How to fit TENA pants
Updated: 21 October 2026
You are about to order a pack, or you are measuring for someone you look after, and the label only offers a word such as medium or large. How to fit TENA pants starts with the fullest part of the hip in centimetres, a tape held snug, and the chart that belongs to the product in the basket. A dress size from another brand will point you at the wrong pack. A loose leg leaks, a fit that is too tight chafes, and a bigger size is not more absorbent. The [TENA nappies](/hub/personal-care/tena-nappies) comparison shows which listings are pull-ups and which ones fasten with tapes. Lisa M. used the size fields on 21 October 2026. This is not a wear test, and a qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You are about to order a pack, or you are measuring for someone you look after, and the label only offers a word such as medium or large.
You are about to order a pack, or you are measuring for someone you look after, and the label only offers a word such as medium or large. How to fit TENA pants starts with the fullest part of the hip in centimetres, a tape held snug, and the chart that belongs to the product in the basket. A dress size from another brand will point you at the wrong pack. A loose leg leaks, a fit that is too tight chafes, and a bigger size is not more absorbent. The TENA nappies comparison shows which listings are pull-ups and which ones fasten with tapes. Lisa M. used the size fields on 21 October 2026. This is not a wear test, and a qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Style | Size to use | How it comes off | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  TENA TENA Pants Maxi medium, multipack 4 x 10 | Pull-up pants | Medium | Tear the side seams | 9.4 | about £38.08 | View offer |
| Alternative |  TENA TENA Men Protective Underwear, large, Level 4, 40 pairs | Men's pull-up | L, 95–125 cm | Tear the side seams | 9.2 | about £34.21 | View offer |
| Alternative |  MoliCare MoliCare Premium Elastic 8 Drops unisex adult nappies, XL | Taped slip | XL, 140–175 cm | Open the tapes | 8.6 | about £14.29 | View offer |
On this page
Measure the hip
Stand up and run the tape around the fullest part of the hip, then hold it snug. If the tape is slack, the number comes out high and you risk a size that gapes at the leg. If the tape digs in, the number comes out low and the size you order is more likely to chafe. TENA asks for this hip measurement on pants and on slips. A UK dress size from another brand, and the clothing size printed on a washable pant, describe other products.
A bigger size is not more absorbent. A washable TENA pant is a different product, with a small quoted around 92 cm, and that clothing figure does not belong on a disposable pant. The men's packs, Always dress sizes and the taped briefs each carry their own figures. Read the chart that belongs to the product in the basket before you treat two larges as the same size.
Which chart belongs to which listing
On TENA Pants protect+ Maxi, medium is 80–110 cm, large is 100–135 cm and extra large is 120–160 cm. ProSkin Pants Maxi uses those bands and adds a small at 65–85 cm. A hip from 100 to 110 cm sits in both medium and large, and the larger label still does not hold more, though you move up if the smaller size chafes. One medium listing gives the hip as 80–110 cm. A large listing gives 95–125 cm, which stops short of the 135 cm on ProSkin large.
TENA Men is a separate scale. Small/medium is 75–100 cm, and large/extra large is about 95–130 cm. On the men's medium pack the size field says medium, while a bullet says size L and a hip of 95–125 cm. Ignore that size-L sentence. The 95–125 cm figure is what a separate large listing prints. Always Discreet Normal large is UK 16–24, and Boutique medium is UK 8–14. MoliCare extra large in this set is 140–175 cm. SUNKISS XXL briefs also fasten with tapes, so a TENA Pants medium of 80–110 cm is the wrong chart to lay over them. Once the hip is settled, the buying guide covers the product, and which pant suits you is the page once size is no longer the question.
Put the pant on, and tear it off
Pull a TENA pant up fully so the pad sits against the body and the leg cuffs are up all the way. The fitting guide treats that full position as part of the fit. To take the pant off, tear the side seams and lower it. A torn side is the intended opening on a pull-up, including when you are changing someone else, so you do not have to drag the pant down the legs. If you are still unsure whether the listing is a pull-up or a taped slip, read pants and slips before you order a size that only one format uses.
MoliCare and the SUNKISS XXL briefs fasten with tapes, so you position the brief and close the tapes rather than pulling a pant up. Keep those tapes snug. A loose leg leaks, and tapes that dig in will chafe. MoliCare's wetness indicator belongs to that brief. It does not change the 140–175 cm hip range, and it is not a reason to order a larger TENA pant.
Talc, cream, and a second pad
Leave talc out, and use cream sparingly. Do not put a pad inside the pant. The fitting guide rules out a pad inside a pad, and an extra pad is not a stand-in for the right hip size. Ask a nurse or another continence professional to take over if the skin is broken, or if leakage is new, bloody, or painful. A different size will not answer those signs. A leak that happens only overnight is a separate question from how the pant fits in the day, and it is not a reason to jump a size.
Common questions
Where do you measure for TENA pants?
Stand and measure the fullest part of the hip in centimetres, with the tape held snug. TENA uses that measurement for pants and for slips. A UK dress size, and the size on a washable pant, belong to other products. A slack tape pushes you toward a larger size that leaks at the leg. A tape that digs in pushes you toward a smaller size that chafes.
What if two TENA sizes overlap?
On protect+ Maxi and on ProSkin Pants Maxi, medium is 80–110 cm and large is 100–135 cm, so a hip from 100 to 110 cm is in both. Large and extra large also overlap, because extra large starts at 120 cm while large runs to 135 cm. A bigger size is not more absorbent. Choose the size that sits snug at the leg. A large listing that prints 95–125 cm is a different band.
Why must you ignore the size-L sentence on the men's medium pack?
The men's medium pack is labelled medium in the size field. A bullet on the same listing says size L and gives a hip of 95–125 cm. Ignore that sentence. It disagrees with the medium label. TENA Men small/medium is 75–100 cm, and large/extra large is about 95–130 cm. The 95–125 cm hip is printed on a separate large listing.
How do you take a pull-up off?
Tear the side seams, then lower the pant. The TENA pants fitting guide gives that as the way to remove a pull-up, so a torn side is how the pant is meant to come off. You pull it up fully to put it on, which avoids dragging it down the legs when you are changing someone else. On MoliCare and SUNKISS XXL briefs you open the tapes.
How is a taped slip different to put on?
A TENA pant is pulled up fully until the pad and the leg cuffs are in place. A taped slip opens out and closes with tapes. In this set that is MoliCare and the SUNKISS XXL briefs. A loose leg leaks, and a fit that digs in will chafe. MoliCare extra large covers 140–175 cm and has a wetness indicator, which is a different chart from TENA Pants medium at 80–110 cm.
What does Always large mean in UK dress sizes?
Always Discreet Normal large is UK 16–24. Boutique medium is UK 8–14. Those are dress sizes, so they do not match a TENA hip range. An Always large is not TENA Pants large at 100–135 cm, and it is not the large listing at 95–125 cm. Measure the hip and use the chart on the TENA product you are ordering.
What should you do with talc or a thick cream?
Leave talc off the skin, and use any cream sparingly. That is what the TENA pants fitting guide allows. Do not add a separate pad inside the pant either. A pad inside a pad will not correct a hip taken in the wrong place. If the skin is broken, or if leakage is new, bloody, or painful, a nurse or another continence professional should take over.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources for supply rules, hip bands, and absorbency language. Last reviewed on 21 October 2026.
- NHS incontinence products (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- UCLH incontinence pads (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Royal Surrey continence service (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- TENA ProSkin Pants Maxi (UK professionals) (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- TENA Men Premium Fit (UK professionals) (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- TENA Pants fitting guide (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- AHPMA disposable continence product testing (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Bladder & Bowel UK skin-care leaflet (retrieved 21 October 2026)