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5 Best Bladder Leak Products For Guys After Service

Ray Hutchins.
By Ray Hutchins i
Writer / SFC, US Army (Ret.)
Updated 2 days ago | 4 min read
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About Ray

Ray served twenty years in the Army, from Kuwait in '91 to retirement in '09. He writes for Prime Men's Health, testing gear and sharing what works, so the next guy doesn't have to figure it out alone. Off the page, he's an early morning runner and a proud father and grandfather.

Title

Army. 24th Infantry. Kuwait, '91. Twenty years in, retired in '09.


The VA connected my PTSD. The leaks, they didn't. If you've filed a claim, you know how that goes.


Doesn't matter where yours come from. Prostate surgery, a bad back, the stress, or the VA just said no. You've got them. Now what.


The problem I learned the hard way: Most leak protection isn't made for men who move. It shifts. It leaks out the sides. It leaves you wet. You end up planning your day around bathrooms and rest stops.


Guys kept asking me what actually works. So I tested everything for three months: morning runs, the gym, long drives.


If you know your daily pad count off the top of your head, this list is for you.


Here are the 5 best:

TLDR: Menvault All-Day Protection Boxer Briefs came in #1 because they're washable and reusable (finally!), they actually hold enough for a full day without leaking (like a full can of soda), they look and feel like normal underwear so nobody can tell, and there's no odor. I switched to these and haven't looked back.

1. Menvault All-Day Protection Boxer Briefs

I expected to rank Menvault #2. The price made me suspicious.

Fourteen months into dealing with this, I've been through most of what's on this list. I know what a shifted guard feels like by hour two. I know what a side leak looks like on light grey trousers.

So I wore these for a week. Morning runs, a four-hour drive, two full workdays, one overnight.

They held. One heavier morning I felt some warmth, but nothing reached my pants. My days run two to three pads. These handled it.

Here's what the guards on this list can't do: cover where men actually leak. Tena and Depend put everything in one strip down the middle. Menvault builds protection into the front, inner leg sides, and back, where leaks actually go.

They also come with a separate washable guard you can slip in on heavier days, or leave out when you don't need it. Doesn't bunch, doesn't shift. No other product on this list gives you that.

The fabric is OEKO-TEX certified bamboo, independently tested for harmful substances. It kills odor at the source instead of masking it. Best odor control of anything I tested.

Wash them like your regular laundry. I've been rotating 4 pairs for months. Still tight, still absorbing like day one. $99.95 for a 4-pack made me suspicious. Three months in, I haven't bought a disposable since. The math isn't close.

One more thing I didn't expect: a veteran discount, applied automatically at checkout. No forms, no proof of service uploads. First brand on this list that bothered.

Downsides: Only comes in three colors: black, navy, and grey.

I feel normal again. That's what I paid for.

PROs:

Looks and feels like normal underwear

Holds up to 10 fl oz over 12 hours (the same volume as a full can of soda)

Washable and reusable (saves you money)

No smell, no damp feeling

Invisible under your clothes (also with tight pants or light color khaki’s)

Works overnight

Includes an extra guard for days when you need more protection

Discreet packaging 

Veteran discount applied automatically at checkout

CONs:

Only available on the manufacturer's website

Not issued through the VA, you pay out of pocket (the automatic veteran discount helps)

Only black, navy and grey

This is what I use and recommend, and it's exactly why it earned the #1 spot.

One thing worth knowing: they go out of stock. I've seen them unavailable for weeks at a time. If they're in stock when you're reading this, I wouldn't sit on it.

Buy it here

2. Tena Guards for Men

Tena Guards earned my #2 spot. Disposable pads made for men, two absorbency levels (Level 2 and Level 3).

They handled light to moderate leaks pretty well. The sticky back kept them in place okay in tight underwear. Easy to find in stores, and the shape is actually made for men.

The bad news: they need perfect positioning or you get side leaks. As you move, the pad shifts. Menvault stays put because it's built in. These don't.

They feel bulky and make a crinkly sound when walking. They overflow sooner than the label claims. The adhesive is inconsistent, too strong one day (bonds to your underwear), too weak the next (pad bunches up).

The cost adds up fast. About $0.79 per pad (via Amazon), changing 3 times a day, I was spending over $70 a month on stuff I threw away. Over $850 a year.

One note: my VA doesn't carry these, so I paid out of pocket. Yours might be different. Worth a call before you buy.

PROs:

Easy to find in stores

Different absorbency levels available

Shape made for men

CONS:

Need perfect positioning or they leak

Wings are not sticky

Feel bulky and make noise

Cost $850-$1000 per year

Adhesive quality inconsistent

Don't hold as much as claimed

No discreet packaging

Good for travel of backup, but the cost and leak risk dropped Tena to #2.

Buy it Here

3. Depend Guards for Men

Depend Guards came in 3rd place. Maximum absorbency disposable pads that many guys start with.

They handle heavier leaks than Tena and are wider at the top. The best part: they hold a lot. I wore one all day (6 hours) without changing. But they get damp fast, and the sticky back still shifts.

They're bulky. Visible bump under clothes, especially dress pants. You feel like you're smuggling something.

They're also too narrow, which caused side leaks. These are just bigger versions of lighter pads. The adhesive left residue on my underwear that wouldn't wash out.

Full disclosure: I get these free through my VA. Took a call and some patience. And yes, that works even with my claim denied. Compensation and health care are two different systems. They wouldn't connect the leaks, but they'll still treat them. One thing I've noticed though: every batch feels a little different. Some hold like they should, some feel thinner and soak through faster. Same box, same label, different pad.

If you're buying retail: without VA health care, or if your VA doesn't carry them, about $0.25 to $0.29 per guard (via Amazon) at 3 changes daily runs $360 to $500 a year or more.

PROS:

Handle heavy leaks well

Hold a lot (6 hours)

Widely available in stores

Strong adhesive stays in place

Enrolled in VA health care? Ask your provider. My VA issues these at no cost

CONS:

Very bulky with visible bump under clothes

Too narrow, can cause side leaks

Cost $360 to $500+ per year (If no VA health care)

Adhesive leaves residue on underwear

Feel like wearing a diaper

No discreet packaging

They work for heavy leaks at home, but the bulk and cost dropped Depend Guards to #3.

Buy it here

4. Depend Shields for Men

Depend Shields came in 4th place. The light absorbency option, thinner and less bulky than Guards.

For drips and dribbles after the bathroom, they work okay. Thin enough that I forgot I was wearing one.

The catch: they're only for very light leaks. Anything more than a few drops leaked through. Online reviews say the same.

They hold maybe 2 to 4 ounces max. Menvault holds 10 ounces (300ml) without leaking.

You also need perfect positioning. They're too narrow, so if one sits wrong, the leak hits your underwear anyway. Worst at night when I shifted around.

The wings aren't sticky, so they roll up and create gaps. I ended up adding my own double-sided tape.

My VA doesn't issue these. These I paid for myself.

The cost adds up. $0.30 to $0.50 per shield at 1 to 3 changes daily is $110 to $550 a year.

PROS:

Very thin and discrete

Easy to forget you're wearing them

Stick well to underwear

Easy to carry spares

Cons:

Only for very light leaks

Hold 2 to 4 ounces max

Need perfect positioning or they leak

Wings roll up and create gaps

Cost $110 to $550 per year

Good for very light protection when you need discretion, but the limited capacity dropped Shields to #4.

Buy it here

5. Depend Incontinence Underwear

Depend Incontinence Underwear came in 5th place. Pull-up style disposable underwear (adult diapers) for heavy incontinence.

For severe leaks, these are maximum protection. Full coverage that pads can't match. I had fewer side leaks and felt more contained. More than a guy at my level needs.

But they're bulky and hot, especially in summer. They look and feel like baby diapers.

Same VA story as the Guards: mine issues these free, and the batch quality is just as hit or miss.

You can tell you're wearing something under clothes. The elastic leg openings chafed my skin on long wear.

If you're buying retail: without VA health care, or if your VA doesn't carry them, $0.77 per piece (in bulk) at 1 to 2 changes daily is $280 to $560 a year minimum. Summer pushes it higher.

PROS:

Maximum protection for severe leaks

No side leaks or missed areas

Can handle overnight use

Enrolled in VA health care? Ask your provider. My VA issues these at no cost

CONS

Extremely bulky and hot

Look and feel like diapers

Visible under clothing

Cost $550 to $800 per year (If no VA health care)

Cause chafing and skin irritation

Massive overkill for light to moderate leaks

No discreet packaging

These work for severe incontinence. For a two-to-three-pad guy, they're too much. The bulk, heat, and diaper feeling dropped them to #5.

Buy it here

And The Winner Is…

The winner is Menvault All-Day Protection Boxer Briefs.
 

They look and feel like normal underwear. Nobody can tell the difference. They held my heaviest test days without reaching my pants, the OEKO-TEX certified bamboo kills bacteria at the source so there's no odor, and after months of regular washing the absorbency still works like day one.
 

Where the others fell short: Tena shifted and overflowed. Depend Guards left residue on my underwear and created a visible bump under dress pants. The Shields simply didn't hold enough for anything beyond a few drops. The pull-up underwear worked but felt like wearing a diaper in August. Menvault just worked every single day.
 

They also hold 10 fl. oz for a full 12 hours, more than double what Depend Shields managed in testing. And the protection sits front, back, and inner leg sides, not just down the middle like every disposable on this list.
 

They have a 30 day money back guarantee too. Worth knowing before you commit. One more thing: the veteran discount I mentioned applies automatically at checkout. Worth checking before you pay full price.

Summary

#1 Menvault All-Day Protection Boxer Briefs

Buy it here

#2 Tena Guards

Buy it here

#3 Depend Guards

Buy it here

#4 Depend Shields

#5 Depend Incontinence Underwear

Buy it here

Buy it here
10 Comments
  1. Dave5567 says:

    Thanks for this review brother @Ray. Fourteen months in, here's my honest tally. I was burning through two to three disposables a day (got them via my VA Pharmacy). Three months on the Menvault rotation, I haven't used a single pad. They handle my two to three pad days without me thinking about it, and for the first time since this started I'm wearing what feels like normal underwear. Not a miracle. A better tool. Tested them for 30 days. Worth a shot.

  2. uw2lincoln says:

    Good comparison. I tried the Depends first since that’s what the VA provided, but they were a no go for me. The VA didn’t have anything else that worked, so I bought Menvault around month 4. Glad I did. I’m on my feet coaching all day and they’ve held up through a full 8 hour shift without an issue. They actually feel like normal underwear, which makes a big difference. Wish I’d tried them sooner.

  3. James McConaghy says:

    Are Menvault boxer briefs easy to wash? Because others did not...

    1. Robert H profile
      Ray Hutchins says:

      Hi @James, yes, I just wash them cold or warm with regular detergent. Line dry or tumble dry low (dry very fast). I have been using them for over a year now and they still work great.

  4. David S. says:

    Using Menvault for 6 months now. Wife has no idea they're any different from my regular underwear. That's exactly what we guys need.

  5. Frank R says:

    Do they work for overnight protection? And second, do they hold moderate leaks?

    1. Robert profile
      Ray Hutchins says:

      @Frank Yeah, I wear them at night too. They give me peace of mind, and honestly my wife likes them better than what I was using before haha. They handle moderate leaks really well. If you're dealing with really heavy incontinence though, you might want to look at Depend incontinence underwear instead. Ask your VA first.

  6. George L says:

    How many pairs do I need?

    1. Robert profile
      Ray Hutchins says:

      @George Hi George, I got 7 pairs (one for each day of the week) so you always have clean ones while others are in the wash. Not sure what offer they currently have but you can also start with 4 pairs. They have a money back guarantee so you can try without risk like I did.

  7. William P says:

    My buddy is using Menvault. Ordered them yesterday. Hope they will work for me.

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