I hope this does not come off as intrusive, but I am a design student looking to do my next project around incontinence and absorbent underwear as it affects so many people. If you are willing to share, I have a few questions that could help with my research:
– What are your preferred terms for the products you use (eg. incontinence underwear, absorbent underwear)?
– What are the main issues with products that are currently available?
– What product works best for you (eg. pads, underwear…), and why?
– Is reusable absorbent underwear appealing to you? This already seems to be popular for children’s nappies and period products, but I have also seen a couple of brands that offer underwear for light bladder leaks targeted primarily at women.
– Does the idea of specially designed trousers sound appealing? These could offer either a second layer of protection, help mask the shape of underwear, or provide easier access.
hi Alex, I agree with the above comment. I use adult nappies, or incontinence all in one taped pads. I have tried products such as the tena and they di not work for me. The cotton feel backing seems to loose its shape and the pad falls off. I use a plastic backed product which although is noisy if in a quiet area is the most reliable and effective in leading a normal life ,well as normal as possible.
As far as design is concerned I have often thought that a product that would help with side sleeping would be good as there is nothing out there to help with side leaks when asleep apart from cloth which i find are not as good at trapping wetness. To give you an idea when i go to sleep i use my usual all in one but stuff down the crotch and sides a booster pad to ensure i catch the side leaks and the extra time i am in my overnight nappy, pad, however I also use a pair of plastic pants over all of this to ensure that i don’t have a wet bed by the morning which can be a hassle to deal with. I like so many other people sleep solidly and don’t wake up if the bed is getting wet.
Just a bit about my background i have been incontinent since 2010 after operation to correct a cyst which left me incapable of holding urine. I have been offered corrective surgery but i have refused owing to the risk factors and possible failure rate of this operation. I constantly leak as soon as my kidneys produce it i expel it so unlike others who flood their pad my pad gradually becomes soaked. I hope this helps in your quest for a product idea and design problem.
