The Gentleman's Guide to Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence is more common in men than many realize, and it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Whether you're dealing with light leaks or more persistent issues, there are effective male urinary incontinence products available to help you stay dry and confident.

How Male Anatomy Affects Urinary Health

Urinary function in men depends on a complex coordination between the bladder, nerves, urethra, and prostate. When this system is disrupted—whether by aging, muscle weakness, nerve issues, or an enlarged prostate—leaks can happen. Understanding how these components work together is key to choosing the right male incontinence products.

Urinary leaks can happen due to:

• Urge Incontinence: Your bladder squeezes at the wrong time or too hard.
• Stress Incontinence: The muscles around the urethra and pelvic floor are weak and overly relaxed (a slow leak).
• Overflow Incontinence: The bladder is too full (causing an overflow) because the nerves haven’t signaled the bladder to squeeze or the urethra is blocked (often by an enlarged prostate).

Urinary incontinence is most commonly associated with aging, but can affect men of any age. The CDC estimates more than 50% of senior men experience it—making high-quality adult male diapers and related products essential for daily comfort and support.

Light Leakage

Male Guards: The most popular product for managing light to moderate urinary leakage is the male guard. These male incontinence pads are designed with a contoured shape and absorbent core that offer secure coverage while remaining discreet under clothing. With a strong adhesive backing that secures the guard inside regular underwear, they’re a convenient, low-profile solution for daily use.

	TENA Men Protective Guards are anatomically designed for men with light to moderate incontinence, offering secure protection, comfort, and discretion. With a soft, cloth-like cover and a strong adhesive strip, they stay comfortably in place in regular underwear.
	Prevail for Men Guards provide discreet protection for light to moderate urinary leaks with a slim, contoured design that fits easily inside regular briefs. Ideal for daily use, they absorb quickly and help neutralize odor to keep you feeling dry and confident.

Moderate Leakage

Absorbent Underwear: For moderate to heavy leaks, male incontinence underwear offers discreet, full-coverage protection that replaces regular underwear. These products include a super absorbent polymer in the front panel to quickly soak up leaks where men need it most. A cloth-like waterproof shell keeps leaks locked in while maintaining comfort and breathability.

	Tranquility Premium OverNight Underwear offers maximum overnight protection with a Peach Mat core that absorbs between 2.5–4.75 cups of fluid, depending on size. Designed for uninterrupted sleep, it features a full-rise waist panel for a secure fit and tear-away side seams for easy removal. Blue leg elastics and inner leg cuffs provide added leakage protection for a dry and restful night.
	Designed for a secure and discreet fit, GoSupreme Underwear delivers high absorbency without bulk. It’s ideal for both men and women seeking reliable protection for day or night use. The soft fabric and quiet design make it nearly invisible under clothing.

Heavy Leakage

Adult Diapers (Briefs): For maximum protection, adult male diapers (also called briefs) provide more absorption than pull-on underwear. These products feature adjustable tabs and can be changed without removing pants—great for caregivers or those managing bowel incontinence. They're also ideal for night-time incontinence due to their high absorbency and secure fit. Tabbed briefs also tend to be slightly less expensive than underwear.

“Briefs” is a confusing word, and most people assume they mean underwear-like products. Actually, in medical language, “briefs” are really just adult diapers – similar to absorbent underwear. 

	With Top-Dry Technology and a high absorbency capacity of up to 4L, Abena M4 briefs feature secure leak guards, four tapes, and a plastic backing for effective odour control. These briefs are ideal for individuals managing heavy to maximum incontinence and extended wear.
	TENA ProSkin™ Super Briefs offer maximum absorbency for overnight or extended wear, providing reliable protection for individuals managing heavy or fecal incontinence. Ideal for nighttime use, these briefs reduce the need for frequent changes, helping improve sleep quality for wearers and ease for caregivers. With added absorbency and secure fit, they deliver peace of mind around the clock.

Catheters

Intermittent Catheters: For those with a prostate blocking their urethra, an internal male intermittent catheter can help relieve bladder pressure on your schedule in a regular toilet.

The catheter comes in a variety of diameters, so you can find one that is painless to insert, and with different tips, to help gently move past an enlarged prostate. Compact styles are small enough to fit in your pocket so can you can relieve yourself when you feel its likely your bladder is full, thus preventing an overflow. 

	Amici Classic Intermittent Catheters provide a cost-effective solution for everyday catheterization, ideal for those on a fixed budget. Individually wrapped for convenience, they feature lateral eyelets and are made from 100% PVC—free from latex, DEHP, and BPA.
	Amici Ultra Male Tiemann Tip Intermittent Catheters offer exceptional comfort and smooth insertion with a gentle, flexible coude (Tiemann) tip and fire-polished eyelets. Made from 100% PVC and free of latex, DEHP, and BPA, these premium catheters are designed for safety, comfort, and ease of use.

External Catheters: Another solution that is unique for men is an external catheter. This is simply a condom-like sheath that is held in place with a gentle adhesive, and connected by a line to a holding bag. Bags come in either leg style (suitable for wearing under loose trousers) or bed-side style, allowing for an interrupted night’s sleep.

	Conveen® Optima is a discreet and dependable male external catheter that’s easy to apply and comfortable to wear for up to 24 hours. Featuring an anti-leak system and balanced adhesive, this latex-free solution is preferred by users and caregivers alike.
	Hollister’s InView™ Extra Male External Catheter offers a secure, skin-friendly solution for men managing incontinence, with an enhanced adhesive for maximum confidence. The clear silicone design ensures comfort, flexibility, and easy inspection.

Free Samples

When shopping for male incontinence underwear and diapers, fit is critical. The product should fit snugly (to prevent leaks around the legs) but not so tight as to be uncomfortable. We strongly recommend sampling underwear products in variety of sizes and brands to find one that will work best for you.

Click Here to view free samples.

At Healthwick, we are proud to carry the largest selection of male incontinence products. For more information on what specific product will suit your needs, feel free to contact our friendly Customer Service team here.

Take Care!