How much urine can an incontinence pad actually hold?

How much urine can an incontinence pad actually hold?

This is something we are asked A LOT – and this is probably because incontinence pad absorbency guides can be VERY confusing, particularly when they are only measured by millimetres of urine.

In this blog we aim to offer you a much more practical explanation as to how much urine an incontinence pad can really hold!

Firstly, did you know that the average human bladder can hold about a pint of urine? (That’s about two cupfuls – or 550 milliletres if you need a more precise conversion!) That’s quite a lot of liquid. But generally, we don’t empty all that amount of liquid at once – we usually only empty about half our bladder at a time (so that’s one cupful – or about 270 mls.)

Most incontinence pads are easily able to hold several times the amount of urine likely to be emptied– which is, hopefully, very reassuring! So that doesn’t mean you should automatically choose the most absorbent incontinence pad; you will be more comfortable and feel much more secure with the incontinence pad matched to the amount of urine you might pass.

But! It’s not quite as simple as just buying any incontinence pad. Here at Arelle we highly recommend Abena’s Abri-San products, because apart from the absorbency, the quality and performance of this product is excellent. And believe us, we’ve tested a lot!

High quality incontinence pads will always:

• Absorb quickly, accounting for a sudden rush of urine
• Have leakage barriers to prevent any accidents when you move, or put pressure on the pad
• Feel comfortable, secure and shape to the fit the body snugly (without feeling too big)
• Remain dry to the surface next to your skin and prevent odours and soreness.

So if you consider yourself to have Light Incontinence – also known as Stress Incontinence – or Moderate Incontinence you will want a pad such as the Abri San 1 to 3 (1 being for the lightest flow – 3 being moderate) and this incontinence pad can comfortably hold between 400ml and 800ml of liquid (which is more than a full bladder). There is also a specially shaped pad for men – the Abri-Man.

For more Heavy or Severe Incontinence – we’d recommend an Abri San 4 to 8 (4 being the least heavy and 8 being the most severe) and those pads can hold between 800ml and 3000ml (up to 5 times the amount of a full bladder). Some people with lighter incontinence choose these pads to wear at night for a bit of extra security.

And then we have pads which can help manage Bowel Incontinence, the Abri-San Special.

If this still isn’t making sense, we’ve created a simple infographic using 1 litre measuring jugs to give you an idea:

Just a note on all of the above, if you find yourself using more than 6 to 8 pads in an hour, you should consider a more absorbent product.

And don’t forget, all incontinence pads perform much, much better when worn with stretch pants –also known as stretch briefs or fixation pants – these pants have a wider gusset and more elasticity than normal underwear. You can browse our range of fixation pants.

Of course, incontinence pads are not the only option, you might want to try our high-quality pull-up pants, available in all sizes and absorbencies, or perhaps even a product from our washable incontinence range, which are best suited to those with lighter incontinence.

As a company with over 20 years of experience, we are always happy to advise you by telephone or email, discuss your needs and recommend the best product for your condition. Calls are free from landlines and most mobiles –  0800 389 3597 – or email us at info@arelle.com We are here to help.