Disposable Underpads & Chux Pads for Hospital Beds, Chairs & Stretchers
Disposable underpads, called chux on the floor, are flat absorbent pads with a fluid-proof backing that go under a patient on a bed, a chair, a stretcher, or an exam table. This category holds about 290 underpads in sizes from 10 x 16 to 40 x 80 inches, with 23 x 36 and 30 x 36 inches the two most common. Absorbency is listed as light, moderate, heavy, or maximum, and one line prints a 1,000 mL capacity. You can choose fluff pads, polymer pads, breathable pads, and tuckable 36 x 70 inch pads. Cases run 24 to 300 pads.
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Underpads: Sized to the Surface, Rated by the Core
An underpad does two things. It catches what the brief does not. It protects the mattress, the chair, or the stretcher so the surface is not changed between patients. Size is the first decision. A 17 x 24 inch pad covers a chair seat or an exam table. A 23 x 36 pad covers a stretcher or the hip zone of a bed. A 30 x 36 pad covers the width of a hospital mattress, and a 36 x 70 tuckable pad covers the mattress and tucks under it. Absorbency is the second decision. The 290 or so listings here state it in the title.
Disposable Underpads Listed in This Category
- Economy and light-absorbency pads: 17 x 24 inch pads for chairs and procedure tables, 300 per case. Attends Dri-Sorb light absorbency, Medline Economy Protection Plus, and Dynarex, each 300 per case; the Dynarex case is packed as 3 boxes of 100.
- Moderate-absorbency fluff pads: 23 x 36 and 30 x 30 inch pads, 150 per case. Covidien Simplicity 23 x 36 moderate, Cardinal Health Standard 30 x 30 moderate in blue, and Durasorb 23 x 36. Hartmann USA Dignity Ultrashield 23 x 36 comes 15 per pack, 10 packs per case.
- Heavy absorbency underpads: 23 x 36 and 30 x 36 inch pads at 40 to 75 per case. Covidien Wings 23 x 36 heavy, 75 per case; Attends Air Dri 30 x 36 heavy, 60 per case; Covidien Premium MVP 30 x 36, 40 per case.
- Maximum-absorbency premium pads: Cardinal Health Premium 36 x 24 maximum in teal, 10 per bag and 6 bags per case, and Premium 31 x 36 maximum, 4 bags and 40 per case.
- Breathable underpads: Supersorb breathable 30 x 36 inch pads, sold by Attends, Avkare, and Cardinal Health, 60 per case. Essity InstaDri Air Securepad 30 x 36 in white comes 5 per pack, 8 packs per case.
- Tuckable underpads: Cardinal Health Wings Plus 36 x 70 heavy absorbency in peach, 48 per case, for a full mattress with tuck-in sides.
- Specialty sizes: Medline Ultrasorbs AP drypad 10 x 16, 100 per case. Medline Comfort Glide 40 x 80 at 1,000 mL with a quilted top sheet, 5 per bag and 40 per case. Attends Night 36 x 36, 50 per case.
Underpad Sizes and Absorbency Listed
| Size (in) | Typical surface | Absorbency listed | Example line | Pack |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 x 16 | Procedure, drypad | See listing | Medline Ultrasorbs AP | 100/cs |
| 17 x 24 | Chair, exam table | Light | Attends Dri-Sorb, Dynarex | 300/cs |
| 23 x 24 | Chair | See listing | Attends Dri-Sorb | 200/cs |
| 23 x 36 | Stretcher, bed hip zone | Moderate or heavy | Covidien Simplicity, Wings, Durasorb, Dignity Ultrashield | 75 or 150/cs |
| 30 x 30 | Bed | Moderate | Cardinal Health Standard, Attends Dri-Sorb | 100 or 150/cs |
| 30 x 36 | Bed, full width | Heavy, breathable | Attends Air Dri, Supersorb, Essity InstaDri Air, Covidien MVP | 40 to 100/cs |
| 36 x 24 and 31 x 36 | Bed, premium | Maximum | Cardinal Health Premium | 40 or 60/cs |
| 36 x 70 | Full mattress, tuckable | Heavy | Cardinal Health Wings Plus | 48/cs |
| 40 x 80 | Full mattress, bariatric | 1,000 mL, super absorbent | Medline Comfort Glide | 5/bg, 40/cs |
Underpads 30x36: Why It Is the Bed Size
A 30 x 36 inch pad spans a standard 36 inch hospital mattress across its width, with the 30 inch side running head to foot in the center of the bed. That is why 30 x 36 is the size with the most lines here. Attends Air Dri ships 60 per case, Supersorb breathable 60, Essity InstaDri Air 40, Covidien MVP 40, and Attends Dri-Sorb Plus 100. The 23 x 36 pad is the same width and 7 inches shorter, for stretchers and chairs. Stock both sizes. That covers every surface on the unit.
Fluff, Polymer, or Breathable Core
Three constructions appear in the titles. A fluff pad holds fluid in a cellulose core. It is the lowest-cost pad, at 100 to 300 per case. A polymer pad adds superabsorbent polymer that locks fluid away from the surface, which is how the Comfort Glide line reaches 1,000 mL and why heavy pads ship 40 to 75 per case. A breathable pad, Supersorb or InstaDri Air, has an air-permeable backing for patients on a low-air-loss mattress, where a plastic backing would block the airflow. Match the backing to the mattress first. Then match the price.
Who Makes the Underpads in This Category
Medline supplies about 136 of the 290 listings. They run from the 10 x 16 Ultrasorbs drypad to the 40 x 80 Comfort Glide. Covidien (about 35) and Cardinal Health (about 27) supply the Wings, Simplicity, Durasorb, and Premium lines. Paper Pak (about 17) also supplies Dri-Sorb and Supersorb pads, the same lines sold by Attends and Avkare. Essity (about 16), Hartmann USA (about 13, Dignity), Dynarex (about 7), Principle Business Enterprises, and Dukal fill the rest.
What an Underpad Is Not
An underpad is not a brief or a liner; it is not worn. It is not a reusable bed pad unless the title says so. The listings here are disposable, except for a small number of textile pads sold by the dozen. Washable underpads for laundry programs are quoted on request. It is not a draw sheet, and it does not replace one for repositioning.
Underpads are consumed at every change and at every patient turnover. The case count follows census and procedure volume. Send your current underpad list to our sales team for wholesale pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are chux pads?
Chux pads are disposable underpads. Same product, two names. The word started as a brand name and now covers any flat absorbent pad with a fluid-proof backing placed under a patient. The chux here run from 10 x 16 to 40 x 80 inches, with Covidien Wings and Simplicity, Durasorb, Attends Dri-Sorb, and Cardinal Health Premium the main lines. Hospital bed pads, medical bed pads, and incontinence underpads are the same product under other names.
What are underpads used for besides incontinence?
Any surface that needs a disposable absorbent layer. A 17 x 24 pad fits under a dressing change or an IV start. A 30 x 36 pad covers an imaging table. A 23 x 36 pad covers an EMS stretcher. Heavy and maximum pads are the choice for labor and delivery. The 10 x 16 Medline Ultrasorbs drypad is the smallest here, for a dressing tray or an arm board.
What sizes do disposable underpads come in, and why is 30x36 the bed size?
The sizes on the lines listed here:
- Chair and table: 10 x 16, 17 x 24, 23 x 24
- Stretcher and bed: 23 x 36, 30 x 30, 30 x 36, 31 x 36, 36 x 24, 36 x 36
- Full mattress: 36 x 70 tuckable, 40 x 80
Underpads 30x36 and 23 x 36 cover a standard-width bed and stretcher, and both come in moderate and heavy absorbency.
Disposable or washable underpads for a long-term care facility?
Disposable, in nearly every case, because the pad leaves with the brief and nothing goes to laundry. The listings here are disposable underpads; a small number of textile pads are sold by the dozen, and reusable underpads for a laundry program are quoted on request. A facility with in-house laundry and a stable census can run washable underpads on the beds and disposable bed pads on chairs and stretchers.
What is a tuckable underpad?
A tuckable underpad has wings. They tuck under the mattress so the pad stays flat when the patient is turned. The Cardinal Health Wings Plus 36 x 70 inch pad here is the tuckable line, heavy absorbency, peach, 48 per case. A standard 30 x 36 pad has no wings. It is held by the patient's weight, so it shifts with repositioning. Tuckable pads are the choice for a resident who is repositioned often.
Can my facility order underpads by the case?
Yes. Economy 17 x 24 pads ship 300 per case. The 23 x 36 pads ship 75 or 150, the 30 x 36 pads 40 to 100, and the 40 x 80 Comfort Glide 40 per case in bags of 5. Bags inside the case, 5 to 15 pads each, let a unit stock a room without opening a full case. Send your sizes, absorbency levels, and monthly case count to our sales team for wholesale pricing.
What underpads belong on a facility formulary?
Three sizes cover a typical unit:
- A 30 x 36 inch heavy-absorbency pad for beds
- A 23 x 36 inch moderate pad for stretchers and chairs
- A 17 x 24 inch economy pad for procedures
Units with low-air-loss mattresses add a breathable 30 x 36 pad, and units that turn residents add the 36 x 70 tuckable pad. Contact MAP Medical to optimize your formulary today.
How fast do underpads ship?
In-stock underpads ordered before 1:00 PM CST typically ship the same day. Non-stock underpads generally ship within 2-4 business days, although lead times may vary by manufacturer. A case of 300 pads is bulky, so confirm the freight method with our sales team. Send the size and absorbency of the pad in use, and our sales team will confirm stock and a matching line before you order.