Can diapers be too thin?

[John Davis]

Can diapers be too thin?  I say "yes."  However, thinness saves manufacturers money as they can cram more diapers into a shipping container.  The marketeers advertise having an "extra thin" diaper as a virtue.

 

We have seen diapers slowly become thinner over a period of years.  This has occurred as the percentage of fluff pulp in the absorbent mat of the diaper has been reduced - or even eliminated.  Fluff pulp helps keep a diaper soft and improves wicking.  However, SAP absorbs and holds more liquid than pulp fluff.  So, we now are seeing the all-SAP diaper that is crazily absorbent and does not leak liquid.  The downside is that all-SAP diapers tend to be stiff and do not wick well (if at all).  Of course, the thinness of the diaper will disappear as it absorbs fluid.

 

So, which do you prefer?  A diaper with more fluff pulp or all-SAP?

 

--John

 

 

 

 

 

[Iken]

I have seen hospital diapers that are so thin that you would need to be changed so often. It's why I don't wear thin diapers because I know I would leak and flood them.

[Incont]

If they are too thin they don't have enough fluff to allow for proper wicking. They don't have to be waddle-thick, but they shouldn't be paper-thin either.

[John Davis]

That's correct.  Some years ago, the ratio of fluff to SAP was about 50-50.  That slowly was reduced.  The general public is unaware of wicking problems caused by too much SAP and is sold on the "thinner is better" premise.

--John

[Dan]

I think the “thinner is better” premise could be why ABDL diapers are superior to purely medical diapers. Manufacturers of medical diapers believe that discretion is the most important thing their customers are looking for, while manufacturers of ABDL diaper work in the premise that their customers want the more babyish diapers, which means thicker and more absorbent. Medical diaper manufacturers also benefit from less absorbent diapers, since it means that users need to change more frequently, so they get to sell more product.

[Slomo]

I not only prefer something that works, I demand it. And yeah, not enough fluff means a diaper won't wick or absorb enough. Usually resulting in a leak within 2 hours.

I blame insurance companies that only look at the price per diaper, and want that price to be as cheap as possible. Never mind how much it actually costs on a per day, or per month, basis. They force an inferior product on people, and manufacturers only look at total sales. When they see an inferior product "selling", they adjust their marketing to sell even more. Then doctors and patients see those adds and perpetuate the cycle.

Having abdl diapers has been a life saver. Both for my bank account and my sanity. And bonus, why not fun prints too.

[Dan]

2 hours ago, Slomo said:

Having abdl diapers has been a life saver. Both for my bank account and my sanity. And bonus, why not fun prints too.

I agree with you on that. And credit to Northshore as well, for providing alternatives in different collors, for both their diapers and their plastic pants

[ADudeStillDiapered]

Personally, I find more comfort in a diaper that is thicker, or to you point fluffier. While the thin can be more discrete, I often times find that it takes a second for the firmly compressed padding to be ready to absorb everything I’m throwing at it. Fluffier diapers like Northshore MegaMax leave me with no fears of leaks and when dry are honestly quite discrete!

 

cheers

[Slomo]

11 hours ago, ADudeStillDiapered said:

Personally, I find more comfort in a diaper that is thicker, or to you point fluffier. While the thin can be more discrete, I often times find that it takes a second for the firmly compressed padding to be ready to absorb everything I’m throwing at it. Fluffier diapers like Northshore MegaMax leave me with no fears of leaks and when dry are honestly quite discrete!

 

cheers

It can be, but thin is not always discrete.

A thick diaper that has done its job is WAY less noticeable than a thin one that has leaked.

[Iken]

15 hours ago, ADudeStillDiapered said:

Personally, I find more comfort in a diaper that is thicker, or to you point fluffier. While the thin can be more discrete, I often times find that it takes a second for the firmly compressed padding to be ready to absorb everything I’m throwing at it. Fluffier diapers like Northshore MegaMax leave me with no fears of leaks and when dry are honestly quite discrete!

 

cheers

For me, I am more comfortable in a thicker diaper. Thicker diapers like NorthShore MegaMax diapers gives me the confidence to go about my day without ever worrying about a Diaper leak.

[John Davis]

Of course, too much fluff pulp can cause the problem of "press-out" where when one sits down, our weight causes a small amount of pee to be pressed out of the diaper's absorbent mat.😕  THis is because fluff does not "lock in" the pee as SAP does.  However, that small amount of pee (usually very small) pressed out usually is absorbed back into the diaper.  By increasing the amount of SAP, diaper manufacturers almost eliminated the press-out problem.  However, by reducing the fluff they also eliminated most of the wicking.😱

Personally, I appreciate a soft, fluffy diaper.  Many all-SAP or nearly all-SAP diapers are stiff and "crunchy."

--John

[Slomo]

3 hours ago, John Davis said:

Of course, too much fluff pulp can cause the problem of "press-out" where when one sits down, our weight causes a small amount of pee to be pressed out of the diaper's absorbent mat.😕  THis is because fluff does not "lock in" the pee as SAP does.  However, that small amount of pee (usually very small) pressed out usually is absorbed back into the diaper.  By increasing the amount of SAP, diaper manufacturers almost eliminated the press-out problem.  However, by reducing the fluff they also eliminated most of the wicking.😱

Personally, I appreciate a soft, fluffy diaper.  Many all-SAP or nearly all-SAP diapers are stiff and "crunchy."

--John

Seconded. There is a definitive balance between too thin and too thick when it comes to the padding fluff.