Pull-Up Pants or Tab-Style Briefs? How to Actually Decide
This is one of the most common questions we get asked in our Picton store, and it's a genuinely good question to ask, because the wrong choice here doesn't just cost you money, it can mean more leaks, more skin irritation, and more frustration for whoever's doing the changing. There isn't one correct answer. There's a correct answer for your specific situation, and we'll walk you through exactly how to find it.
Pull-Up Pants vs Tab-Style Briefs
The Real Difference Isn't Comfort, It's Containment
Pull-up pants have an elastic waistband and leg openings, so they go on and come off exactly like ordinary underwear. That's what makes them feel less clinical and more like getting dressed normally, which matters more than people expect when someone's adjusting to needing this kind of product for the first time.
Tab-style briefs work differently. They have refastenable tabs on each side rather than an elastic waist, which means they're put on and taken off while the person is lying down, without needing to remove trousers or stand up. That single difference is why tab briefs are the standard choice in hospitals and aged care, not because they're "for sicker people," but because the changing mechanics genuinely suit lower mobility and carer-assisted situations better.
The question I ask in-store is rarely "how heavy is the leakage" first — it's "can you stand unassisted to change yourself, and can you do that reliably every time you need to?" Absorbency level matters, but if someone can't safely stand and balance during a change, a pull-up isn't the right format regardless of how light their leakage actually is.
When a Pull-Up Is the Right Choice
Pull-ups suit people who are fully or mostly mobile, can stand and balance to change themselves, and have light to moderate leakage. The TENA Pants Women Discreet Low Waist is a good example: low-rise, sits comfortably under jeans, and is built to be changed standing up in a normal bathroom. For men, MoliCare Premium Men Pants offer the same independence with a male-specific anatomical shape.
Worth noting: pull-ups are not designed for faecal incontinence. If bowel leakage is part of the picture at all, even occasionally, a tab-style brief with proper rear coverage is the safer and more reliable choice, regardless of how active or mobile the person is.
When a Tab-Style Brief Is the Right Choice
Tab briefs are the better fit for heavier leakage, bowel incontinence, lower mobility, or carer-assisted changes. They're also generally the higher-absorbency option overall, since the closure design allows for bulkier, higher-capacity cores without compromising fit the way an elasticated pull-up would.
Our Abena Slip L3 Premium is rated at 3400mL capacity with a breathable backsheet and wetness indicator, and the Abena Slip L4 goes a step further for the heaviest leakage or overnight bedbound care. Both are designed to be changed lying down, which matters enormously for anyone supporting someone with limited mobility.
Many People Genuinely Need Both
This is the part that surprises people most: it's completely normal, and often the smartest approach, to use a pull-up during the day for independence and discretion, and switch to a higher-capacity tab brief overnight when absorbency matters more than mobility. We see this two-product approach constantly with families managing incontinence for an ageing parent, and it usually works out more cost-effective than buying the heaviest possible product and using it around the clock, since you're not paying for overnight-grade absorbency you don't need during waking hours.
Funded under NDIS or My Aged Care? Both pull-ups and tab briefs of any brand are funded under NDIS Core Supports — Consumables, and many Home Care Package providers cover them too. As a registered NDIS provider (Provider No: 4050 144 759), we handle invoicing directly so plan-managed participants don't pay upfront.
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Try the Pharmacist Incontinence Recommender →Frequently Asked Questions
Are tab-style briefs only for very sick or elderly people?
No. They're used widely in hospitals and aged care because the changing mechanics suit those settings, but plenty of younger people with heavy leakage, post-surgical incontinence, or mobility conditions use them too. The product doesn't reflect someone's overall health, only what works best for their specific containment and changing needs.
Can a pull-up handle bowel incontinence if it's only occasional?
We don't recommend it. Pull-ups are designed and tested for urinary leakage, not faecal containment, and even occasional bowel incontinence needs the rear coverage and containment barriers that tab-style briefs provide. It's not worth the risk of a difficult cleanup or skin exposure to faecal matter.
Is it normal to switch between the two formats as needs change?
Very normal, and something we'd actively encourage rather than sticking with one product out of habit. Mobility, leakage severity, and even the time of day all genuinely change what the "right" product is, and reassessing every few months is a reasonable thing to do.
Do tab briefs cost more than pull-ups?
Pricing varies more by absorbency level and brand than by format, but generally similar-absorbency products in either format are comparably priced. If you're NDIS or Home Care Package funded, the actual out-of-pocket difference often isn't significant either way.
How do I know what size to order in either format?
Always check the waist or hip measurement range on the specific product, not just the size label, since brands aren't standardised against each other. As an example, our Abena Slip L3 is sized for a 100–150cm hip measurement. Measure around the widest part of the hips before ordering, and size up rather than down if you're between sizes.
References
- Independence Australia, What's the Right Continence Pad for Me? — independenceaustralia.com.au
- NDIS, Core Supports — Consumables — ndis.gov.au
This article is for general information only and does not replace individual clinical advice. If you're experiencing new or worsening incontinence, speak with your GP or a continence specialist.
Nadim Assaf is a registered pharmacist (AHPRA PHA0001624849) and co-founder of Connect Mobility, an NDIS-registered assistive technology provider in Picton, NSW. Connect Mobility is run entirely by registered pharmacists.