Posted by Brianna Maguire on Nov 13th 2020
Pant liners are a very large and highly absorbent pad option for those seeking an alternative to protective underwear or diapers with tabs. They’re a great solution if you prefer a pad style, but need more absorbency and length than a traditional pad. Ideal for bariatric users, these fit up to a 7XL waist size.
Prefer to keep wearing regular underwear? Pant liners are worn inside underwear, not an existing incontinence product, so they’re a highly absorbent solution. Whether you’re caring for yourself or using these on a loved one, experience quick, easy changes by using pant liners.
Learn about:
What are pant liners?
Pant liners are large, absorbent pads that typically fit from your lower belly all the way up to the lower portion of your back. They tend to have a higher absorbency than a typical bladder pad, and are similar to a protective underwear or tab-style diaper without the sides and waistband.
Who should use pant liners?
Pant liners are great for:
- Those with mild to moderate incontinence
- Those with bladder leakage
- Someone larger than a 2XL waist size that needs incontinence protection - these provide a comfortable fit for up to a 7XL waist size
- Someone who is in between pull-up sizes and needs secure protection against incontinence
- Someone who is traveling or shopping and doesn’t want to remove their pants to change their incontinence product
- Someone who doesn’t like or can’t use products that cover the waist, such as someone with a stoma or wound
- Pad users who want more thorough overnight protection
- Someone looking for the protection of protective underwear, but more discreet
- Protective underwear or tab-style diaper users who want more breathability
Who shouldn't use them?
Pant liners are probably not a good choice for:
- Someone looking for light protection from incontinence, or a small pad
- Very mobile children or adults (since some don’t have an adhesive backing, these can slip around if the user is moving a lot)
- Someone who needs very heavy or bowel incontinence protection
- Someone looking for an incontinence product they don’t need to wear underwear with
How do they work?
Pant liners are very large absorbent pads that are more like a diaper with tabs or pull-up in terms of absorbency. They rest inside of underwear and absorb urine leakage, and in some cases bowel incontinence. Small, super absorbent beads called polymers sit in the core and soak up moisture, keeping it away from skin so you feel dry and confident.
How to put a pant liner on yourself
- The easiest way to change a pant liner is to do so while sitting on a toilet, with your pants pulled down
- Remove the adhesive strip from the back of the pant liner and apply the pant liner to your underwear. Try to keep the pad as centered as possible to prevent it from slipping to the left or right.
- Pull your underwear, with the pant liner inside, up over your body. Take a minute to make any adjustments to the pad to ensure it’s fitting in-line with your underwear
- Wiggle around a little bit and make sure it stays in place
- Pull your pants back on
How to put a pant liner on someone else
- Fold the liner lengthwise with the back sheet turned outwards
- Pass the folded pad from front to back, between the legs. It can help to place a towel between the wearer’s knees to ease the process
- Fan out the back of the pad so that it covers the buttocks
- Pull up the wearer’s underwear
- Roll the wearer onto their back, then fan the front of the pad out
- Make any adjustments to the pad or underwear to ensure a snug fit. If there’s enough extra fabric, it can be helpful to fasten the legs of the underwear to the back sheet of the pad
What features exist?
Sticky adhesive
Adhesive strips are long, sticky strips on the pack of the liner that help secure it to underwear. Typically, larger pant liners will not have an adhesive strip, but because they fit snugly inside of underwear, they won't move around much, anyway.
Odor guards
When you urinate, the urine typically becomes ammonia, which is what causes a bad smell. If a pant liner includes an odor guard, that means it chemically stops urine from becoming ammonia, so that it doesn't smell. Keep in mind that you will want to change the pant liners regularly and dispose of them in a tied-up bag because eventually, the urine will become bacteria.
Plus-sized fit
Pant liners typically come with a more contoured fit than traditional pads. This means they feature wide panels that cover the rear and belly, and a cinched core that fits comfortable around legs, so you don't have unnecessary bulk. They're large enough to accommodate up to a 7XL waist size!
Inner leg guards
Inner leg cuffs are curved strips of fabric with elastic in them that cup the body and hold incontinence inside the pad.
How do I choose?
- Decide which features are right for you. If you want something with a more secure fit, look for an adhesive strip. Looking for a pant liner that works for very large sizes? “Contoured shape” pant liners are wider and cup larger sizes.
- Think about which absorbency is best for your needs. For multiple voids (or even occasional bowel incontinence), you’ll need a higher absorbency. If you need a very light protection, however, you’ll actually be better off with a smaller incontinence pad (not a pant liner).
- Figure out what length you need. Pant liners are all quite large, but you’ll want to make sure they’re long enough to fit comfortably inside your underwear.
- Need more guidance? Call our friendly Care Team at 855-855-1666 and we’ll be happy to help!
Carewell's recommendations
Our customers love pant liners from brands like Prevail and Tranquility
Our customers love pant liners like:
Prevail Pant Liner
Absorbent, breathable, comfortable, and non-bulky, this pant liner gives you full coverage. Best of all, it's built with odor guards and fits snugly under pants, so no one will ever know you're wearing it.
Brittany's pro-tips
- Keep in mind that pant liners are much larger and more absorbent than traditional pads. They’re more like a pull-up or tab-style diaper without the side panels or waistband.
- We recommend wearing full-coverage underwear so that the pant liner doesn’t poke out the sides. Try to go for something with a high-rise fit.
- Because some pant liners don’t have an adhesive backing, we don’t recommend wearing these with boxers. Instead, try a more fitted underwear like a brief.
