Discipline 04 · Closures · briefs with tabs

A brief is only as dry
as it is closed.

On a brief with tabs, the closure decides the fit, and the fit decides the leak. Tape width, adhesive or hook strength, how well the hooks grip the landing surface, where each tape sits and at what angle — we engineer them like the core.

4wide, stretchable tapes — two on each side

80 / 20hook-and-loop / strong adhesive on our Combi tapes

120 mmfrontal landing zone on our tape briefs

Anatomy of a closure

Four tapes, one landing zone

The chassis is one piece: full-width ears at the back and front, a waist narrowed between the legs, the hourglass core in the middle. Each back ear carries two fasteners on its side edges — wide, long and stretchable. The upper tape sits near the waist line and holds the brief up. The lower tape is angled downwards to pull the chassis around the thigh and close the leg — that is where most leaks start.

On the front, a frontal landing zone receives the tapes: it spreads the load, protects the backsheet from tearing and lets the carer adjust the fit without damaging the product. The spacing between the tapes is set size by size.

Two families

Adhesive tapes or hook-and-loop

Adhesive tapes

Film tab with pressure-sensitive adhesive

A strong first bond at low cost. But tack falls with talc, barrier creams and moisture, and repeated opening wears the adhesive. Bonded to a frontal tape rather than straight onto the backsheet, so the film does not tear when the tab is lifted.

Hook-and-loop

Mechanical hooks in a nonwoven loop surface

Refastenable many times without losing grip, and indifferent to creams and powders. The engineering is in the hook: density, height and shape set the grip, and soft edges keep it from scratching the skin. On our Combi briefs the four tapes are wide, long and stretchable, and combine hook-and-loop (about 80 %) with a strong adhesive zone (about 20 %).

What makes a closure hold

Width, strength, hookability

Width

Wider spreads the load

A wider tab distributes waist tension, stops the chassis from puckering and does not tear through the ear. Too wide and it stiffens the waist and marks the skin.

Peel

Resisting a pull at an angle

Sitting, turning and bending try to peel the tab open from its edge. Peel strength is what keeps it closed through movement.

Shear

Holding along the surface

The waist pulls the tab sideways all day. Shear strength keeps it from creeping until the brief slides down.

Hookability

How many hooks actually engage

Grip depends on the hooks meeting enough open loops. Loop loft and fibre choice of the landing surface matter as much as the hook itself.

Nateen Combi Ultra — Refastenable tabs on Combi Ultra: adjust, open and re-close without losing grip.

What a closure must pass

Measured, not assumed

Requirement	Reference
Shear strength of hook-and-loop	ASTM D5169 · dynamic shear
Peel strength of hook-and-loop	ASTM D5170 · T-peel
Refastening	grip retained after repeated open / close cycles
Anchorage	the tape holds to the ear; the chassis does not tear first
Skin feel	no sharp hook edge against the body

Questions

Frequently asked

Hook-and-loop or adhesive tapes: which is better on an adult brief?

Hook-and-loop closures can be opened and re-closed many times without losing grip and are not weakened by talc or barrier creams. Adhesive tapes give a strong first bond at lower cost but lose tack with repeated opening, powders and moisture.

Why does the width of a brief’s tape matter?

A wider tape spreads waist tension over a larger area, so the chassis does not pucker or tear at the ear and the brief stays closed; a tape that is too wide stiffens the waist and can mark the skin.

What is the frontal landing zone on an adult brief?

It is the reinforced area on the front panel where the tapes are fastened. It spreads the load, protects the backsheet from tearing and lets the fit be adjusted; on our tape briefs it is about 120 mm high.

How is the strength of hook-and-loop fasteners tested?

Shear strength is measured with ASTM D5169 (dynamic shear) and peel strength with ASTM D5170 (T-peel); refastening is checked over repeated open and close cycles.

Nateen products