Evidence
MaxiDry.tech is fed with studies: trials we run on our own production lines, and studies commissioned from independent third-party laboratories. Each one is published with its method, its laboratory, its samples and its full results — including the results that do not flatter us.
How a study is published
Method
ISO 11948-1, NWSP 070.9, NWSP 354, NWSP 220, ASTM D5169 / D5170 — or the full protocol when no standard exists.
Laboratory
Our line lab or the independent laboratory, with its accreditation where it has one.
Samples
Products, sizes, production lots and dates, and how many pieces were measured.
Results
Means and spread, all individual values, and the charts drawn from them.
Report
The signed report and the data file, downloadable.
History
Each study carries its date; any correction stays visible.
In preparation
These programmes are being prepared. Each will appear here with its report as soon as it is complete.
| Study | Method | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Absorption capacity in saline, whole range, size by size | ISO 11948-1 (Rothwell) · 0.9 % saline | In preparation |
| Speed of absorption and rewet | NWSP 070.9 | In preparation |
| Absorption before leakage, moderate and heavy products | NWSP 354 · adult mannequin | In preparation |
| Superabsorbent particle size distribution, grade by grade | NWSP 220 · sieve analysis | In preparation |
| Hook-and-loop closures: shear and peel | ASTM D5169 · ASTM D5170 | In preparation |
| Skin compatibility of materials | ISO 10993 series | In preparation |
Laboratories and researchers
Independent laboratories, universities and clinicians who want to test our products, or to obtain the data behind a published study, can write to us. We supply samples and answer with the method we would use.
Questions
Studies come from two sources: trials on Nateen’s own production lines and studies commissioned from independent third-party laboratories. Each published study states which, with its method, laboratory, samples and full results.
Recognised standards wherever they exist: ISO 11948-1 for capacity in saline, NWSP 070.9 for speed and rewet, NWSP 354 for absorption before leakage, NWSP 220 for particle size and ASTM D5169 / D5170 for hook-and-loop closures.
By writing to contact@maxidry.tech with the product, the method and the purpose of the study; Nateen supplies samples and answers with the protocol it would use.
Already published
Our own studies are being prepared. Meanwhile, a solid body of peer-reviewed research already answers many of the questions this site deals with. Here is what it says, with the reference to every source so you can read it yourself.
Three crossover trials compared the main designs. For women during the day, pull-ups did best overall; for men, briefs did best overall and on leakage, and were the most cost-effective design.
Fader M, Cottenden A, Getliffe K, et al. (2008). Absorbent products for urinary/faecal incontinence: a comparative evaluation of key product designs. Health Technology Assessment 12(29).
Read the source ↗ · open access
No single design is best for everyone: combining designs — one for the day, another for the night, one for going out — may work better and cost less than using one design all the time.
Fader M, Cottenden AM, Getliffe K. (2008). Absorbent products for moderate-heavy urinary and/or faecal incontinence in women and men. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CD007408.
Read the source ↗ · open access
Laboratory capacity (Rothwell) does correlate with performance in use, strongly enough to guide purchasing — but at the same capacity, briefs leaked far less than inserts. Design matters as much as grams.
Cottenden AM, Fader MJ, Pettersson L, Brooks RJ. (2003). How well does ISO 11948-1 (the Rothwell method) for measuring the absorption capacity of incontinence pads in the laboratory correlate with clinical pad performance. Medical Engineering & Physics 25(7): 603-613.
Within one laboratory the Rothwell method is repeatable (variation rarely above 5 %), but laboratories differ systematically by up to 13 %: absolute figures from different labs cannot be compared directly.
Cottenden AM, Rothwell JG, Leander H, Grau C, Brooks RJ. (2002). An investigation of the repeatability and reproducibility of ISO 11948-1 (the Rothwell method). Medical Engineering & Physics 24(2): 159-163.
12 products worn by 55 nursing-home residents: the Rothwell method was repeatable but blind to leg cuffs, whereas absorption before leakage on a mannequin predicted real leakage better and detected the benefit of the cuffs.
Cottenden A, Macaulay M. (2019). An investigation of laboratory test methods for predicting the in-use leakage performance of urine-absorbing aids in nursing homes. Proc IMechE Part H 233(1): 23-34.
For underpads, no single laboratory test predicted leakage well; combining a capacity test with an absorption-time test predicted user acceptability to within about 8 percentage points.
Cottenden AM, Dean GE, Brooks RJ, et al. (1998). Disposable bedpads for incontinence: predicting their clinical leakage properties using laboratory tests. Medical Engineering & Physics 20(5): 347-359.
Randomised trial in older women: 43 % recovered completely from dermatitis with the improved pad, against 13 % with the usual pad, and healing was faster.
Sugama J, Sanada H, Shigeta Y, Nakagami G, Konya C. (2012). Efficacy of an improved absorbent pad on incontinence-associated dermatitis in older women: cluster randomized controlled trial. BMC Geriatrics 12: 22.
Read the source ↗ · open access
Wet pads raised water loss through the skin and skin hydration in older volunteers; the authors conclude that pad design — particularly the acquisition layer — changes the skin’s microclimate.
Koudounas S, Abbas S, Voegeli D. (2020). The effect of absorbent pad design on skin wetness, skin/pad microclimate, and skin barrier function. J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs 47(5): 497-506.
A brief with an acidic cellulose layer and breathable side panels kept a skin-surface pH of about 4.6 over repeated wetting, against 7.1 for standard briefs.
Beguin A-M, Malaquin-Pavan E, Guihaire C, et al. (2010). Improving diaper design to address incontinence associated dermatitis. BMC Geriatrics 10: 86.
Read the source ↗ · open access
International expert consensus: incontinence-associated dermatitis is a recognised risk factor for pressure ulcers; prevention starts with keeping the skin dry and protected.
Beeckman D, et al. (2015). Incontinence-associated dermatitis: moving prevention forward. Proceedings of the Global IAD Expert Panel. Wounds International.
Read the source ↗ · open access
The superabsorbent of a commercial diaper swelled about 295 g/g in pure water but only about 20 g/g in synthetic urine: salts change everything, which is why serious tests use saline.
Simões B, Rebelo RC, Ledesma S, et al. (2025). Development of polyampholyte cellulose-based hydrogels for diapers with improved biocompatibility. Gels 11(4): 282.
Read the source ↗ · open access
Particle size is a trade-off: larger particles absorb more in total but more slowly — the reason why we specify a particle size distribution, not just a polymer.
Yang Y, Liang Z, Zhang R, et al. (2024). Research advances in superabsorbent polymers. Polymers 16(4): 501.
Read the source ↗ · open access
Surface crosslinking is essential for hygiene use: it is what lets the polymer keep absorbing under the pressure of the body (absorption under load).
Kim HC, Kwon YR, Kim JS, et al. (2022). Computational approach to the surface-crosslinking process of superabsorbent polymer via central composite design. Polymers 14(18): 3842.
Read the source ↗ · open access
Fluff pulp gives the core its structure and wicking, and prevents gel blocking — the wall that swollen superabsorbent particles form when they are not kept apart by fibres.
Hubbe MA, Ayoub A, Daystar JS, Venditti RA, Pawlak JJ. (2013). Enhanced absorbent products incorporating cellulose and its derivatives: a review. BioResources 8(4): 6556-6629.
Read the source ↗ · open access
Life-cycle assessment of diapers in Europe: materials dominate the environmental footprint, and the biggest gains came from lighter products and the use of superabsorbents.
Cordella M, Bauer I, Lehmann A, Schulz M, Wolf O. (2015). Evolution of disposable baby diapers in Europe: life cycle assessment of environmental impacts and identification of key areas of improvement. Journal of Cleaner Production 95: 322-331.
Read the source ↗ · open access
Industry report for adult incontinence products: raw materials account for about 50–60 % of the carbon footprint, manufacturing 4–8 %, logistics 6–10 % and end of life 30–35 %.
EDANA. The central role of absorbent hygiene products in the management of adult urinary incontinence: benefits, costs and environmental impact. EDANA, Brussels (industry report).
Read the source ↗ · open access
Our figures
Every Nateen product carries three measures, not one: the maximum it can hold, how fast it takes in liquid, and how dry the surface stays afterwards. Capacity alone says little — the research above shows why.
1
Total liquid held by the whole product, Rothwell method (ISO 11948-1).
2
How fast successive doses disappear from the surface (NWSP 070.9).
3
Liquid that comes back to the surface under pressure: the closer to zero, the drier the skin.
In pictures
Combi UltraBrief with tabs · our most absorbentSee in the shop →Combi UltraBrief with tabs · our most absorbentSee in the shop →Animations from the Nateen Combi Ultra product film — an illustration of the principle, not a laboratory measurement.
Standards
Every result we publish will name its method. These are the reference standards, with a link to the official page of each.
| Standard | What it measures |
|---|---|
| ISO 11948-1 ↗ | Absorption capacity of the whole product (Rothwell method) |
| ISO 15621:2026 ↗ | General guidelines for evaluating absorbent incontinence products (2026 edition) |
| NWSP 070.9 ↗ | Rate of acquisition and rewet of adult incontinence products |
| NWSP 354.0 ↗ | Absorption before leakage on an adult mannequin |
| NWSP · SAP ↗ | Superabsorbent powder: retention after centrifugation, absorption against pressure, particle size |
| ISO 10993-10 / -23 ↗ | Biocompatibility: skin sensitisation and irritation |
| ASTM D5169 · D5170 ↗ | Hook-and-loop closures: shear and peel strength |
| ISO 22748 ↗ | Names and illustrations of product types |
Two continents
Our line laboratories sit next to the machines, in the United States and in China: a change is tested where it is made.
Nateen products
Flexi UltraPull-up underwear · ultra absorbentMLXL2XLSee in the shop →Combi UltraBrief with tabs · our most absorbentMLXLSee in the shop →
Flexi MaxiPull-up underwear · overnightMLXL2XL3XLSee in the shop →
Combi MaxiBrief with tabs · maximum protectionSMLXLSee in the shop →
Combi X-UltraBrief with tabs · up to 5XLMLXL2XL3XL4XL/5XLSee in the shop →
Mati PlusDisposable underpad60×6060×9080×180See in the shop →