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I've been reading some posts on the message board about people that have breathable plastic pants that don't cause you to sweat. I'm looking for something to protect me that keeps me cool. I have alot of diarrhea and I'm worried about leakage. I drive 45 minutes to get to school and I've had some close calls where the stool was traveling up the back of the diaper and almost came out. Not a good situation as I did not have a change of clothes and I was going to class. So can anyone point me in the right direction of where I can get some breathable plastic pants that are not too big and thick. Im looking for something that I can wear out and about for everyday use. They will be going over my disposable diapers and underneath jeans and shorts in the summer. I don't want something too conspicuous. Can anyone help me? I'm exploring the possiblity of a Euroflex pant. Can anyone tell me more about this?

Hi Don,

I don't believe there are any "breathable" plastic pants or rubber pants for that matter....tho the impression of comfort is a whole different thing with some folks reporting plastic pants feeling cooler than rubber pants and vice versa.

But for actual breathability you need to look to coated fabric pants. One of the first I tried and still like very much is Duraline's Dura tex waterproof pants. Find them at www.dmponline.com I think they are still reasonably priced and are certainly thin and comfortable.

Kins also offers two pants that are breathable, a light thin nylon pant, #10300 and a slightly heavier version, called mid weight, polyester pant, #10200.

The breathable waterproof pants when worn over cloth diapers will develope a damp clammy feel as the cloth diaper gets wet but under most circumstances will not allow enough moisture thru to create a wet spot on your outer wear. Since you wear disposables, that won't be a factor at all. Try the lighter pants first and if they are what you are looking for and want something more rugged, try the Kins polyester.

I believe Euroflex is a Gary Mfg'g term for urethane pants. The majority of plastic pants are vinyl (PVC) but urethane (polyurethane) is a great plastic for making pants as it is stronger than vinyl and highly resistant to oils in rash creams that cause vinyl pants to stiffen and become uncomfortable to wear. In your case with fecal incon you most likely are going to want to use a rash cream (like Desitine) liberally as a preventative measure to shield your skin from the caustic digestive acids that are in stool. Urethane pants are a much better bet for you in that case. And, urethane is the material most often used to waterproof fabric pants...the nylon and polyester pants we mentioned earlier.

The difference between urethane plastic pants and the treated waterproof pants is the plastic pants are not breathable but the fabric pants are, due to the thread of the nylon or polyester pant being treated with urethane...makes the pant pretty much waterproof but with tiny spaces between the woven threads to allow breathing.

Good luck and good for you to plug ahead with school and not let incon get in your way!

JoeK

Don,

There is a company that sells what they call an "Adult Pilcher" pant made from a material similar to Gortex that is breathable but will not let moisture pass through. I think it may be an Aussy company. I have not tried these pants but saw them when I was shopping for new plastic pants. I believe they have discontinued production of them but still have some stock available. Web site is www.physiosupplies.com.au/acatalog.Mens_Pilch

I know nothing about this business except that they claim their material is breathable.

There are a few companies that state that their PUL (polyurethane laminate) pants are breathable but so far I haven't found any that are breathable. During the warm weather months I will normally wear snap=on plastic pants which allow air to circulate.

Hey Don, I use a coverpant when out for extended periods of time, as well as at night, and have only tried the ones from Gabby's website. They come in two levels the lighter is very thin, but works superb, as well as the heavier one. The lighter of the two is here...

http://www.gabbys.net/index.php?main_pa ... ducts_id=9

Heavier is here... http://www.gabbys.net/index.php?main_pa ... ucts_id=36

So far, after 6 months of use, no breakdowns, tears, and I don't find I sweat anymore then normal, the lightweight one is the preferred, especially at night as the bedpad is plenty warm to begin with! I will stay with these, but may try the Kins version next to get a comparison. I did get their basic plastic type coverpant a long time ago, and it didn't last all of 3 months and was dried out and cracked in the crotch, not so with the Gabby ones so far... I always air dry as well, I think that really helps them last longer. Hope this gives you a bit more insight, helps to ask before you waste your $ on something that doesn't work well... Puffy

that the urethane pants are cooler than vinyl. I have been using the urethane pants for so many years I had forgotten how much cooler. I ordered two pair of vinyl pants (they were on sale). The first night I wore a pair I was reminded of the difference!!

Plus the urethane ones last far longer even under heavy use, they do however, seem to retain odors in the urethane, especially fecal odor.

One thing I found about "breathable" pants was that they let odors escape. I am a confirmed urethane pants user. The stuff is tough. I wear one pair for day and a larger pair for night, both over cloth. If a terrible odor gets in the plastic I use a spray bathroom cleaner for mildew removal which contains chlorine bleach. It does not harm the urethane and removes the odor immediately. I spray it on, rub the inside surfaces together and rinse. I usually get more than a year's use out of each pair and it is generally the weakening elastic that consigns a pair to the "emergency reserve" bag. As for killing odors in diapers when I take them off, a little of the blue mouthwash kills the odor before the pre wash rinse.

Powersoak,
You bring up alot of good tips. I don't know that I would be using chlorine bleach on my plastic pants. I see why it would work but I would think that it would harm the material. Thanks for the tips though.

I see that you live in the nations capital. I ran a marathon in DC in 2007. It was a beautiful city. So much history.

But that is the amazing thing about polyurethane pants; they are not harmed by the bleach. I don't have to use it often and it does not stay on them long, but the material is so many light years ahead of vinyl that it is amazing. If only it were quieter.