but otherwise it’s about as easy to use as they get. Note, this doesn’t account for the ease-of-use of the diaper’s packaging, which is harder than most because it doesn’t have any easy tear panels.
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| 3.2 Certainty Adult Diaper Fit |
Comfort
Comfort Rating (dry): 10
The Certainty diaper may be the most comfortable I have ever tried when worn dry. I really wouldn’t have expected it from a cheap plastic-backed diaper. The padding has a very soft quilt pattern and extensive padding coverage and even the inner part of the backsheet is soft and breathable. This diaper feels particularly well suited to hot weather, which probably makes sense given its origin, and dissipates heat rapidly. I’ve given it top marks for dry comfort, but with the caveat that if it’s worn dry for an extended period of time the padding may start to break down and it will be less comfortable.
Comfort Rating (wet): 5
Unlike in its dry state the Certainty diaper is far from comfortable when wet. The padding while super soft doesn’t retain moisture well and surface dampness and clumping may be apparent from the first wetting. It does eventually wick through the diaper and it becomes a little more comfortable at that point, but a large wetting could leave it feeling very saturated. I don’t believe this to be a diaper you’d want to spend any extended amount of time in while wet. It’s somewhat similar to the Depend Protection with Tabs, although I feel the padding is a little looser in the Certainty diaper, but with better breathability and heat dissipation I rank it slightly higher.
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| 3.3 Certainty Adult Diaper Topsheet and Backsheet |
Durability
Dry Padding Deterioration Proportion: 8.7% (topsheet), 14.4% (backsheet)
Shake Deterioration Test: 4 shakes to deterioration
Durability Rating (dry): 5
The Certainty diaper had some obvious durability issues with the padding pretty easily becoming detached from the backsheet (fig 3.4). This led to parts of the padding tearing when worn dry over around 8 hours. The thinness of the padding also resulted in the wetness indicator fading due to involuntary post void dribbling. Even so, the padding wasn’t damaged to the point that it couldn’t absorb a full wetting so I can hardly rank this diaper among the lower performers when it comes to dry durability. One thing to note is that the tapes will weaken considerably if refastened multiple times, yet it’s unlikely you’ll ever hit that point in a realistic day use scenario.
Durability Rating (wet): 5
With respect to wet durability the Certainty diaper wasn’t much different than in its dry state. There was some clumping and tearing but not enough to render it completely ineffective. It had about average performance in the shake test. The tearing occurs about where it might be expected for a diaper with thin padding with one tear at the front and another at the back as the padding in the middle sags down. I wouldn’t recommend this diaper for active wear, but for light wear around the house of minor bedwetting it should be fine.
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| 3.4 Certainty Adult Diaper Dry Test Deterioration |
Discretion Tests
Profile
Front Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 3 cm (1.18"), 4.5 cm (1.77")
Back Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 7 cm (2.76"), 7 cm (2.76")
Side Rise Above Waistline (Jeans, Sweatpants): 8.5 cm (3.35"), 8 cm (3.35")
Profile Discretion Rating: 7
Certainty Adult Diapers feature an extensive area of padding but the padding itself is relatively thin and will not easily be seen under clothing. The only exception would be for thinner clothing when underwear or mesh pants aren’t worn over the diaper, in this case the width at the diaper’s bottom may be apparent. The diaper also rises a fair amount above the typical pant waistline.
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| 4.1 Certainty Adult Diaper Jeans Profile (left) vs Normal Underwear (right) |
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| 4.2 Certainty Adult Diaper Sweatpants Profile (left) vs Normal Underwear (right) |
Noise
Noise Rating: 6
The Certainty Adult Diaper’s padding can easily become loose from the backsheet and this leads to an obvious crinkling noise when worn while walking. Otherwise the plastic backsheet material isn’t inherently noisy and it may be possible to mask when worn under underwear or mesh pants to keep the padding snug with the backsheet.
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| 4.3 Certainty Adult Diaper Noise Profile |
Odor Reduction
Odor Reduction Rating: 6
The structure of the Certainty diaper does a good job at resisting the escape of odors. However, the padding does a poor job at retaining surface dampness and consequently the formation and release of odors. During my tests I rarely noticed any smells, but if worn wet for any extended period of time I wouldn’t count on others not noticing the smell.
