You might be lifting weights at the gym or going into your third trimester or just laughing really hard at a joke when you feel that dreaded trickle. Millions of women have been there—and millions of women have navigated the wide world of incontinence products that can help you get through your day without worrying that you smell like pee or that you’re walking around with a stain on your pants.
One in three (!) women experience some form of urinary incontinence or light bladder leakage in their lives, so there are a lot of products out there that can help. And they really do! Here’s a brief guide to help you find the right incontinence products that work for your body and your lifestyle.
(NB: Keep in mind that our estimates for cost and frequency of use are approximate and are based on moderate daily leakage. But you do you. Maybe you only need pads when you exercise or when you go out for more than a few hours. Or maybe you change your pads every couple of hours every day to stay fresh. Keep your own needs in mind as you read this guide and take our estimates with a dribble of salt!)
Incontinence product: Disposable pads and liners
What are they: These are pretty similar to period pads and pantyliners but specially designed to reduce odor and absorb and distribute the fast flow of urine (rather than the slow ooze of blood) to keep you feeling dry. Like period pads and liners, they come in a variety of sizes and thicknesses to keep you covered no matter your leakage. See a more detailed guide to the different types here.
Top brands: Always Discreet, Poise, TENA
Cost: Varies by brand
Approximate annual cost: Around $150-200 if you use ’em every day
Pros: Absorbent, easy to use, affordable, feel familiar to users of maxi pads
Cons: Can seem bulky, can irritate skin, need to be changed fairly often
Incontinence product: Reusable pads and liners
What are they: Cloth pads absorb leaks just like disposable pads do, but they snap around your underwear and can be tossed in the wash to be used again and again. They’re often made of cotton and without additives, chemicals, or bleach, so they’re great for sensitive skin.
Top brands: Hesta, Lunapads, GladRags
Cost: About $15
Approximate annual cost: A rotation of nine pads will run you less than $100
Pros: Eco-friendly, good for sensitive skin, no irritating plastic
Cons: Less odor control, require laundry
Incontinence product: Disposable underwear
What are they: Disposable underwear are meant to be worn like regular underwear under clothes and have an absorbent, leak-proof core that takes care of leaks and eliminates odors. Disposable underwear are meant to be worn for as long as you feel comfortable and dry throughout the day and then thrown out.
Top brands: Always Discreet, Depend, Tena
Cost: Depends on the brand and style
Approximate annual cost: Around $250 if worn daily
Pros: More absorbent than pads, can be worn like regular underwear, odor-eliminating, good for heavy or overnight leaks
Cons: Some styles can be bulky or diaper-like, and are pretty rough approximations of what regular underwear look like
Incontinence product: Reusable underwear
What are they: Nylon-spandex underwear that look and feel like regular underwear. The kicker is that they have a super-absorbent, antimicrobial gusset that absorbs pee and gets rid of odors. Wear these all day and wash them to wear again.
Top brands: Icon
Cost: Starting at $28 per pair
Approximate annual cost: Around $200 for seven pairs that can be worn daily and washed
Pros: Look and feel like real underwear, come in a variety of styles and colors, don’t contribute to landfill waste
Cons: Require laundry, pricey, limited absorbency and styles
Incontinence product: Bladder support
What are they: Tampon-like products that go in your vagina and press up against your urethra to keep it shut. This prevents leaks stemming from SUI. They can either be disposable (more like tampons) or reusable and good for a year (more like a Diva Cup). Read more about bladder supports here.
Top brands: Poise Impressa (for disposables), Uresta (for reusable)
Cost: Depends on disposables or reusable
Approximate annual cost: About $547 for disposables if used daily, or $300 for one reusable
Pros: Subtle, familiar to users of tampons, eco-friendly (if reusable)
Cons: Not suitable for pregnant women, can be uncomfortable, (unproven) risk of TSS, cannot be used when on your period, only useful for SUI (not urge UI or overactive bladder)
Incontinence product: Kegel gadgets
What are they: Kegel exercises are a tried-and-true remedy for getting pelvic muscles strong and doing their job. But they’re admittedly really boring and it’s hard to see rapid results, so it’s hard to stay motivated to do them regularly or even to know if you’re doing them right. A gadget—often linked to an app to help you keep track of your stats and goals—can make Kegels a little more exciting and train you to become a Kegel master.
Top brands: Elvie, kGoal, KegelSmart
Cost: $100-$200
Approximate annual cost: $100-$200
Pros: Helps motivate you to do Kegels, which can help lessen or even stop UI
Cons: Gadgets can be uncomfortable, pricey, tend to require a smartphone to run the app