Incontinence pads are one of those products that when you need them, you *really* need them. And performance is vital: you don't want to find out the hard way that the pads you bought aren't very absorbent. That brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "springing a leak"!
To help you find the best incontinence pads on the market, we tested nearly 50 different products from nine brands, assessing their ability to absorb moisture and keep you feeling dry.
Here are the best and worst performers.
Which brands performed well?
If you're on a budget, we have some good news: two supermarket brands performed really well in our tests, and they're among the cheapest on offer.
If you're an Aldi or Coles shopper, you can buy their own-brand incontinence pads with confidence – they received some of the highest scores in our testing.
However, if you shop at Woolworths, we'd recommend you avoid the supermarket's own-brand pads. Despite being priced well, they were among the lowest-scoring pads we tested.
What about branded products?
Despite Tena being a recognisable name in the market, its products didn't perform especially well in our tests – the best-rating Tena product only scored 66%.
Poise is another well-known brand, but its scores were a bit hit-and-miss. Its Thin & Discreet Extra Pads were recommended by our experts, but other products from the brand failed to impress.
We list the best and worst performers below to help you buy better.
How we test incontinence pads
Obviously, you want an incontinence pad to absorb any leaks, but ideally you don't want to feel like you're sitting in a puddle. That's why we test pads for both absorbency and how wet they feel after absorbing liquid.
To do that, we first soak the pad for five minutes, then let it drain for 30 seconds. Then we roll it up to see how much water is squeezed out. The more moisture it absorbs, the higher the score.
After that, we put absorbent paper on top of the pad and record how much moisture is absorbed by the paper. This helps us assess how wet someone will feel when using the product. A high score in this test indicates someone would feel more dry, whereas a low score indicates someone would feel more wet when using the product.
With a score of 82%, Aldi's Sana Extra Plus Pads were the top performers in our test.
What are the best incontinence pads?
These pads are all recommended by our experts.
Aldi Sana Extra Plus Pads
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 82%
- Price per pad: 25 cents
Aldi Sana Regular Pads
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 77%
- Price per pad: 21 cents
Aldi Sana Overnight Pads
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 77%
- Price per pad: 30 cents
Always Discreet Long Pads Plus
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 76%
- Price per pad: 85 cents
Always Discreet Long Plus Pads Plus
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 75%
- Price per pad: $1.06
Coles Assure for Women Extra Plus Pads
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 75%
- Price per pad: 38 cents
We recommend incontinence pads with a CHOICE Expert Rating of at least 70% and at least 70% for absorbency.
Check our review of the best incontinence pads to see which other products are recommended by our experts.
Tena Pads super scored just 57% in our tests – the lowest score overall.
What are the lowest-scoring incontinence pads?
These are the products to avoid – they were rated only 'borderline' or 'OK' on our absorbency tests.
Tena Pads Super
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 57%
- Price per pad: $0.71
Tena Discreet Ultra Thin Pads Long Length
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 59%
- Price per pad: $0.27
Depend Mens Shields
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 60%
- Price per pad: $0.45
Tena Pads Maxi Night
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 60%
- Price per pad: $0.64
Tena Discreet Ultra Thin Pads Standard Length
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 60%
- Price per pad: $0.27
Woolworths Confidere for Women Extra Plus Pads
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 61%
- Price per pad: $0.35
Woolworths Confidere for Women Regular Pads
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 61%
- Price per pad: $0.23
We're on your side
In more than 60 years of making a difference for Australian consumers, we've never taken ads or sponsorship.
Instead we're funded by members who value expert reviews and independent product testing.
With no self-interest behind our advice, you don't just buy smarter, you get the answers that you need.
You know without hesitation what's safe for you and your family.
And you'll never be alone when something goes wrong or a business treats you unfairly.
Learn more about CHOICE membership today
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
