Underpad Sizing for Canadian Facilities: 60x90 cm vs 30x36 in

September 13, 2026

60 x 90 cm disposable underpad with five layers and a super absorbent polymer core

Underpad Sizing for Canadian Facilities: 60x90 cm vs 30x36 in

Quick Summary: Underpads are bought in two sizes and used for two different jobs. Ordering one size for both is the most common reason a facility's absorbent spend drifts upward without an obvious change in resident numbers.

Two sizes, two jobs

A 60 x 90 cm pad is a bed pad. It covers the area under the pelvis and hips, and it is used overnight and during personal care, where a single change has to absorb what a brief does not hold.

A 30 x 36 inch pad is a surface pad. It covers a chair, a commode, a trolley or an examination table, and it is changed far more often than a bed pad because it is visible and because a resident who spends the day seated benefits from a dry surface at every reposition.

How the layers do the work

Both sizes share the same construction: a non-woven top sheet, an acquisition layer, a super absorbent polymer core, a tissue wrap and a waterproof backing. The polymer is what converts liquid into a gel and keeps it from migrating back to the skin surface.

Weight of polymer, not pad thickness, decides capacity. A vacuum-compressed 5-layer pad such as the 60 x 90 cm underpad stores flat and expands on use, which is why it takes less shelf space than a bulky pad of the same absorbency.

60 x 90 cm disposable underpad with five layers and a super absorbent polymer core

Cost per bed-day, not cost per pack

A pack price tells a buyer very little, because the two sizes are consumed at different rates. The number that supports a decision is cost per occupied bed-day.

Count the pads a single resident uses across 24 hours, multiply by the unit cost, and compare that with the number of bedding changes and skin-care interventions the current routine requires. A heavier 30 x 36 inch pad such as the heavy absorbency underpad often costs more per unit and less per day, because chair changes drop.

30 x 36 inch heavy absorbency underpad used for chairs and trolleys

Where disposables beat laundering

Reusable pads carry a laundering cost that rarely appears in the same budget line as the purchase price. Water, energy, detergent, staff handling time and replacement of pads that leave the cycle damaged all belong on the ledger. Facilities that rebuild the comparison usually find disposables cheaper for high-turnover positions and reusables competitive only where a pad is rarely soiled.

Environmental reporting is a separate question. Compostable options such as the PLA underpad shift the end-of-life route while keeping the same absorbency construction, and they are chosen by facilities with a waste-diversion target to report.

Skin contact and the specification

Pads sit against skin for hours, so the top sheet is a skin-contact material. Products should be assessed for irritation and sensitisation under ISO 10993-10, and the waterproof backing should be checked for breathability where a resident lies on the pad through the night.

Facilities reviewing absorbent spend often review instrument reprocessing in the same cycle. CliniEco Medical supplies a 5-pack biological indicator trial for homes that want to test a spore-testing routine against their sterilizer loads.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can one size of underpad serve the whole facility?

It can, but usually at a higher cost per bed-day. A bed-sized pad used on a chair is replaced as often as a chair pad while consuming more material, and a chair-sized pad used in bed strikes through and forces a linen change.

How do we work out cost per bed-day?

Count the pads used by one resident across 24 hours, multiply by unit cost, then add the cost of the bedding changes and skin-care products the routine requires. Compare that total across the two sizes rather than comparing pack prices.

Does pad thickness indicate absorbency?

Not reliably. Capacity comes from the weight of super absorbent polymer in the core. A vacuum-compressed five-layer pad can hold more than a visibly thicker pad and takes far less storage space.

What should a specification say about the top sheet?

Name the material and require an irritation and sensitisation assessment under ISO 10993-10. Where residents lie on the pad through the night, specify a breathable backing to reduce heat and moisture build-up against the skin.

Last updated: September 2026

CliniEco Medical is a licensed medical device establishment (MDEL #35334, Importer, Class I). Class II to IV devices we list are licensed by their manufacturers.