The Cheapest Adult Diapers For Families on a Budget
Between groceries, clothes, gas, mortgage, and phone bills, your family, like many others, might be struggling to stick to a monthly budget. Households with family members with autism or other medical conditions have a different list of expenses with medications, doctor appointments, and specialized education.
On top of all these necessary expenses, some caretakers spend upwards of $300 monthly on incontinence supplies, like adult diapers, for their households.
Parents have less time to find employment outside of the home as they dedicate most of their time to caretaking; all these factors make sticking to a monthly budget, not just important but essential.
Additional and necessary products for your adult child with autism shouldn’t become a burden you have to carry. So let’s take a look at how you can find and select cheap adult diapers for your family on a budget without compromising quality.
The Challenge of Finding Affordable Adult Diapers
What’s the difference between adult diapers and children’s diapers? Other than size, the most significant difference is the levels of absorbency. Children’s diapers are not as absorbent as adult diapers. Therefore, older children and adults need materials that can absorb greater quantities of moisture than an infant or toddler would require.
Unfortunately, that means adult diapers come with a heftier price tag. If your child goes through several a day, this can easily take a toll on your wallet.
As a result, some families have switched to a more sustainable and affordable option, cloth diapers. While they are initially a pricier option, investing in cloth diapers can save you money in the future.
But we understand if your family isn’t eager to make the switch to cloth diapers. After all, they have their downsides when the time comes to clean them. Additionally, some have found them to lack sufficient absorbency. Therefore, the popular alternative is disposable diapers. But within the category of disposable diapers, there are several different options to choose between. So, how do you know which option is best for your child?
What to Look For in an Adult Diaper
Adult diapers come in many different forms. While a lot depends on personal preference, it is vital to acknowledge what level of incontinence your loved one has, as this will factor in purchasing affordable adult diapers. Most diaper companies split this into four categories: light, moderate, heavy, and maximum.
Light Absorbency
Individuals with light or infrequent leaks typically opt for this option. It’s easier to find comfortable options that feel like underwear while still offering protection for a couple of hours when looking for light absorbency. Most of the time, pads are an excellent substitute for light leaks.
Moderate Absorbency
If your child is active during the day but still has bladder leaks, moderate absorbency is a safe option. Moderate absorbency diapers will allow them to go a long period without changing and leave them feeling comfortable.
Heavy Absorbency
Heavy absorbency is ideal if they deal with both bladder and bowel incontinence. In addition, if your child is out and about for most of the day, heavy absorbency diapers can give you ease of mind and confidence that they won’t leak.
Maximum Absorbency
Maximum absorbency is often referred to as overnight. This option is perfect for ensuring a good night’s rest without concerns of leaking or changing the diaper in the middle of the night. Overnight diapers typically work between 8-10 hours.
You may probably need to purchase a couple of different diapers with different levels of absorbency. Many families switch between two options—one for the day and a different one at night.
Once you have identified the level of absorbency, you need to decide what type of diaper to use. There are several options, but we will focus on the most commonly used: pull-on diapers, diapers with tabs, and belted diapers. Thankfully, these options come in varying levels of absorbency.
Pull-on Diapers
Pull-on diapers are great to use if your child doesn’t need your help with getting the diaper on. Your child will need to pull them up like they would in their underwear. Pull-on diapers are often a more comfortable option as they are not quite as bulky as diapers with tabs. In addition, many brands have a mess-free rip-off feature that allows you to tear off the diaper quickly.
Diapers With Tabs
Although they come in adult sizes and increased absorbency levels, diapers with tabs are what your typical infant diaper looks like. Often, the tabs are re-fastenable, but these might be a bit more tricky for your child with autism to put on and take off when compared to a pull-on diaper.
Belted Diapers
Also referred to as belted pads, belted diapers use straps and a long core or pad to soak up moisture. Many prefer belted diapers as they can comfortably use underwear on top of the pads. They are discreet but still offer maximum protection.
There isn’t a better or more affordable choice when deciding what type of diaper to purchase. Most of it will depend on what works best for your child.
Cheapest Adult Diapers For Families on a Budget
Cutting costs shouldn’t always equate to cutting quality. For example, finding discount adult diapers doesn’t mean using ones that don’t hold up or are absorbent. So, we have compiled a list of the cheapest adult diapers for sale on Amazon that won’t break the bank but still offer quality protection.
Tena Dry Comfort 
Pull-On
Price: $0.57 per unit
Unisex
Absorbency: Moderate
Tena’s diapers help give your child independence with their easy pull-up feature and tear-away material when they are ready to come off. In addition, these diapers use Dry-Comfort thanks to breathable fabrics that look and feel like a pair of underwear.
McKesson Adult 
Diaper
Price: $0.40 per unit
Unisex
Absorbency: Heavy
McKesson Adult Diapers have a unique hook and loop tab. These tabs make refastening throughout the day a quicker and easier process. In addition, heavy absorbency means your loved one can feel comfortable as they go out and about and enjoy the day.
Attends Breathable Briefs
Price: $0.40 per unit
Unisex
Absorbency: Heavy
Attends prides themself on offering confident protection, and that’s just what their breathable briefs do. This classic brief style has a three-tier moisture locking system to prevent leaks and trap in odors. As a result, they are comfortable, and the outer layer of fabric offers a discreet look and feel to avoid bulkiness.
Prevail Briefs
Price: $0.42 per unit
Unisex
Absorbency: Maximum
This large pack of briefs offers maximum protection against leaks. It features ventilated waistbands that provide increased airflow and dry-lock tabs for a comfortable fit all day long. In addition, the wicking technology and materials reduce discomfort against the skin.
Solimo Underwear for Men
Price: $0.53 per unit
Absorbency: Maximum
Amazon’s brand of brief diapers comes in four different sizes and offers maximum absorbency. Solimo’s diapers have the same feel as a pair of underwear and use dry-fit to help control moisture and temperature to keep their skin healthy and dry for several hours.
Tena ProSkin Underwear for Women
Price: $0.50 per unit
Absorbency: Maximum
Tena ProSkin Underwear offers maximum protection while having the seal of approval of being gentle on the skin. The leg elastics help them stay comfortable throughout the night and are 100% breathable. When morning comes, the tear-away sides make cleaning up fast and easy.
Prevail Incontinence Belted Shields
Price: $0.50 per unit
Absorbency: Maximum
Prevail belted shields use buttonholes to keep the diaper and straps in place securely. Breathable zones allow your child to enjoy a comfortable night’s rest without sacrificing protection. Maxorb gel to hold moisture and odor.
To help you find the right size, most brands have a size chart to review before purchasing. In addition, some offer free sample pairs to help you find the best option and fit and can be reimbursed with an FSA (Flex Spending Account).
The Hunt For Affordable Adult Diapers
If diapers are a necessity in your family’s home, then you shouldn’t have to cut corners to stick to your monthly budget. Instead, planning and finding affordable options can save you hundreds a year.
Sticking to a budget isn’t always an easy task to follow. Prices and circumstances are constantly changing. But, despite it all, we want to help you tackle it all and take care of your family. With patience and a few attempts at finding the correct pairs, you can find the best and cheapest adult diaper for your family on a budget.
