Review Date: 26th May 2018
As a large supermarket chain, it is only too natural for NTUC’s Fairprice to come up with their own line of diapers. Except, they came up with two. The Fairprice Safe Control (FSC) diapers are targetted at the economy section the market. They also come in an overnight version – Fairprice Extra Control Diapers. Fairprice also markets a budget diaper, called “Budget”.
The FEC diaper comes in two sizes – M and L, and is offered in all of Fairprice’s franchises. Curiously, the packaging doesn’t mention if they are manufactured FOR or BY NTUC, only mentioning that it is made in Malaysia. This review is based on the M-sized diapers I got from Fairprice for S$13.95. These are plastic-backed diapers, has 15 pieces and were bought in April 2018.
M – 32-44in (81-112cm)
L – 45-58in (114-147cm)
Appearance and Features
I originally disregarded the FSC and FEC diapers because I thought they would be a variation of the DFI diaper. But a closer look puts that fear to rest. It is well-packaged with well designed graphics, clearer than the TSS’s packaging.
The FEC has many of the features seen in economy-range diapers. It is plastic-backed, has dual-frontal patches, pattern wetness indicator and well distributed SAP placement. This diaper has four tapes, two per side that are re-fastenable, but no elastic waistbands. It does have standing leak guards, unlike the FSC.
When folded the diaper measures 18 by 25 cm with the height of about 3 cm. When unfolded the diaper measures 63 cm lengthwise, with 38cm of it being the actual padding. Top to bottom the diaper measures 80cm, with 66cm padded. The narrowest part, the crotch, has a width of 35cm, with just 16 cm padded. The tape is 2.5cm thick, and the standing leak guards are 4cm tall. There are no elastic waistbands. With the exception of the last one, all these dimensions are identical to the FSC.
As you can see, this diaper is basically an FSC diaper with some enhanced features. It employs a four-tape system onto dual-Frontal Patches. The Frontal Patches themselves have about 15cm gap in between them, and feature a leaf and square geometric pattern. It is made of a stronger plastic than the back-sheet of the diaper, and when taped up is able to bear the stresses of a fully wet diaper without deforming the back-sheet.
The tapes, which must land on the frontal patches if re-fastening for multiple use, are firmly secured to the back-sheet of the diaper. They have strong adhesive that allows for multiple re-fastenings without leaving residue behind, and can be re-fastened more than three times, which is good for those who want to use the toilet intermediately.
In theory you could reuse the diaper if you place the tapes directly onto the back-sheet, say if you are a small sized person. You just have to peel off the tapes slowly and patiently. There will be a little deformation of the back-sheet but it won’t tear.
The wetness indicator consists of purple Aloe Vera motifs running down the diaper. These designs fade away when wet, which begins with half a wetting, and was 1 pattern short of completely disappearing after 2 large or 3 medium volume wettings.
The FEC diaper does have standing leak guards, unlike the FSC. This is complemented by a SAP-dense layer that has been placed near the upper crotch area. Already present in the FSC, there appears to be much more SAP in the FEC. This combination has proven to be an Alcatraz for all that is meant to be trapped within..
The standing leak guards however must be unfurled before use, something which is usually already done in other brands.
Performance and Fit
These diapers fit my average Asian frame nicely, and were snug and soft. Being a plastic-backed diaper with frontal patches, the FEC did make a noticeable crinkling sound when the diaper was exposed. However this noise was sufficiently muffled off by my everyday clothes. I walked around crowded areas as well as quieter areas, and there was no sound. As the diaper is rather thin, there is no visible outline though regular men’s jeans, and the Aloe Vera core did a good job of masking the smell of liquid.
Being a plastic-backed diaper, this diaper suffers from heat dissipation problems near the inner thighs. It wasn’t as pronounced as with other brands, but it was noticeable especially at night. However, despite being made of plastic, the leg gathers did not scratch away at my inner thighs. Upon wetting, there wasn’t any significant swelling up of the padding, which is another plus point.
This diaper has an increased absorption compared to the FSC. As mentioned above, the SAP-dense layer is able to effectively catch most of the pee. Despite reaching the limit, I did not experience significant leaks while wearing this diaper. I was near the limit once and while sitting on a hard chair, there were only small ‘sweat-line’ marks. Overall, I find this diaper’s absorption and retention to be excellent.
On the whole, this diaper is able to hold 2-3 medium wettings. This is on par with a Tena Slip Super and slightly better than Tena Value diapers. Each FEC diaper is not much thicker than a FSC, but it is the increased amount of SAP inside which really makes it better. They hold messes very well with no leaks experienced.
Final Thoughts
I had mentioned that I now consider the FSC diaper to be the new benchmark of local plastic-backed diapers. On that vein of thought the FEC surpasses expectations. They do their job well, fit snugly and don’t swell up. They even look more attractive as compared to the other plastic-backed diapers! (Although the story changes when you include the cloth-backed ones.) For all intents and purposes this is a FSC, just with added absorbtion.
The downside is the aforementioned dual-frontal patches, which may be a put-off for small-sized users, as well as the slight crinkle, which reduces discreetness. As most ABDLs wear at home, this might be an issue.
At 93c a piece, they fall into the premium economy spectrum of diapers. I love their fit, design and absorbency but their noise level, while sustainable, is a point of note. But there is no mistaking here of the quality and design process that went into this diaper, and for that I would definitely recommend this diaper to my ABDL and incontinent friends.
dlselv@sg 