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Let's be honest, leaky pants are an absolute nightmare. 

Incontinence pants are supposed to make you feel secure and help alleviate some of the anxiety that comes with bladder weakness. The last thing you want is to leak through your pants and onto your clothing or furniture.

If you’re experiencing bladder weakness, minimising urine leakage should be an absolute priority. You should be able to get out and about without feeling self-conscious or leaking through your nice new clothes. Half of the battle is about ensuring you follow the right tips to avoid leaky pants.

Let's discuss some of the most essential tips to avoiding leaking incontinence pants:

Tip 1: Buy Incontinence Pants That Have Anti-Leak Cuffs

To help prevent your incontinence pants leaking, consider getting pants with anti-leak cuffs. They are specialised barriers integrated into the design of the pants and provide additional protection against leaks by creating a secure fit around the legs, preventing the escape of urine or bowel leakage.

Made from soft and flexible materials to provide maximum comfort, anti-leak barriers provide people enhanced confidence and peace of mind. 

Anti-leak cuffs are a game-changer in the world of incontinence. If you’ve ever worn adult nappies before, you might have experienced some leakage in the leg area. Specially designed anti-leak cuffs, such as those found on Vivactive products, fit snugly around your body as an extra layer of security to give you unparalleled protection.

Whether you are lying down, sitting, or standing, our reinforced anti-leak cuffs provide twice the protection against leaks and are designed to fit the shape of your body.

Tip 2. Purchase The Correct Size Incontinence Pants

Ensuring you get the right pants is one thing, but making sure they fit is important. The best way to do this is to look at the specific measurements of your preferred adult nappy or incontinence pads.

With a measuring tape, ensure that you get accurate measurements of your waist and hip. When taking the waist measurements, they should be done at the narrowest part of the waist, meanwhile the hip measurements should be at the widest part of the hips.

You should also consider specific comfort and mobility needs. Because everybody's needs are different, at Vivactive we've ensured that our products span a huge range, from 2XS, XS, Small, Medium, Large, XL, and 2XL, so you will always find the right fit.

It’s important you understand why sizing is so crucial when it comes to pants. If you go for a size that’s too big, you’re going to run into problems with bulkiness and poor performance. Incontinence pants need to be fitted properly to the body to ensure that urine doesn’t leak out from the gaps in the leg holes.

Meanwhile, if you opt for a size too small, and you'll end up with issues there too, mostly with comfort, as they might be too tight.

So, what are you supposed to do? The answer is simple: experiment with different sizes.

Initially, this might not seem like a good idea, as it means a bit of extra spending. However, in the grand scheme of things, you’ll save some money and peace of mind. It could save you from the hassle of dealing with leaks or skin irritation down the road. Experiment with sizing up and down, try them on, and see which one fits you best.

Vivactive's tip: All of our products come with a bespoke size guide (like the one below) on their product page. Use this as a guideline for picking out the right size when choosing Vivactive products:

What might happen if your incontinence pants are too big?

It might seem like common sense, buy the right size right? But actually we can all be guilty of 'making do' when it comes to regular clothing or underwear.

Unfortunately, when it comes to incontinence pants, the wrong size can render them ineffective in the worst instance or massively impact their protection. 

• Leakage from the leg openings: As we've mentioned above, anti-cuff leaks are designed to fit snugly to your body. If you buy a size too big, leaks can find their way through the gaps.
• Rustling and discomfort: Too much room around the waistline can lead to shifting or even chafing against your skin.
• Visible bulky pants: Oversized pants may lead to bulkiness under clothing or sagging, which isn't god for the performance of the pants or if you are looking for discretion. The right sized pants shouldn't cause too much visible bulk under the right clothing.
• Odour management could fail: Quality incontinence pants have built-in odour control. However, if yours are too big, it might lead to odours escaping before they can be absorbed and neutralised by the technology in your pant's pad.

What can happen if your incontinence pants are too small?

Much like when you buy a size too big, buying incontinence pants that are too small can also cause a range of issues that impact comfort and performance.

• Skin irritation: Perhaps the most common problem associated with pants that are too snug. Although most pants are made with super soft materials, tight edges can dig into your skin, causing discomfort and, in severe cases, sores.
• Limited mobility: Excessive tightness can make moving around more difficult. If you’re going to be in these pants all day or night, comfort is really important. Being able to move around like you normally do will help you feel more like your regular self.
• Difficulty putting them on: You might find yourself struggling to get them on, or adjusting them constantly, which defeats the purpose of their design. If you're experiencing any of the above, it could be due to your incontinence pants being too small.

Tip 3. Buy Incontinence Pants With The Right Absorbency For You

There's a huge range of products out there with different absorbency levels. Sometimes it's better to try out a few different options to see what works best.

Unfortunately, something we see all too often is people going straight for the most absorbent option even though they're only experiencing little leaks. Whilst tjhe logic here makes sense, especially when you're starting out on your journey with incontinence, you could end up buying a product you can't make the most use out of.

Sometimes larger absorbency capabilities can lead to a slightly bigger product. If you are only dealing with light leaks, a super absorbent pant might be overkill for your needs.

In this case, if you were experiencing small leaks, you might be better trying a discreet washable pants or maybe a discreet pad.

That said, if you're experiencing heavier leaks, then you will benefit from a product with lots of  absorbency. If you're unsure, your best bet is to buy a couple of different sizes/absorbencies and try them on. You'll lose a little bit of money in the short-term on potentially a wasted pack or two, but in the long run it could save you money and provide you with more comfort.

Find The Perfect Fit Incontinence Pants Today