The Best Incontinence Underwear (2025)

I recently reviewed adult diapers for Wirecutter, and I’m also the author of guides to products designed to help make your home more accessible, including grab bars, shower mats, and toilet seat risers. I also spent two years testing and reviewing accessibility products for USA Today’s Reviewed. As a former caregiver and a current helper to disabled and older family members, I know firsthand just how much these items can make a meaningful difference in someone’s daily life.

For this guide:

• I spent 20 hours researching 30 pairs of disposable incontinence underwear and testing seven options.
• I dug into published research on incontinence and social media posts from people who have bladder incontinence.
• I spoke with a man in his late 20s with full bladder and bowel incontinence about the use cases for incontinence underwear versus adult diapers, and I interviewed two occupational therapists who specialize in pelvic health.
• I tested the top performers with a panel of six testers—ranging in age from 30s to 90s and with a variety of body types—who identified as having mild to moderate incontinence.
• Like all Wirecutter contributors, I review and test products with complete editorial independence. I’m never made aware of any business implications of my editorial recommendations. Read more about our editorial standards.

For this guide, our research and testing focused on people who experience mild incontinence, such as leaks after sneezing, giving birth, or during sports. Those with heavy to full bladder incontinence are better off using adult diapers because of their higher absorbency, stronger hold, and closer fit. If you try one of the picks in this guide but find yourself needing to change frequently throughout the day, that could be a sign that you should consider adult diapers.

This guide is for anyone of any age and gender who has light to moderate bladder incontinence, including those who are post-pregnancy, those who are experiencing aging-related incontinence, those who are highly active (such as athletes), and those who want a little extra reassurance just in case they don’t make it to the bathroom in time. (We’re in the early stages of testing reusable incontinence underwear, which may also work for some people with mild incontinence.)

Unlike adult diapers, incontinence underwear is often split into “men’s” and “women’s” categories. To keep things simple, we refer to the design styles the way the underwear companies do. While some unisex options are available, such as NorthShore’s incontinence underwear, the gender-inclusive options for this type of product are fairly limited. Many pairs we saw have different placement and thickness of padding for their men’s and women’s styles, so we recommend that if you have a penis, you use the men’s version, and if you have a vagina, you use the women’s.

We didn’t include bowel incontinence as a factor in our selection or testing and don’t recommend the underwear in this guide for those needs.

When deciding which incontinence underwear to test, we identified a range of brands, styles, and absorbency levels to ensure we had a good mix of what is currently available both in stores and online. Our testing pool focused on disposable, pull-up styles similar to typical underwear.

While we didn’t limit ourselves to testing only underwear with especially high absorbency levels, we did pull the highest offered for each product line. We even considered some underwear with fairly low absorbencies that had other stand-out features, such as comfortable material or an attractive design.

The average bladder holds up to about 17 to 24 ounces, but most people feel the need to go at closer to 5 to 8 ounces. Knowing this, our stress tests went up to 30 ounces for any model that didn’t advertise a specific absorbency amount. For the ones that did list their absorbency, we tested up to and just over what was advertised to see how it fared. We did not penalize any underwear for holding less than its competition, but we did factor in whether it matched the manufacturer’s own claims.

In evaluating incontinence underwear, we focused on:

• Absorbency volume: We considered the amount of liquid that each pair of underwear could hold and took note of how quickly it absorbed.
• Keeping skin dry: We evaluated how dry to the touch each pair of underwear felt after our absorbency tests, as well as how well it kept skin dry and held liquid in without leaks or seepage.
• Durable construction: We assessed whether pairs were durable enough to last through vigorous activities and if they would work equally well during the day or overnight.
• Low noise level: We evaluated how the material and construction of each pair contributed to the loudness of the underwear, noting those that had a plasticky backing that might rustle or otherwise be noisy.
• Fit and comfort: We looked for undies that were as subtle as traditional underwear (while balancing leak protection). We prioritized options that weren’t conspicuous beneath clothing and let the wearer forget they were using incontinence underwear at all.
• A reasonable price: With lower-quality and lower-absorbency incontinence underwear, you need to change it more often. No matter the underwear, the price adds up quickly, so we looked for pairs that cost the least over time. We also factored in shipping costs for options sold online.

During testing, I tried on each pair of underwear, pulling it on and off in different ways and at multiple angles to be sure it wouldn’t tear during use. I wore them around the house under clothing to evaluate comfort and noise.

While testing absorbency, we used a turkey baster to measure and apply dyed water to each pair of incontinence underwear. We then observed whether the liquid leaked out of the underwear’s absorbency area, rose to the surface with added pressure, or seeped through to the outer side of the underwear over time.

We also had a panel of six people who have incontinence (an older man living with dementia, a transgender woman, and four cisgender women) test the underwear throughout their typical day. The testers wore pairs from each company for at least two days (and nights if they needed overnight coverage). For some, this meant a quiet day at home, while others went on outings during a humid summer heat wave. Some of our testers wore them primarily at night or while resting, while others went through an active day at work and doing chores around the house. A few continued using their favorites from testing (or had used them in the past) and provided us with additional long-term testing feedback.

When it comes to subtle, comfortable incontinence underwear, Tena Stylish Super Plus Heavy Underwear for Women and Tena Men Super Plus Heavy Protective Underwear are hard to beat. We found them to be consistently reliable, flattering, and durable. While one of our testers experienced very minor leaking with the women’s underwear, on the whole, our testers agreed that Tena is the best of the seven brands tested. The absorbency was fast, didn’t leave lingering dampness, and the underwear was reasonably subtle beneath any outfit.

It quickly absorbs a lot of liquid—and remains dry to the touch. During our stress tests, we added up to 38 ounces (4.75 cups) of water to each pair to see how well it would absorb without leaking through. Although most pull-up-style incontinence underpants aren’t designed to hold this much liquid, we wanted to see what a worst-case scenario could look like. The Tena pair absorbed the entire amount quickly and remained almost fully dry on the surface once it was absorbed. Its absorption volume and speed was beaten out only by the much bulkier NorthShore underwear during our tests.

It’s reasonably affordable. Though the price of incontinence underwear varies hugely based on how big of a pack you buy and where you buy it, overall, Tena underwear is more affordable than most. While it’s not quite as cheap as Amazon Basics (97¢ per pair for the Tena women’s pack of 64 compared with 63¢ per pair for the Amazon Basics pack of 54), it’s less than half the price of NorthShore underwear (about $2 per pair).

It’s subtle and comfortable. Tena underwear has a slim fit that gives it one of the least conspicuous profiles beneath clothing. The lower waist of the women’s style compared with other women’s pairs we tested makes it work better under low-rise pants and less likely to show when bending over (though the outline did show under tighter-fitting clothing like yoga pants). Our male tester with dementia had the easiest time transitioning to this underwear of any we tested because he found it most similar to his regular underwear.

It’s durable for everyday life. The breathable, durable material of Tena’s incontinence underwear made it a favorite among our testers, particularly those who live active lives. Testers found that it holds up better in heat and to sweat than the Amazon Basics pair, and it doesn’t tear or chafe easily.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Tena’s sizing is more limited than that of any other brand we recommend. Though the company technically offers its incontinence underwear in sizes small/medium to extra large (29 to 64 inches for women’s and 34 to 64 inches for men’s), our testers and many online reviewers found that it tends to run on the small side. We recommend sizing up when ordering.

It makes some noise. Like other options we tested and recommend, Tena underwear was sometimes audible during our testing; at least one tester was bothered by the noise when they pulled the underwear on and off. We found most clothing dampened the sound enough to not be noticeable.

It can leak. One of our testers with moderate incontinence experienced a very small leak with this underwear. The leak wasn’t bad enough to show through her clothing or leave her uncomfortably damp, but people who are concerned about leakage or plan to wear the underwear for several hours will likely be safer with NorthShore’s underwear.

Price per pair: 97¢ with a women’s pack of 64; 97¢ with a men’s pack of 56

Women’s sizes: S/M (from 29-inch waist) to XL (up to 64-inch waist)

Men’s sizes: S/M (from 34-inch waist) to L/XL (up to 64-inch waist)

Incontinence underwear is a deeply personal item, and fit, texture, color, and other factors can have a big impact on a person’s comfort and confidence. For people who find our pick from Tena isn’t quite right for them or who need a wider range of sizing, we recommend Amazon Basics Women’s Protective Underwear and Amazon Basics Men’s Protective Underwear.

The material feels more like fabric. Many pairs of incontinence underwear claim to have “fabric-like” textures, but the Amazon Basics pair holds up to this promise the best. Its comfortable fit was beloved by many of our testers, and it was repeatedly praised for its soft, flexible material.

It’s the cheapest option that still works well. The cost of incontinence underwear can add up fast. At about 63¢ for a women’s pair and 68¢ for a men’s pair (when you buy a pack of 54), Amazon Basics Protective Underwear isn’t the absolute cheapest model, but it’s the least expensive option that still has reliable absorption and a comfortable design. Some higher-end options, such as NorthShore (more than $2 per pair for size L) or LivDry underwear ($1.19 per pair in a pack of 64), may simply be financially out of reach for a lot of people.

Although we did test one pair of underwear that’s less expensive than the Amazon Basics underwear—from —we found that the approximate 15¢-per-pair price difference between the two wasn’t worth the decrease in quality. Before trading down to save a buck, remember that lower-quality incontinence underwear may mean more frequent changes throughout the day, which will quickly outpace any initial cost savings.

It’s quieter than our pick from Tena. Most of our testers found that this underwear made no noise as they moved around, and several commented that they forgot they were wearing it at times. This underwear wasn’t entirely silent beneath leggings for one tester, but it was still the quietest of the lot.

It has a wider range of sizing. Though Amazon Basics’s sizing isn’t as comprehensive as NorthShore’s, its smallest size (starting at a 20-inch waist for women’s and a 26-inch waist for men’s) and addition of an XXL (a 64-inch to 80-inch waist) make it a viable option for more people. Our testers (and online reviewers) also found that the Amazon Basics pairs fit truer to size than those from Tena.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The durability isn’t quite as good as that of Tena’s underwear. Our testers said hot weather and high levels of activity had an impact on the comfort of this underwear and that the material didn’t hold up as well under stress, leading to rubbing, chafing, and the material itself coming apart in places. But for those who are less active or who are willing to go through multiple underwear changes between activities, these should still work fine.

They don’t hold as much liquid as other pairs. Though these can’t absorb quite as much pee as effortlessly as Tena or NorthShore underwear, they can reliably absorb more than 8 ounces without issue. For those with lighter incontinence or those who wear incontinence underwear mainly as a precaution, these are an easy, cheap option that you can count on.

Price per pair: 63¢ with a women’s pack of 54; 68¢ with a men’s pack of 54

Women’s sizes: S (from 20-inch waist/hip) to XXL (up to 80-inch waist/hip)

Men’s sizes: S/M (from 26-inch waist/hip) to XXL (up to 80-inch waist/hip)

If you need higher absorbency or want a gender-inclusive alternative to our picks: NorthShore GoSupreme Pull-on Underwear is a reliable (albeit expensive) option. Our testers found that this unisex underwear has a bulkier and more “diaper-like” feel than our picks, though one of our testers, a transgender woman, found the extra padding and fit helpful for giving her a more feminine silhouette and hiding any visible bulge. NorthShore’s underwear stays impressively dry to the touch while easily holding its advertised absorbency of 38 ounces, and it’s quiet. Our more active testers were anxious that this pair might show under their clothing. It generally didn’t, but because of that worry, they felt more self-conscious wearing it. NorthShore underwear’s biggest drawback by far is its price, which is about four times the cost of our budget pick.

We’ve done preliminary testing on nine pairs of reusable incontinence underwear, including Knix, Thinx, and Modibodi. We need to do more extensive testing with a larger panel of testers before making recommendations.

We found that reusable incontinence underwear generally absorbs less without leaking than their disposable counterparts—but because they look and feel closer to standard undies, they fill an important need, especially for those who wear incontinence underwear as a precautionary measure.

Though the brand Depend is practically synonymous with incontinence underwear, the Depend Fresh Protection Incontinence Underwear didn’t live up to its name. Though its material was comfortable, it held less fluid without leaking than our top picks and remained noticeably wet to the touch; when we applied pressure a few minutes after wetting it, water came to the surface (unlike our picks, which became mildly damp at most when we applied pressure). Plus, it’s more expensive than Amazon Basics’s or Target’s underwear.

The LivDry Overnight Absorbency Protective Underwear is bulkier and more diaper-like than many other options we tested, and it didn’t absorb close to its advertised 70 ounces (though it did absorb between 30 and 40 ounces fairly well, which is on par with our picks).

Though we liked the affordable price of and how easy it was to find in a store, the quality of this underwear was not good. The first pair tore immediately when we tried it on, it proved relatively noisy beneath clothing, and it wasn’t very comfortable to wear. (We chose not to test the men’s version based on our conclusions about the women’s pairs.) If you’re in a pinch and need something cheap at the last second, the absorbency was decent for light incontinence, but we don’t recommend it if you have other options available.

The price of the Because Premium Maximum Bladder Control Underwear falls squarely in the middle of those we tested, but its slow absorption and design led to a lot of leaks. It has the bulk of heavier-duty options, such as NorthShore underwear, but the absorbency issues of cheaper competitors.

This article was edited by Claire Perlman and Kalee Thompson.

1. Lindsey Vestal, occupational therapist and pelvic health specialist, phone interview, October 10, 2023

2. Kourtney Randsdorp, occupational therapist and pelvic health specialist, email interview, October 12, 2023