A Shopping guide for Pads

JohnK11

A shopping guide to pads

Summary : rating from 1 (least absorbent) to 4 (most absorbent)
(some pads have rating from 1-4; others don't--my estimates)
--all prices are Suburban Chicago and does not include
tax (1.75% where I am for medical supplies)

---for Male guard pads (except unisex)-----
(4/4 supersize) Tena Serenity overNight (unisex) 36 to 53 cents
(30 for 10.99(sale) to 15.99)
(?4/4) Assurance (Walmart house brand) @ 20 cents (48 fot 9.52)
(3/4) Certainty (Walgreen's house brand) @ 16/22 cents
(52 for 7.99 on sale; 11.49 regular price)
(supposed to be the same as Target house brand)
(2/4) Depend Male guard 22-32 cents (48 for $10.49(sale) to $14.99)
(?1.5/4) Best deal is Jefeena Maxi (-unisex/Aldi house brand)
7.5 cents (24 for $1.79)--sometimes name brand (lightday
Kotex, etc.) are on sale and can be as cheap.

Preamble : From a previous thread "Pads per day", I explore
some of the other brands mentioned (I have a slow recovery due
to extracapsuler Robotic prostate surgery--promising slow
recovery; just recently after 3 months, down to 3 pads a day
plus the diaper (underpant))--and have some recommendations.

As you can see from the summary above, if you have lots of leakage,
the Walmart house brand Assurance seems to be the best choice--
with thicker pads than Walgreen/Target (much thicker than Depend--
what a disappointment)--Although the Walgreen house brand,
when on sale, is significantly cheaper and thus might be a better
value.

For overnight use, you may want to spend the extra bucks for the
Tena Serenity Overnight pads--but it's expensive.

If you have just a little leakage, maybe you can get by with the
cheaper Aldi pads, which are very similar to the huge number of
maxi-pad brands targeted for women (Lightday, Kotex, Tena, etc.)

Comments on underpants (adult diaper)

I have to wear an underpant (diaper--changed daily) to which I
attach pads as needed --nowadays 3-pads-a-day; I noticed that the
guard strip on the side are often wet--so, it would leak if I
do not wear an underpant; the easiest way is to just remove the
top 1" and bottom 1" of the paper from the adhesive on
the pad--and attach the pad to the underpant

I did not try too many brands --sticked with Assurance (Walmart
house brand) underpants with Leakage Control 50 cents each for
medium (18 for $9) and now with Sam's club Member Mark house brand
40 cents (60 for $24) which provide less leakage protection
--should have stick with Assurance. Maybe should have tried the
other brands--Depend, Walgreen, etc. --So, total cost daily now
is $1.00 ($1.10 with Assurance underpant).

JohnK11

Correction : Walmart/Assurance pads absorbency are 3 or 3.5
I rechecked the relative thickness of the Walmart/Assurnace pads( not rated on the package- previously I gave it a ?4/4 rating) with the Walgreen/Certainty 3/4 rated pads. They look almost identical, with identical printing on the paper over the adhesive. The Walmart one does look and feel slightly thicker--although just a bit (so 3.5 ??) but that may have been due to the Walgreen ones being packed tighter (they are 52 vs. 48 for Walmart--which used to be 52 a few weeks ago, so they may have not changed the package size, thus more looser packaging).
If they are in fact the same, then the Walgreen/Certainty 3/4 pads are a much better value it you can get it on sale (it was 7.99/52, 3.50 off the regular price of 11.49 last week).

muttsrule

JohnK11 said:

Correction : Walmart/Assurance pads absorbency are 3 or 3.5
I rechecked the relative thickness of the Walmart/Assurnace pads( not rated on the package- previously I gave it a ?4/4 rating) with the Walgreen/Certainty 3/4 rated pads. They look almost identical, with identical printing on the paper over the adhesive. The Walmart one does look and feel slightly thicker--although just a bit (so 3.5 ??) but that may have been due to the Walgreen ones being packed tighter (they are 52 vs. 48 for Walmart--which used to be 52 a few weeks ago, so they may have not changed the package size, thus more looser packaging).
If they are in fact the same, then the Walgreen/Certainty 3/4 pads are a much better value it you can get it on sale (it was 7.99/52, 3.50 off the regular price of 11.49 last week).

pad shopping guide
I'm so lucky to have had minimal need for pads. Even so, picture me giving a standing ovation to JohnK11 for the time and effort he has put into his shopping guide. I'm sure so many fellow sufferers will find this so useful. Muttsrule, aka John M in Seattle

Sortie

Thank you
Thank you for your homework and helping us make decisions.

mrshisname

WOW
THANK YOU so much! We are gearing up for hubby's DaVinci surgery on 4/27, and I'm about to go buy a few supplies to have on hand for 'catheter removal day'. Bless you for posting such a detailed guide. You've taken a lot of the trial and error out of this process for us! THANK YOU AGAIN!!

randy_in_indy

mrshisname said:

WOW
THANK YOU so much! We are gearing up for hubby's DaVinci surgery on 4/27, and I'm about to go buy a few supplies to have on hand for 'catheter removal day'. Bless you for posting such a detailed guide. You've taken a lot of the trial and error out of this process for us! THANK YOU AGAIN!!

Maria
I used the CVS mens guard pads 52 Extra Exorbancy pads. When they have them on sale they are usually $9.99 Great pads that I found very sturdy and did not break down. Also, I was cutting them in half using cloth tape on the cuts to make two pads out of one since I rarely leaked much. (every person is different) Talk about a deal...104 pads for $9.99 $.10 per pad....Yeehaw! I still used them now when I know I will be drinking just for security...really doesn't bother me a bit.... when they are cut in half - not bulky no issues.

I have also used the tena...but they are not as wide and didn't really fit like I liked.

My two cents on pads

Randy

jminnj

randy_in_indy said:

Maria
I used the CVS mens guard pads 52 Extra Exorbancy pads. When they have them on sale they are usually $9.99 Great pads that I found very sturdy and did not break down. Also, I was cutting them in half using cloth tape on the cuts to make two pads out of one since I rarely leaked much. (every person is different) Talk about a deal...104 pads for $9.99 $.10 per pad....Yeehaw! I still used them now when I know I will be drinking just for security...really doesn't bother me a bit.... when they are cut in half - not bulky no issues.

I have also used the tena...but they are not as wide and didn't really fit like I liked.

My two cents on pads

Randy

Like Randy
I also have been using the CVS pads. In New Jersey we can get them for 8.99 for the 52 pack. Have not had any issues with leakage or breakdown. I am 2 months post surgery and using one pad a day.

Joe