We love success stories!

We always encourage people to send them to us because we think we make a quality fabric diaper cover, so when we receive words of praise, it reinforces the reasons we do what we do.

If you are not aware, or coming to this site for the first time, here’s what we do: we manufacture fabric diaper covers for adults with incontinence. We have been making the product line for more than 30 years, but two years ago we decided to develop a more slim-fitting diaper cover for adults. Our original incontinence wear line is made for adults who use washable cloth diapers (reusable ones), thus the original diaper covers are bulky to accommodate all the absorbent cotton cloth diaper. However, our new slimmer fitting fabric diaper cover is meant to be worn over disposable adult diapers. When you wear a diaper cover over your adult disposable diaper, you are providing more protection from leaks, and better peace of mind.

We received the following praise last week regarding our GaryWear Active Brief adult diaper cover from a gentleman that was part of our original testing group for our fabric slim-fitting diaper covers:

Dear Gary Manufacturing,
I thought I would just check in with you and give you and update.
To this day I am still using the test product that I was given to test.
I put it in the washer and dryer and it is still holding up like it was brand new.
A couple of months ago, I did buy a black pair from Northshore Care where I get most of my adult diapers and even been able to direct others to them to purchase.
One of the guys on the support group that I am part of bought a pair and he too was highly impressed.
So for long term research and development, your product is still going strong and is still a huge blessing.
– K.T. August 2013

That was all he wrote, but we think it speaks volumes about how great our diaper cover is, and what a quality product we manufacture. For a list of distributors who sell our GaryWear Active Brief diaper covers, please buy them from this list.

In conversations with this user, he reminded us that typically disposable diapers do not have any absorbency on the sides where they cover a user’s hips. If you sleep on your side, the moisture has nowhere to go, which can can lead to leaks at night, and thus impact your sleep because you wake up when your sheets start to absorb the excess from a wet disposable diaper. (We always recommend cloth diapers for use at night, but that is for another blog post.)

By wearing our fabric diaper cover over your disposable diaper, you give yourself peace of mind, better sleep, and success happens for both you and us.

Spring brings beautiful colors and so should your selection of waterproof incontinence pants.

It’s daylight savings time, which means spring nibbles at the cold offering us a chance at longer days and warmer weather. For many, this ushers in an active season filled with travel, gardening, family, culinary adventures and more. For our customers, active adults who have some form of incontinence, spring should bring the same happiness.

In honor of daylight savings, we offer these tips to help folks with incontinence spring forward to incontinence security (or, as we like to say, spring forward to an active, fun life):

1. Evaluate Your Waterproof Incontinence Pant –It’s time to examine each pair of your waterproof incontinence pants to make sure they still sport strong structural integrity. While it’s ok if your favorite pair of jeans shows some wear and tear, your washable incontinence pant should not.
2. Diversify Your Incontinence Pant Selection– Spring brings beautiful colors and so should your selection of washable incontinence pants. Don’t settle for clinical white, when you could have blush, latte, black, grey and navy, too.
3. Stretch that Elastic –GaryWear Active Brief protects you from embarrassing leaks because each pair has strong, thick elastic around your leg. When you don’t have the proper fit or when this elastic weakens over time, you may not get the best seal to hold liquid and solids. Check your elastic bands to make sure they still effectively do their job.
4. Treat Yourself – We believe in spending a few extra bucks to spoil ourselves. This spring, buy an extra pair of GaryWear Active Briefs so that you always have an extra pair for emergencies. Or buy one of Gary Manufacturing’s discreet travel bags to help you keep covered on the go

What will you do to spring forward to incontinence security?

Wearing dark clothes and a pair of our incontinence pants give you additional security

We’ve shared some inspiring customer testimonials from folks who have managed their incontinence at challenging workplace settings. Outlasting 12-hour days in more than 100-degree temperature certainly tops that list. GaryWear’s washable incontinence pants play an important role in helping active adults survive their work days, especially when complemented with one or more of these tips to managing incontinence at the office.

We thank WebMD for compiling the complete list of tips, which you can find here: http://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/understanding-oab-11/slideshow-workplace-incontinence

1. Wear dark Clothes –GaryWear’s Active Brief is an incontinence pant for men and women that provides an extra layer of protection against embarrassing leaks. But, occasionally leaks still happen. Your dark clothes can more easily hide a leak until you can make a clothing change or tie a sweater around your waist.
2. Pack extra clothes – In the event that you experience a leak, be prepared with an extra pair of pants. If you’re always at the same office, stash your extra pair of pants inside in your desk drawer or filing cabinet and leave them there for that emergency situation. Others may want to carry a backpack with a change of clean, dry pants.
3. Carry a waterproof bag – Gary Manufacturing makes a small travel bag to discreetly hide your spare pad or diaper and incontinence pants for men and women. But what about if you leak through your pants? Keep a small waterproof bag at your workplace to help you pack away soiled clothing.
4. Skip the coffee – Though a jolt of caffeine keeps you awake, it can also irritate your bladder, which intensifies nature’s call.
5. Ditch the water cooler – Rather than over hydrate, try to moderate your intake of water by slowly sipping on water throughout the day. Let your thirst be your guide.
6. Schedule bathroom breaks – Schedule bathroom breaks every hour or two, regardless if you feel the urge. It may take some flexibility to learn the schedule that works for you and your workplace setting.
7. Purchase high quality pads and diapers – The quality of your absorbent material and your incontinence pants for men or women makes the difference in preventing leaks. Try different absorbent products to find the one that works best for your incontinence, and then ensure that extra layer of protection by using GaryWear’s Active Brief.

Check out WebMD for more tips to managing your incontinence at work. What other tips would you add to the list?

A highly active older generation can maintain their lifestyle longer with GaryWear Active Briefs.

Across the world, aging Baby Boomers are reaching retirement age. Or are they?

According to an Adelaide Now article by Malcolm King, the Baby Boomer generation maybe reaching retirement age, but they are doing so with vigor. Retirement today, where medical science has added 25 years on average to our lifespan, means new pursuits such as studying, renovating cars or homes, traveling or changing careers.

The article states that by 2030, the number of Americans older than 65 will grow by 75 percent to 69 million people. While images of old age generally include incontinence, decrepitude and losing one’s marbles, writes King, modern medicine in the next 30 years will greatly reduce severity of cancers, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.

This means that this highly active older generation may feel better for longer–hold on grandkids, grandpa wants to play ball.

At GaryWear, we see this every day with our line of incontinence pants for men and women. Our older customers embody the spirit of active living. They may have lost control of their bladder or bowel movements, but they successfully manage it with our incontinence pants. Men and women who enjoy their demanding careers and travel by airplane  tell us regularly how they seize the day, despite their aging bodies.

Let the adventures begin, Baby Boomers. We’re here to help you maintain your active life—just remember to share your wonderful stories with us.

Our incontinence pants provide extra security, allowing you to get on with your life.

Could we be on the verge of solving incontinence?

A complete medical solution to incontinence maybe decades away, but a recent discovery by Harvard Researchers has shed some light on bladder functionality. Their study revealed the exact mechanism that tells us when our bladder is full.

“The researchers are hopeful that this discovery will lead to finding targets that relieve pain and the constant urge to use the bathroom in people suffering from an overactive bladder,” reads the article in Counsel & Heal.

As our customers know, overactive bladder happens when an individual has bladder contractions and feels an urgent need to empty his bladder. Currently, one solution to prevent embarrassing accidents is to use GaryWear’s incontinence pants over disposable diapers or pads. But with this news, perhaps a permanent solution that addresses the physical issue is around the corner.

Researchers say their study conducted experiments on a group of mice that they genetically altered to lack integrins, a class of proteins responsible for signaling the brain that the bladder needs to be emptied. Researchers say that these proteins send the signals when a thin layer of cells lining the surface of the bladder stretches with the increase of the size of the bladder.

The study revealed that the genetically modified mice had little or no bladder control when compared to the unaltered mice. The researchers say the chances are high of finding a drug that targets these proteins and helps those with incontinence regain control of their bladder.

Doesn’t that sound amazing?

Until then, GaryWear reminds adults who struggle with bladder and bowel control to take back their lives by using Active Brief incontinence pants with a disposable diaper. The extra security provided by our leak-proof and washable incontinence pants will help you minimize leaks throughout your active days and long nights.

Select from six colors in our fabric incontinence underwear.

Make life fun.

That’s our unofficial motto here at GaryWear, where we manufacture reusable incontinence pants. Washable and full of color, our incontinence pants for men and women bring just a little spunk to a market that otherwise features drab product selection.

While, blush, latte, gray, navy and black—it looks like we’re one short for the “seven days of the week” incontinence pant line. But we proudly bring our top-ranking pull up incontinence pant to you in these six bold colors because we know that choice and style always matter. As you have experienced, the PUL fabric and slim fit of our incontinence pant keep your absorbent product in place while bringing you extra security against leaks. Our pant also reduces the bulk of your disposable or reusable diapers allowing you to wear normal clothes and maintain an active life.

Doesn’t a little splash of color help you feel even better about your incontinence pants?

Washable incontinence pants don’t need to be boring. Get GaryWear’s Active Brief in one or all of our six appealing colors and get an effective product in preventing leaks with a side of fun.

But one question remains—what color should we manufacture to complete our “seven days of the week” incontinence pant line?

Shortly after its launch, the Simon Foundation for Continence was featured in an Ann Landers column. A few days later they received a call from the post office: 30,000 pieces of mail from people impacted by incontinence had arrived. “The need was unbelievable,” said Cheryle Gartley, who started the organization.

I ran across Cheryle’s story in “Taking stigma off incontinence,” an article by Lenna Scott in the Mundelein Review. It reminded me how many people have incontinence and the myriad symptoms and underlying reasons that they face.

As the article highlights, today’s advertisements for incontinence products, like pull up incontinence pants, have normalized the problem to some degree. But tens of thousands of young and aging folks still struggle to manage their incontinence and maintain their self-esteem.

An expert on the issue, Cheryle suggests folks see their doctor and talk about the symptoms they experience. We have to remember that our doctors and nurses have studied all of the problems our bodies face, and talking about incontinence maybe the only path to getting the right solutions. As Cheryle points out, a leak when you lift your grandchild and a sudden urge to urinate are two different symptoms that may have two different diagnoses.

This news article also reminded me that folks of all ages have access to tons of free and easy-to-find information about the best disposable diapers, reusable diapers and pull up incontinence pants the market has to offer. We’re proud to be one of the top-ranking pull up incontinence pants on the market today and hope that we’re helping people across the nation feel as normal today with incontinence as they did yesterday without incontinence.

Has our pull up incontinence pant helped you remove the stigma from incontinence? We’d love to hear your story.

The best adult disposable diaper is reviewed extensively by XP Medical

Are you a numbers person? If so, you might like XP Medical’s numerical evaluation of the best adult disposable diapers.

Owned and operated by an engineer, XP Medical took a very thorough and standardized approach to comparing and testing disposable diapers and their ability to retain bladder releases.

This one-page breakdown of the test results looks at everything from size and thickness to effectiveness in absorbing and wicking liquids. The testers explain their processes in detail on this page, but our takeaway is that they considered three areas:

1. Dry Measurements – These take into account the measurements of the diaper and thickness of the pad.
2. Initial Capacity Testing – This looked at how much liquid it successfully took in and how well the liquid spread throughout the absorbent pad.
3. Rewet Testing – This looks at how well an already wet disposable diaper reabsorbs it’s moisture due to movement. (It’s an important factor in keeping skin dry because you might not always be able to change to a dry diaper right away.)

We like to offer our customers additional resources to learn about incontinence products that they can use to manage their bladder and bowel releases because it’s important to have effective products to use with our waterproof incontinence pants. We share customer testimonials about success stories and we highlight online incontinence resources that collect product information. However, we recognize that word-of-mouth or anecdotal reviews may not work for all folks trying to find effective solutions for incontinence. That’s why we liked this numerical, one-stop-shop look at different aspects of disposable diapers.

As we’ve said before, finding the proper fit and the right absorbent product is essential to ensuring that our waterproof incontinence pant provides the ultimate security in preventing leaks.

Take a look at XP Medical’s numerical breakdown. What do you think of his review of the best adult disposable diapers?

P.S. XP Medical doesn’t currently carry our GaryWear Active Brief, but we think it would be a nice complement to their products. If you think so too, please let him know.  😉

Want to Learn About Men’s Incontinence Pants? Try Continence Central.

Imagine a time before Google when you first realize that you suffer from loss of bladder control. Let’s say you’re a 40-year-old man, and you need men’s incontinence pants. What do you do?

Before Google, you’d visit your doctor, get some brochures and maybe attend support groups. But for the most part, you’d be left on Alone Island testing, learning and possibly suffering through a variety of men’s incontinence pants until you found the right solution.

Perhaps you don’t have to imagine this at all. Perhaps this was you.

We think two of the best benefits of today’s Internet are privacy and access to information.

In today’s world, that same 40-year-old man can still visit his doctor and find support groups, but now he also has access to product reviews on men’s incontinence pants, tips on managing your lifestyle, access to research, and places to have real conversations with real people but with a bit of anonymity.

Just recently, we learned about Simon Foundation for Continence’s launch of Continence Central, a website that showcases a variety of incontinence products, suggestions on how to choose products, where you can buy them and details about insurance and reimbursement programs for incontinence products. Visit it here: http://www.continencecentral.org/

Now think about our 40-year-old man seeking men’s incontinence pants to help him deal with a new diagnosis. There it is—one website with all the information he needs to find the right products to help him live his life.

At GaryWear, we appreciate the work of Simon Foundation for Continence. This nonprofit organization aims to bring the topic of incontinence into the open, which will help the nearly 33 million people suffering from this condition find the support and solutions they need.

We’re happy that our Active Brief, a washable, pull on incontinence pant for men and women, is a product included on the new Continence Central website. We’re also happy to recommend this site to our fictitious 40-year-old man and all of GaryWear’s customers.

Let’s explore the proper absorbent product to wear with GaryWear’s Active Brief, a washable, leak-resistant pant that gives confidence to adults diagnosed with incontinence.

When wearing GaryWear’s incontinence pants, disposable and washable diapers and pads can both greatly benefit from our leak-resistant pant made with breathable material. We look at the successful management of bladder and bowel releases in these three easy-to-remember steps when selecting proper absorbent products:

Quality

Ensure you use high-quality absorbent products as the first step, regardless if that means a disposable diaper, reusable cloth diaper or a heavy pad. For our active customers, especially those with full bladder and bowel releases, quality means that the absorbent product with keep with your active lifestyle and withstand heavy use.

Read James’ testimony to learn more about this.  He received his incontinence diagnosis in the 70s, and only recently retired, but has successfully managed his incontinence through the decades.

Quantity

Whenever possible, change your absorbent product as soon as you have a release. We know that our active customers can’t always immediately change their absorbent product following a bladder release. We’ve heard from frequent travelers, who must outlast long flights,  and factory workers, who go full days without a diaper change.  That’s the beauty of GaryWear’s Active Brief, it gives customers the extra security to live their active lives leak-free. But to ensure the best results, we recommend frequent changes of the absorbent products that your wear under you incontinence pants. Disposable diapers, cloth diapers and pads can all have a place in the successful management of adult incontinence when paired with Active Brief and changed regularly.

Compatibility

Select the proper absorbent product to help you manage incontinence during specific activities or times of day. What you wear during the day at the office, overnight when at home and during travel may all be different. And that’s ok.

The good news about GaryWear’s Active Brief is that its slim-fit design  will help hold in place your absorbent product. It also gives an extra layer of protection to prevent embarrassing leaks. But to maximize its effectiveness, we suggest that you pair it with the proper absorbent products to match your activity and length of use. 

In addition to selecting the right absorbent product, please also read about finding the right fit and proper care for your Active Briefs.

Pull up incontinence pants can help you get on with your life.

We wanted to take a minute to spread a little love this Valentine’s Day. We spend so much time writing about the problems associated with incontinence, we thought we’d take this day of love to remind ourselves of all the wonderful in this world.

Last week, we posted a testimonial from a 72-year-old man who uses our pull up incontinence pants to help him manage this physical condition that he’s had since the 70s. Four decades of incontinence.

His note to us included a life-changing moment when he realized how many Americans have varying levels of incontinence—he wasn’t alone. He didn’t need to be embarrassed. So today, inspired by his note, we extend these reasons to inspire each one of our customers to embrace something they love this Valentine’s Day:

1. Friends and family, who love you no matter what physical conditions you face
2. Online incontinence resources, which share a wealth of information that you can access from your computer in the privacy of your own home
3. Innovation, which allows companies like ours to bring you waterproof and breathable pull up incontinence pants
4. Seasons, that give us opportunities to wear shorts one month and pants another month
5. Chocolate, for giving anyone a reason to smile
6. Long walks on the beach, or through the park, in the forest, in a foreign country or around the block
7. Online retailers, for making purchasing decisions easy and discreet
8. Art, for showing us the world through another person’s eyes
9. Water, for being the main ingredient in delightful drinks like beer, iced tea with fresh lemon and strong coffee
10. Telephones, for giving us connectivity to our loved ones around the world

What do you love about life this Valentine’s Day?

Our Active Brief is a protective incontinence pant.

A few weeks ago, we received a nice note from James (a fictional name, though his testimonial is real) sharing that he wished GaryWear’s protective incontinence pants existed 40 years ago. He mentioned that our washable incontinence pants are a marked improvement over previous protective incontinence pants that he has worn, and he wears them religiously today to minimize the issues associated with incontinence.

Previously, we’ve explored how online incontinence information has raised awareness and provides easy, private access to helpful information for those who are challenged with incontinence. But James’ note made us wonder, how much have products changed since he first received his diagnosis in the 70s?

So we asked.

Currently 72 years of age, James spent most of his career in residential construction. He retired at 70. After his diagnosis in the early 70s, James said he struggled with isolation and embarrassment. But, he had a wakeup moment when his washable diaper service manager informed him that 20 percent of her customers were adults. Incontinence in adults, he learned, was not uncommon.

James said that his first washable diaper service, though out of business now, supplied the diapers plus necessary pins, waterproof pants and diaper bags to carry extra supplies. Today, he still relies on cloth diapers as the best solution, and depends on GaryWear’s Active Brief for a comfortable, reliable protective incontinence pant over his cloth diapers.

He acknowledges that cloth diapers won’t work for everyone and says that today’s excellent disposable diapers are a far cry better than those of yesteryear. After decades of trying incontinence products in different combinations, James suggests buying good quality diapers because the cheap ones won’t withstand an active lifestyle, especially for those people with heavy bladder releases.

Most importantly, he says, change your diaper every 3 – 5 hours to prevent skin damage and maximize your overall comfort.

James’ final tip is to remember that even with today’s most excellent products, sudden and complete bladder releases can lead to leaks. He suggests using GaryWear Active Briefs to prevent wet slacks and beds.

“I wear them all the time,” he says.

The thigh measurement is the most important one.

Fit is everything.

GaryWear designed Active Brief, our washable pull up incontinence pants, with a snug fit. This helps hold your absorbent pad in place, minimize bulk and noise and ensure security from leaks.

Our customers continually rave about these benefits when using our pull up incontinence pant to help them manage full bladder and bowel releases. We believe our customers have consistent successes managing their incontinence because it’s easy to find the perfect fitting Active Brief using these simple steps.

1. Thigh measurement
The most important measurement for preventing leaks is the thigh measurement. Below, you can see the fit and size guide for our pull up incontinence pants, which begins with the thigh measurement. (You can download it here.)

To get an accurate thigh measurement, stand and measure around the top of the thigh. Be sure to keep the tape straight and parallel to the floor and measure around the fullest part.

2. Waist Measurement
You should find your waist measurement around your natural waistline, which is the smallest area of your waist.

This measurement protects against nighttime leaks that may occur at the lower back region.

3. Hips Measurement
To measure your hips, stand with feet together. Keeping your tape measure straight and parallel to the floor, measure around your fullest part.

Remember that our Active Brief pull up incontinence pant fits snug, and we also designed them with enough room accommodate bladder and bowel releases.

Here are some other fit scenarios to keep in mind.

Should you measure your hips with your diaper on?
When measuring for a proper fit with GaryWear’s pull up incontinence pants, measure your hips without wearing a diaper. As you know, diapers are thinnest at the hip area, so we don’t have to accommodate for bulk. (Also, we considered the diaper while creating the Active Brief cut.)

What if I’m wearing a cloth diaper?

No problem, just order your Active Brief one size larger.

Can I order my Active Brief based on my clothing sizes?

Clothing sizes don’t translate to proper sizes for GaryWear Active Brief. Your pant sizes are based on your waist size, but to get the best fit for your pull up incontinence pants, you should rely on your thigh size.

What if my measurements don’t uniformly match GaryWear’s sizing chart?

We recommend focusing on the thigh to make sure you have a comfortable fit at the leg. We designed GaryWear’s Active Brief to help active adults manage their incontinence while fulfilling their lives. This means, you want to ensure you have a proper fit at your thighs to prevent leaks during the day when you’re likely to be standing or sitting.

What if I use pull up pants to prevent leaks during the night?

If you leak at night when you’re sleeping, first make sure you are wearing an ample absorbency product underneath our brief.  And, remember to limit your liquid intake after 6pm.  Our Active Brief is cut slightly higher in the back for more coverage and to prevent leaks if moisture pools at your lower back while sleeping.  But because we all have different body styles, and we don’t always have control over our bodies, in some cases you could experience leaks in the lower back region in addition to through the thigh areas. If that’s the case, considering experimenting with a GaryWear Active Brief that fits tighter at the waist than the thighs.  

What other questions do you have about proper fit for GaryWear Active Brief?

Urology Care Foundation’s website offers great information on incontinence

Will my child be a bedwetter? It’s a question that many adults with incontinence ask. As parents, we strive to protect our young ones from the troubling experiences that we’ve had to navigate throughout the years. For instance, those of us in the Baby Boomer generation are often called out for spoiling our children to counterbalance the rationed childhoods we had. If we struggled with acne, lack of coordination or speech impediments, it’s all too common for parents to do everything in our power to prevent our children from experiencing those same issues. Imagine the intensity of those worries when you wonder if your child will also have adult incontinence.

The good news is that most children can outgrow bedwetting. But, if one or both parents have a history of bedwetting, the risk that their child will wet the bed is several times greater than the general population. (We got these facts from the Urology Care Foundation. Read more about bedwetting by visiting their website.)

According to the Urology Care Foundation, experts believe that bedwetting in children occurs from the combination of these three things:

1. Failure to wake-up, which means the child sleeps through feelings of a full bladder.
2. Increased production of urine while asleep, which means the kidneys work overtime
3. Overactive bladder, which means the child’s bladder contracts leading to a smaller urine capacity

These may sound familiar to our adult customers with incontinence. Some of the treatments that doctors recommend to help people struggling with bladder control may also ring a bell. According to the Foundation, treatments can range from stopping fluid intake long before bedtime, scheduled bathroom trips throughout the night, bladder training exercises, alternative therapies, wetting alarms and, of course, medications.

These, along with some patience, can lead to positive results for young children. By puberty, bedwetting in children drops to the rate of one percent.

The last bit of information on the Foundation’s website mentions that offering your child an absorbent pad with pants has not shown to delay or prevent development of bodily control or training to use the toilet. In fact, it mentions that an absorbent product may decrease friction between the parent and child by lessening the need for laundry and reducing the child’s embarrassment.

We see that these benefits also come to our adult customers who use our washable incontinent pant with an absorbent pad placed inside their underwear.

To learn more about children and bedwetting, we recommend taking a look at Urology Care Foundation.

Easy care washable incontinence wear.

What is the proper care for my GaryWear Active Brief?

We’re so glad you asked.

We think it’s that amazing new PUL fabric that makes many people question how to care for their GaryWear washable incontinence pant. When dealing with a high-tech material like this, it’s not so obvious how to keep them clean and highly functional.

You can read all of the proper fit and care tips on our FAQ page, but let’s examine a few key points.

1. Wash your GaryWear Active Brief after each use
Don’t soak them or use bleach, but feel free to wash in hot or cold water. Do not use pure soap.
2. Hang dry your GaryWear Active Brief
You can also tumble dry on very low settings, but do not use high heat or fabric.
3. Store your GaryWear Active Brief as you would your regular underwear
If you can’t wash your soiled underwear immediately, rinse them out and hang them to dry. Just know that mold may grow on your washable incontinence pant if it sits too long between washings.
4. Do not use rash ointments or creams with your GaryWear Active Brief
Rash ointments and creams cause our washable incontinence pant to malfunction. If you do get rash ointment on your ActiveBrief, give them a normal washing and then apply dishwashing liquid, like Dawn, to the affected areas. Then lightly scrub that area with a toothbrush.

It’s true that after a long while (or if you don’t follow proper care instructions) that your GaryWear Active Brief may lose some reliability. This eventually happens with all PUL fabrics, regardless if it’s our washable incontinence pant or water repelling outdoor gear.

We think it’s important to recognize this so that you don’t get caught with an outdated Active Brief that doesn’t provide the ultimate security. We recommend ordering several pairs now so you always have at least one backup clean pair. But, don’t worry, when the times comes to order a new set, we have several contemporary colors so that you can select your next favorite pair.

GaryWear Newsletter

Our  GaryWear Newsletter comes out quarterly, and is a good source for tips, updates on product developments, and success stories.  You can subscribe to them so they are delivered right to your inbox by inputting your email address in the top right-hand corner of this website.  

PUL fabric has revolutionized our incontinence pant.

It’s likely the number one question we get from our customers seeking leak-proof diaper covers for adults—how can your incontinence pant be both waterproof and breathable?

That’s a good question.

Many adults turn to plastics for their incontinence pants, but they can be very warm in Summer. We knew in order to deliver the best washable incontinence pant on the market, our fabric had to breathe.

Why stop there? We wanted a durable, breathable, washable, waterproof and comfortable fabric. Yes, all of those in one cloth.

Given our parent company’s long history in fabrics and manufacturing, we knew we could find it. We researched many options before we fell in love with the perfect material for our incontinence pant for men and women–PUL.

PUL stands for polyurethane laminate. This means the fabric mill laminates cloth fabric to a thin film of polyurethane. Our incontinence pant uses a lightweight polyester interlock knit fabric (which makes them soft) to a one-millimeter thick film of the polyurethane (which provides protection from leaks and allows the product to breathe). As an added bonus, the manufacturer’s process to create our PUL fabric passes lead- and phthalate-free requirements.

That’s a lot of technical mumbo jumbo. The easiest way to understand how PUL fabric has revolutionized our incontinence pant is by examining other products made with this innovative fabric. While it’s commonly used in reusable baby diapers, it’s also keeping athletes and outdoors people dry through high-tech outer clothing and it’s keeping water inside your shower through designer shower curtains.

Are you still wondering if this product is too good to be true? Don’t take our word for it; read David’s story. He wears GaryWear’s Active Brief to his manufacturing job at a facility that can breach 100 degrees. Our breathable incontinence pant gives him comfort and security to last his 10 – 12 hour workday without a diaper change.

PUL technically stands for polyurethane laminated. At GaryWear and for customers like David, PUL stands for Products U Love.

AdultClothDiaper.com is a great source for incontinence wear and more!

Not too long ago, we shared with you why we sell GaryWear Active Briefs through our trusted online retailers.  In that post, we specifically mentioned AdultClothDiaper.com, a distributor of our reusable incontinence pants, who provides easy, one-stop shopping experiences for customers seeking incontinence solutions.

That got us thinking—why not share the stories of all of our distributor partners? Through the years, we’ve relied on them to help people suffering with incontinence find answers. In that time, we’ve gotten to know them, their stories and how they conduct business. We think the world of them, so let us share their world with you. In our first retailer spotlight, we’ll take a closer look at AdultClothDiaper.com.

Excuse us if we get a little cheesy for a moment, but as a family-owned and operated business, we tear up a bit reading AdultClothDiaper.com’s About Us, where they proudly proclaim themselves as a family-owned and operated business. “That spirit is reflected in our customer service,” they say. As you know, we couldn’t agree more.

One thing that we’ve always respected about this particular online retailer is their holistic approach to managing incontinence. They got their start in infant diapering products because the family had concerns about the environment and their babies’ health. We suppose it should not come as a surprise that their solid customer service and quality products eventually led to adults asking for products that they could use. This culminated with the 2001 launch of their website dealing specifically with adult incontinence pants and solutions.

It comes as no surprise to us, but currently, our Active Brief reusable incontinence pant for men and women reigns as one of their top-rated products. Posted next to it is the other top-rated item, the LeakMaster All-in-One Adult Cloth Diaper.

In addition to a plethora of reusable adult diapers and our washable incontinence pant, they sell a variety of products including an adult swim diaper, mattress covers, and even bamboo spa robes.

Bamboo spa robe, you ask? If you’re curious about this last item, please read this blog post about New Year’s Resolutions and Taking Life by the Horns, get the spa robe and then treat yourself to a massage.) It’s the little things like this that make us value AdultClothDiaper.com’s thoughtful approach to incontinence solutions.

Earlier this month, I received a letter from National Association For Continence explaining everything that it accomplished in 2013—its 30^th year of business.  This group utilizes education, collaboration and advocacy to support people affected by incontinence. Among the facts that it shared from 2013 was that its website exceeds 55,000 monthly visitors.

55,000 people?

Wow, what a reminder that you’re not alone. That’s likely 55,000 people looking for support, information, research and help to guide them through the physical and emotional impacts that incontinence causes. The association is a true asset for our community, for those affected by this medical condition that is often too taboo to openly discuss.

Speaking of normalizing this issue, another of its accomplishments from the year includes a public awareness campaign leading up to Nation Bladder Health Week.   The website shares a wealth of information about bladder health in easy-to-understand ways. You can watch videos on its youtube channel, follow them on twitter and like them on facebook. Each one of these mediums has useful tips, interesting facts and stories.

One item I saw on the website today was a blog post about bad bladder habits.  According to the site, our body uses frequent urination to keep our bladders in healthy shape. This means if we hold the urge to urinate for long periods of time while we are young or during work as adults, we could potentially harm our bladder health. It’s information like this that makes this site eye opening.

Another valuable resource that you can find on the Association’s website is a list of products to help you manage your incontinence. If you’re new to living with incontinence, this list of products can give you a place to start when looking for the right solutions for you. If you’ve had incontinence for many years, you may find newer products, like our pull-up incontinence pant, and other items to improve how you’ve historically managed your incontinence issues.

I encourage you visit www.nafc.org to learn more about this organization and experience the depth of support for people living with incontinence.

Make that 55,001.

It’s not a secret that many customers with incontinence struggle with sweating and stickiness while wearing disposable diapers and incontinence pants. Thick protective layers like that can cause heat. Imagine this situation when working at a manufacturing facility that can get upwards 120 degrees and hotter.

That’s what our customer David (name changed to protect his identity) deals with on a daily basis.

A very active professional in his mid-50s, David also has incontinence.  Given his job at a manufacturing facility, he sometimes goes 10 – 12 hours without a diaper change. And his workplace reaches temperatures over 100 degrees, making wearing adult diapers and a protective washable incontinence pant extremely challenging.

David generously offered to help us test our GaryWear Active Brief during our development stages. Because of his workplace environment, David doesn’t wear protective pants because most are made of plastic and become too hot to wear. But, as part of our study group, he agreed to carefully examine the quality and effectiveness of our incontinence pants and give us detailed feedback on what worked and didn’t work.

“I’m ecstatic,” he said.

For David, GaryWear’s washable incontinence pant gave him an extra layer of protection through his long, hot day at work, and the fit impressed him. “I couldn’t hear them,” he said, noting that the slim fit meant there was less fabric to crinkle and rustle under his clothes. He said that the fabric breathed enough to allow him to wear the pull-up incontinence pant over his disposable diaper, even when we was at work. He also tried the reusable incontinence pant at night, which helped him sleep better because he didn’t have to worry about leaks. In fact, he had no leaks throughout the night when he wore GaryWear incontinence pants—even when we slept on his side.

For David, it all comes down to quality of life. With GaryWear on his side, a better quality of life just got a little easier.

Lessons from a Cat: Maintain Your Independence When You Are Incontinent

We’re going to talk about a cat.

Not just any cat, but the feline that inspired David Dosa’s book “Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat.”

Oscar lives in a hospice home keeping company those who are near the end of their lives and the family that they leave behind. He has an unfailing ability to know who will be the next patient to pass, and he spends his time in that patient’s room keeping them company until that day arrives. Dr. Dosa, the doctor who runs the hospice and wrote the book, wanted to understand how Oscar impacted surviving family members, so he visits with them to learn what they thought of Oscar’s presence.

The book is eye opening. Its unfettered stories show how family members deal with their aging parents losing memory, losing control of their bodily functions and losing their independence. Young families who have aging baby boomer parents must read this book.

At GaryWear, we don’t have a cat like Oscar, but we hear stories about aging seniors and their caring family members. Many of the customers we help aren’t thinking about hospice yet, but seek solutions to help them maintain their active lives. But, just like the book shares, possibly the hardest part of learning to live with incontinence is acknowledging your loss of independence. And for the caring family members, it’s watching your loved one grow old. That’s one of the biggest revelations that Dr. Dosa exposes—families hold onto the image of their loved one at the peak of his/her health, often refusing to accept the frail reality of aging.

Because so many of our customers experience incontinence while living active lives, we’re happy to offer a washable incontinence pant that gives an extra layer of protection.  Our ActiveBrief has a slim fit with numerous benefits, and we believe that this leak-proof cover for disposable diapers gives its wearer confidence to attack the day. It becomes clear in this book that maintaining one’s independence is one of the most important aspects of life, and we think our incontinence pants help our customers do just that.

Certainly, very little in this world can help us prepare for the tough reality of watching our loved ones grow old. Though, we recommend reading “Making Rounds with Oscar” to gain a deeper understanding of those relationships and to learn a bit about the companionship of a cat, even if his name isn’t Oscar.

Do you know your 2013 resolutions? We think this year should be about taking life back—let’s grab it by the horns and have the ride of our lives.

For all of our friends of GaryWear and our growing customer base who struggle with incontinence issues on a daily basis, we recommend this set of New Year’s Resolutions for 2013. We want this year to be free from economy woes, embarrassing leaks and fears of new things. We want this to be the year that we take life back.

• Spend More Time With Family – It’s said all too often: life is short. This New Year let’s resolve to spend one less hour at work, one less hour in front of the TV and one less hour on Facebook, and invest all of that time chatting with our children, playing with our parents and brunching with our brothers.
• Spoil Ourselves – It seems simple, but this New Year lets resolve to invest a few extra dollars in quality products that will help us live active lives without the worries of embarrassing bladder leaks. The economy struggles, the housing market stagnates and the job market looks bleak. But in 2013, we’ll spoil ourselves with a few pairs of GaryWear Active Brief incontinence pants to give us the security to leave home, go out after work and play at the park a little longer. Because we deserve it.
• Try One New Thing – That’s it: in 2013, we resolve to try one new thing. The adventure terrifies us but also makes us feel alive. We can do it. With the love of our family on our side and the security from a reliable diaper cover, we will break out of our regular routine and test drive a new car, fly somewhere we’ve never been, rent a bike to ride a new path, or buy that fancy dress we’ve always wanted to wear. This is the year to add spice to life and do one thing that we have always dreamed about.

What resolutions are you making?

The holidays are about spending time with others and seeing their eyes light up when they open the perfect gift. We love the sparkling holidays lights and the spiked eggnog, too. And, we also believe that this is the time of year to treat ourselves to a little something special.

This holiday season, treat yourself to a little extra protection from diaper leaks and give yourself a little extra discreetness when managing your incontinence solutions.

We’ve talked about our Active Brief incontinence pant for men and women and how it eases travel stress, improves quality of life at work and home and gives comfort overnight. Why wait any longer to treat yourself to a few pairs so that you can experience these joys throughout the year?

You can always buy multiple pairs of your favorite color or get one of each. We have white, blush, latte, gray, navy and black. Each of these incontinence pants has a slim fit, tight elastic around the legs and breathable and durable fabric. This holiday treat to yourself will give you a dependable layer of protection that helps hold your pad or diaper in place to ensure you can beat the long holiday trips and spend more time with your family.

The Active Brief is the gift that keeps giving all year because it’s washable , too, so you can reuse it time and time again.

We also think you should splurge on yourself and pick up a discreet travel bag. Made from the same durable fabric, our travel bags help you carry an extra diaper for those on-the-go changes and provide you with a place to dispose of your soiled diapers until you find a proper receptacle.

Happy holidays to you. May you find time to enjoy with your family and loved ones. May you find time off from work and some delicious holiday treats to enjoy. May you also treat yourself to a gift this holiday season.

Get GaryWear Active Briefs online

Get GaryWear Active Briefs Through Online Retailers

For more than 20 years, we’ve have designed and manufactured high-quality incontinence wear and related incontinence products for customers around the world. In this time, we’ve relied on our distributor partners to sell our products and connect our customers to high-quality incontinence solutions.

Why do we mention this to you? Our customers sometimes ask us why we don’t sell direct. We’re a family-owned business with a long history of innovation, and we manufacture our products in our facility based in San Diego. We value our relationships in this industry, and a large part of our success has come from our knowledgeable distributor partners across the U.S.

Our distributors offer one-stop centers for all of your incontinence needs. They carry our pull up incontinence pants and many also sell our washable diapers as well. But in addition to GaryWear Active Brief, these retailers also offer a variety of other products to help you manage incontinence.

For example, check out our friends at AdultClothDiaper.com. They built their entire business on the concept that obtaining quality and reusable products to help manage incontinence should be easy and hassle free. They have committed themselves to selling economic and durable products with a nod to environmentally sustainable multiple-use products. They instantly liked our Active Brief pull up incontinence pant because it fits into their business model.

AdultClothDiaper.com is a great example of a partner distributor that provides easy access and one-stop shopping experiences to make buying incontinence solutions easy for our customers.

We also know that many of our distributors landed into this business because they also have bladder-control challenges. This means they know firsthand the struggles that our costumers face and also the solutions that can help. We believe they know and understand the difference in our quality waterproof incontinence pants from the other, cheaper brands that don’t demand the best results from their products.  We know this because we ask our retailers for feedback.

Many of our distributors also have practical advice on the types and combination of products that can help their customers effectively manage incontinence. We think this is a valuable part of the purchasing decision. They have time-tested knowledge, which is priceless.

Thinking about buying your next pair of pull up incontinence pants? Go right ahead—find your favorite local retailer on GaryWear’s website.

Overactive Bladder Impacts 20 Million Women in the U.S.

Overactive Bladder Impacts 20 Million Women in the U.S.

Are you one of them? If so, according to the PFD Alliance, there’s an 80 percent chance that you will never seek treatment.  In its article on overactive bladder in women,  the PFD Alliance says that most women will try to manage their condition on their own through coping strategies such as wearing pantiliners and dark clothing, toilet mapping and avoiding social activities.

The organization says that the long-term impacts of these individual coping strategies may lead to a decline in quality of life, lost productivity and increased psychological distress.

Overactive bladder is often described as an uncontrollable urge to go to the bathroom with additional symptoms such as an involuntary loss of urine, a frequent need to urinate (as much as 8 times or more a day) and waking during the night to urinate. If this sounds like you, treatment may help. The news article recommends working with an urogynecologist and having a more knowledgeable conversation with your doctor.

At GaryWear, we meet all types of people dealing with varying levels of bladder control, or lack of control. Our customers range from those experiencing uncontrollable bladder releases for the first time to those who have dealt with it for a lifetime. We also meet young adults seeking solutions for their senior parents.

Everyday we see the quality of life impacts and psychological distress that incontinence causes men and women. That’s why we are determined to offer solutions to help our customers gain independence from incontinence. We created the GaryWear Active Brief, an incontinence pant to give customers more confidence in their absorbent product so they can continue living an active life.

If you are one of those 20 million women in the U.S. suffering from overactive bladder, please read up on the issue and seek the appropriate medical care.  As the PFD Alliance says, get the help you need to “Break Free Today.” Should your condition continue to decline or should you need a little extra protection for long holiday trips or throughout the night, contact us. We’re here to keep you active.

When we first tested our Gary Active Brief in user groups, we learned that the slim fit of our incontinence pants mattered for men and women both. Perhaps it goes without stating, but when an active adult manages his incontinence, he wants discreet products that fit under his regular clothes. No one wants to wear a bulky incontinence diaper that bulges under his clothes. Today, we will deconstruct the slim design of the Gary Active Brief and closely the benefits.

Fits Under Regular Clothes

This attention to a slim-fit design in our adult diaper cover means that men and women can wear the Gary Active Brief incontinence pant over their diaper for extra confidence. And not get noticed or notice it. The slim fit of our incontinence pants means that our customers can continue to wear their favorite pair of jeans because the Gary Active Brief fits comfortably underneath.

Less Fabric Means Less Rustling

But sometimes, it’s the noise of bulky incontinence products that make our customers feel noticeable.  That’s another benefit of the slim design of our incontinence pants.  Men and women tell us that they feel the Gary Active Brief is more discreet because it has less fabric rustling. It’s simple math, really—the less fabric you have to manage, the less noise our Gary Active Brief makes.

Fits Like a Second Skin

Our user groups also told us that many adults dealing with incontinence feel frustrated when their absorbent guards, pantiliner, pad or diaper move out of place, which causes leaks.  That’s why our test group loved the slim fit of our Gary Active Brief. It fits like a second skin to hold your absorbent in place, but it allows enough room for your diaper to grow and expand with moisture.

Higher Cut For Added Protection at Night

We manage all of this without sacrificing the higher cut in the back. Our customers appreciate the extra protection against moisture that can pool in the lower back region, especially over night.

What do you think are the benefits of the slim fit?

Giving Thanks for an Active Life with Incontinence

We’re seeing this trend hit Facebook  where our friends count down things they are thankful for this November. Things like, “I’m thankful for the air we breathe” and “I’m thankful for my job.” We like this idea of focusing on the happy and the positive.  Though we hear from our customers on a regular basis, and we know that life throws challenging curve balls that make it hard to appreciate what we have. In honor of our customers who battle incontinence—men and women, older and younger—we share these reasons that we give thanks this holiday season.

At GaryWear, we’re thankful for products, like incontinence pants for men and women—that make life easier.  We’ve ordered every incontinence product on the market to review their strength, longevity, durability and comfort. We know that many companies market ineffective products that offer little protection to individuals who need peace of mind to live their lives. But we’ve also seen the quality diapers and incontinence pants that our customers can depend on to capture full bladder releases and to protect its wearer throughout the night. We give thanks that research and development has led to these superior products that promise and deliver security.

We also give thanks to our users who spend countless hours testing and reviewing our incontinence pants. Men and women who didn’t choose to loose control of their bladder, but who give their time to support our development of better products to help customers just like them across the nation. We’ve heard private details about embarrassing airport security checks and devastating accidents during the night, but all in the hopes that we can continue to bring to the market the best products to help adults effectively manage their incontinence. It’s the transparency and honesty of our customers that drive our innovation and push us to say, “What now?”

We’re also thankful for our friends and family. GaryWear is a family-owned business that manufactures its products in the U.S.A. We take great pride in supporting our community. We take great pride in working as a family. It’s this unique perspective and organizational nimbleness that encourages and allows us to listen to our users and perfect our incontinence pants for men and women.

You tell us, for what are you thankful this holiday season?

Tips for traveling with incontinence

The holiday travel woes—you can count on it like clockwork.  Every year at this time massive media coverage overtakes our airwaves counting delayed flights due to devastating storms and sad stories of families sleeping in airports. The reports can make the healthiest globetrotter give second thought to air travel during the holiday season. Can you imagine the additional worries of traveling while dealing with incontinence?

If you can, you’re not alone. An estimated 13 million adults suffer from some form of incontinence, and we bet a good amount of those adults will be traveling this holiday season to spend time with their loved ones, eat a first (and second) turkey dinner and maybe watch some football.

To navigate longer security lines and outlast flight delays, we offer these three travel tips to our customers who have incontinence to give you comfort and control of your travels.

• Beat the Body Scanners

Skip the massive diaper. Men and women tell us that the sensitive airport body scanners will notice heavy diapers, which often results in the traveler getting escorted to a secondary search. It’s humiliating to have to explain this to your travel buddy, let alone a complete stranger in the pat down area. Don’t get noticed by taking your trip through security in a pair of our underwear with an absorbent guard, pantiliner, or pad. This is much more discreet, and just enough to protect you through the security line. Once you successfully proceed through security, then find the nearest bathroom to prepare for the flight by changing back into your normal diaper underneath our GaryWear Active Briefs.

• Prep for the long haul

Possibly the longest part of your journey, the actual airplane portion has a lot of unknowns. You could be stuck at the gate for delayed flights or maybe in the plane on the tarmac waiting for takeoff. No one wants to gamble with light or faulty products that may not handle a full bladder release or protect against leaking solids. That’s why we recommend wearing a diaper made for heavy incontinence with our pants. Men and women can get extra security with their disposable diaper by layering a GaryWear Active Brief over it. Our customers tell us that the leak-resistant fabric and strong elastic bands have given them the protection they need to outlast long flights and unexpected travel delays.

• Carry Extra Protection

The worst possible scenario is that you beat the body scanners, outlast the long flight and arrive to find that your luggage didn’t make the connection. But don’t worry—we already thought about that for you. Carry a discreet travel bag complete with an extra diaper and a GaryWear Active Brief that you can rely on until you track down your luggage or make it to the nearest store to get supplies. The best benefit of the Gary travel bag is that you can pack your soiled diaper in it until you can find proper receptacles for disposal.

Are you a holiday travel titan who also suffers from incontinence? Please share with our readers your tips to help them tackle the holiday travel.

At GaryWear, we know it might not be your first choice to buy incontinence underwear.  But we want to give you some choices in this matter, so we have provided a fabric color palette ranging from blush to latte.

Of course we offer the standard black and white, but we have six fabric color options for you, including gray and navy.  Our incontinence briefs are slim and non-bulky and look like standard underwear, even as they work to keep you dry.

Select from six colors in our fabric incontinence underwear.

We sent some samples of our fabric incontinence underwear out for consumer testing last year as we worked on developing our line of Active Briefs. Here is a quote from one of the testers of our fabric incontinence underwear:

“This last sample was so good I couldn’t believe it. They made some major changes and even sent mine in a dark blue color which was really great. Wearing it over my diapers I have gotten much more sleep and less concern about leaks when I am out/work all day.”

His comment was online at www.mdjunction.com  They offer a Urinary Incontinence Support Group, and are, “a community of patients, family members, and friends dedicated to dealing with Urinary Incontinence, together.”

What do you think about the color selection of our GaryWear fabric incontinence underwear?

How do you know if you need to buy your incontinence pants extra large, or any other size for that matter?

Sizing incontinence pants can be a challenge at first, but once you take the time to get the measurements right, you will realize how worthwhile the upfront effort was!

Our incontinence pants are available in extra large sizes and have room for an absorbent product underneath.

Every package of our Active Briefs features instructions on how to get the right fit, along with a sizing chart. It makes all the difference for leak protection, not to mention comfort.

The most important measurement for incontinence pants, whether you purchase extra large or extra small, is the thigh.  To get the right fit, measure while standing.  You must measure around the fullest part of the top thigh.  Be sure to keep the measuring tape straight and parallel to the floor.  Then take your waist measurement, around your natural waistline, (that’s the smallest part of your waist).  Next, get your hip measurement by standing, (feet together) and measuring around the fullest part while again keeping the measuring tape straight and parallel to the floor.

Take those three numbers (thigh, waist, and hips) and look at the size chart on our Active Brief package.  Our incontinence pants are extra large to extra small – we have a range of eleven sizes available, from 5XL to 3XS.  We have already taken into account that there’s an absorbent product underneath the Active Brief, thus you can just select your size.

If you are between sizes, you will want to choose the smaller size to assure the best leak control.

Whether you need to buy incontinence pants extra large or extra small, get the right fit for the security you can depend on.