Adult Diapers & Adult Briefs with Tabs for Long-Term Care, Home Health & Hospitals
Adult diapers, listed by manufacturers as adult briefs, are tab-closure absorbent products that open flat for changing a resident in bed. This category holds about 170 briefs in sizes from youth size 8 at a 16 to 26 inch waist to 2XL at 60 to 69 inches, with breathable and bariatric lines above that. Absorbency is listed as moderate or heavy. Listings name the cloth-like outer layer, the tab type, odor control, and the wetness indicator where the manufacturer states them. Briefs ship 48, 80, or 96 per case, packed 12, 20, or 24 per bag.
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Adult Briefs: What the Tab Closure Changes for a Facility
A brief is the product for a resident who is changed lying down. It opens flat. One aide can change it without lifting the resident, and the same brief refastens after a skin check. That is why briefs are the default on skilled nursing units and in home health, and why they are ordered in the heaviest absorbency a unit uses. The 170 or so listings here differ in four ways: waist range, absorbency, outer material, and tab type.
Adult Diaper Lines in This Category
- Stretch briefs: a stretch side panel that covers two sizes in one, such as a medium/regular brief at 30 to 52 inches and a large/XL at 51 to 70 inches. Medline FitRight Stretch Ultra (heavy absorbency) and Stretch Extra (moderate), 20 per bag, 80 per case.
- Cloth-like briefs with hook-and-loop tabs: refastenable tabs on a cloth-like outer layer, with a wetness indicator. Medline 2XL at 60 to 69 inches, 12 per bag, 48 per case.
- Breathable briefs: an air-permeable outer layer for residents in a brief around the clock. Attends breathable briefs in medium, 24 per bag, 96 per case.
- Youth briefs: size 8 at 16 to 26 inches, heavy absorbency, 96 per case, for pediatric units and small adults.
- Bariatric incontinence briefs: 2XL and above, from 60 inches up. The Medline 2XL brief at 60 to 69 inches is the listed example; larger sizes are quoted by measurement.
Brief Sizes and Waist Ranges Listed
| Size on listing | Waist range (in) | Absorbency listed | Features listed | Example line | Pack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth size 8 | 16 to 26 | Heavy | Regular fit | Medline youth brief | 96/cs |
| Size 1 | 31 to 52 | See listing | EasyFlex tabs | Medline FitRight brief | 80/cs |
| Medium/regular stretch | 30 to 52 | Heavy | Odor control, cloth-like | Medline FitRight Stretch Ultra | 20/bg, 80/cs |
| Large/XL stretch | 51 to 70 | Moderate | Hook-loop tabs, wetness indicator, latex-free | Medline FitRight Stretch Extra | 20/bg, 80/cs |
| 2XL | 60 to 69 | Heavy | Cloth-like, hook-loop tab, wetness indicator | Medline 2XL brief | 12/bg, 48/cs |
| Medium breathable | See listing | See listing | Breathable outer layer | Attends breathable brief | 24/bg, 96/cs |
Adult Diapers With Tabs: Hook-and-Loop or Adhesive
The tab decides whether a brief survives a skin check. Hook-and-loop tabs refasten as many times as the aide needs, so the brief stays on after an inspection or a reposition. Adhesive tabs fasten once and tear if reopened, so a check means a new brief. On a unit that checks residents several times a shift, that difference is 1 brief or several briefs per resident per shift. The listings here name the tab type in the title where the manufacturer does; the Medline FitRight Stretch Extra and 2XL lines list hook-loop tabs.
Who Makes the Adult Briefs in This Category
Essity Health and Medical Solutions supplies about 36 of the 170 listings, the largest share. Cardinal Health (about 20), Covidien (about 18), and Medline (about 17, the FitRight lines) follow. First Quality (about 15), Hartmann USA (about 23), Electro Medical Equipment (about 9), Avkare (about 8), and Halyard Health (about 5) fill the rest. Attends supplies the breathable brief line in medium, 96 per case.
What a Brief Is Not
A brief is not protective underwear. Pull-on underwear has no tabs and goes on standing, so it is listed under Protective Underwear. For bariatric sizing, a 3XL FitRight pull-on underwear at 75 to 94 inches can also be ordered from this page. A brief is not a booster pad or a liner. All listings here are disposable adult diapers. None are reusable.
Briefs are the highest-volume line in incontinence, and a facility reorders them by size mix as the census changes. Send your current brief list to our sales team for wholesale pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are adult diapers called on a purchase order?
Briefs. Manufacturers title the product "brief" and add the size and absorbency: "Brief, Medium, Heavy Absorbency, 80/cs." Adult diapers, adult briefs with tabs, and adult incontinence briefs all mean the same tab-closure product. Several listings here carry both words in the title. Write the part number on the order and the name does not matter.
Are hook-and-loop tabs worth specifying over adhesive tabs?
Yes, on any unit that does scheduled checks. A hook-and-loop tab refastens after a skin check, so the brief stays on. An adhesive tab tears when reopened, so each check can cost a brief. The Medline FitRight Stretch Extra and 2XL lines here list hook-loop tabs in the title. Where the listing does not name the tab type, ask our sales team to confirm it with the manufacturer.
What sizes and waist ranges do adult briefs come in?
From a 16 inch youth waist to a 70 inch bariatric waist on the lines listed here:
- Youth size 8: 16 to 26 inches
- Medium/regular and size 1: 30 to 52 inches
- Large/XL stretch: 51 to 70 inches
- 2XL: 60 to 69 inches
Ranges overlap between brands, so match the resident's measurement to the range on the listing, not the letter size.
Do you carry overnight briefs?
The heavy-absorbency briefs here are the overnight product. Heavy duty adult diapers and overnight adult diapers are consumer names for the same thing: a brief with a higher-capacity core, listed by manufacturers as heavy or maximum absorbency. The Medline FitRight Stretch Ultra and the 2XL hook-loop brief are both listed as heavy absorbency. No listing here prints a capacity in milliliters, so compare by the absorbency word on the title.
What bariatric incontinence briefs are available?
Briefs from 60 inches up. The Medline 2XL brief covers 60 to 69 inches, and the large/XL stretch brief reaches 70 inches. Plus size adult diapers above that are quoted by measurement. A 3XL pull-on underwear at 75 to 94 inches can also be ordered from this page. For a waist above 70 inches, send the measurement to our sales team and we will confirm the line that covers it.
Can my facility order adult briefs by the case or in bulk?
Yes. Briefs ship 48, 80, or 96 per case, packed 12, 20, or 24 per bag so a unit can split a case between rooms. Bulk adult diapers and wholesale adult diapers are the same cases at facility pricing. A long-term care facility can reorder by size on a standing order, and a home health agency can ship to a branch. Send your part numbers and monthly case count to our sales team for wholesale pricing.
What adult briefs belong on a facility formulary?
Three lines cover a typical skilled nursing unit:
- A heavy-absorbency brief with hook-and-loop tabs in medium, large, and XL
- A 2XL or bariatric brief for the residents the first line does not fit
- A breathable brief for residents in a brief around the clock
Pediatric units add the youth brief. Contact MAP Medical to optimize your formulary today.
How fast do adult briefs ship?
In-stock briefs ordered before 1:00 PM CST typically ship the same day. Non-stock briefs generally ship within 2-4 business days, although lead times may vary by manufacturer. A case of briefs is light but large, so confirm the freight method with our sales team. Send the size and absorbency of the brief in use, and our sales team will confirm stock and a matching line before you order.