DryNites
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A product of Kimberly-Clark, Huggies DryNites are disposable nappies which mimic underwear, designed for children and teenagers with bedwetting or incontinence problems. An alternate version of GoodNites, which first appeared in 1994, DryNites are sold in the UK, New Zealand, Australia and other countries. Unlike standard nappies, DryNites can be pulled up and down like underwear instead of being taped-on by a parent or guardian, similar to training pants such as Pull-Ups. This means that the wearer can still use the toilet should they feel the need, rather than being forced to go in their nappy unnecessarily. They are intended for use between the ages of four and fifteen.
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[edit] Product history
[edit] Early designs
The original design was a blank, unisex nappy which came in three different sizes and was marketed as "night-time absorbent pants". The smallest size was for children up to the age of seven or eight, with a medium size for children aged seven to ten and a large size for children and teenagers up to the age of twenty.
[edit] 2006 revamp
Despite the fact that 7% of 4 - 15 year olds wet the bed on a regular basis, and that DryNites is the only brand of nappy catering for this group, research conducted in 2006 showed that very few bedwetting households actually used DryNites, and that many of those believed "DryNites" to be a generic term for all bedwetting products[1]. Therefore, in 2006, DryNites underwent a revamp so that Kimberly-Clark could try to shed what it felt was a perceived image that their products were simply 'nappies for teenagers', so as not to alienate those who considered it to be 'babyish' to still be wearing nappies at an older age. They tried to remarket them more as 'absorbent underwear' for those with bedwetting problems; a normal part of a child's development rather than a barrier which confirmed the negative stigma of wetting the bed.
Hoping to make their product more fun and less clinical, they renamed the product 'pyjama pants' and altered both the nappy itself and the packaging to be "more animated and positive." The previously blank, unisex versions have been dropped in favour of gender-specific styles which resemble normal underwear more than a baby's nappy. Initially, the boys' version featured a picture of a quadbike, with the girls' version featuring a bunch of flowers. Later designs included dragsters, footballers, butterflies, and ballerinas. The pattern is repeated all the way round the underpants, with a faux tag on the back to show the wearer which way to put it on.
The 'medium' size has now been withdrawn completely, with the age-bands of the small and large size extended to bridge the gap. The small size is for children aged 4-7 years, with the large size suitable for ages 8-15. However, despite the revised age brackets, the new large size (ages 8-15) is the same as the old large size (ages 11-15) and is just as absorbent as before. It is claimed that the large size will comfortably fit up to a waist size of 32", with some users reporting that it will fit up to a waist of 36" at a stretch. Due to the product's stretchiness, it will fit a waist as small as 20".
Although the girls' and boys' versions are similar, the padding is slightly different. The girls' version is more absorbent in the middle than the front or back, with the boys' version being more absorbent in the front than in the middle or the back. The boys' version also has extra room in the front for the male anatomy. It has, though, been reported by some consumers that the girls' version is more suited to boys who have gone through puberty, due to the position of the landing area.
In mid 2007 Kimberly Clark introduced "Drynites Sleep Shorts" which are designed to look like shorts yet be absorbant like a nappy. In fact, the sleep shorts are clearly not normal shorts; there is a very large bulge where the "absorbant" pad is - It's not hard for anybody to tell the user is wearing a nappy. The blue short cover can be easily lifted by the wearer much like a skirt, revealing a nappy that looks similar to a regular Drynite but without the cloth-like lining or graphics; in this way, Drynites Sleep Shorts are much like traditional nappies.
The Sleep Shorts come in 2 different sizes, 4-7 year old (17-30kg) and 8-12 year old (27-57kg) however if you remove the "shorts" and just use the pull on nappy it will fit anybody with a 30" waist or less.
[edit] Public reception
Following the revamp, DryNites' sales increased 22% in the UK and 23% across Europe in matter of months[1]
DryNites are generally very popular amongst parents and bedwetters alike, the only concerns being how well they stay up and their price[2].
In 2004, actor Jerry O'Connell was seen modelling GoodNites (the American version of DryNites) on the Last Call with Carson Daly show for a mock commercial in which he discussed his 'bedwetting problem'.[3] The National Enquirer caught him filming the skit and printed this photo of him cheerfully showing off his nappy.
