The precise product portfolio varies considerably by country.3

TENA is fundamentally a continence care brand rather than solely a manufacturer of adult diapers. Its products are intended to manage varying degrees of involuntary urine or faecal leakage whilst preserving the user’s dignity, comfort, mobility, skin health, discretion, confidence and independence.

The brand explicitly positions itself around the principle that incontinence should not prevent individuals from maintaining an active lifestyle. Product development therefore focuses not only on absorbency but also on fit, leakage protection, odour control, comfort and skin care.5 This distinction is central to understanding the brand: TENA offers a continence care system rather than merely absorbent disposable products.

Origins in Sweden

TENA has its roots in Sweden and possesses more than six decades of history. The brand’s international sites describe TENA as having been launched over 60 years ago.4

The historical development of TENA is closely connected to Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget (SCA), the Swedish company that eventually became the predecessor of today’s Essity. SCA developed a significant hygiene products business alongside its historical forestry and paper activities. By the late 20th century, incontinence products had become a vital component of that business. An SCA annual report from 1998 described the company as a leading supplier of incontinence products marketed under the TENA name, covering both light and heavy incontinence.5

Expansion during the 1990s

During the 1990s, TENA expanded internationally and became increasingly important to SCA’s personal care operations. SCA’s 1998 annual report records TENA’s expansion into several European and Latin American markets, describing products ranging from light incontinence protection sold through pharmacies and retail stores to heavier protection products used in institutional and home care settings.6 By this period, TENA was developing into a recognisable international continence care brand rather than simply a product line.

A pivotal event in TENA’s corporate history occurred in 2017 when SCA reorganised its business and separated its hygiene and health operations into a new company called Essity. Essity subsequently became the corporate home of TENA.23

The corporate relationship can be summarised as SCA transitioning its hygiene and health business to Essity, which now owns TENA. Consequently, TENA is not an independent publicly listed company but a brand belonging to Essity. While Essity operates numerous other major brands, TENA remains one of its most significant global brands, particularly within its Incontinence Products business area.23

TENA’s portfolio extends considerably beyond the traditional adult brief.

Liners

TENA produces relatively thin incontinence liners intended for lighter leakage. These are designed to be worn with normal underwear and are particularly relevant for individuals experiencing occasional or small-volume leakage. TENA markets products such as TENA Discreet in various markets for this segment.21

Incontinence pads

Pads provide greater absorbency than liners and are available in different sizes and absorbency levels. They are commonly designed for light, moderate and heavier leakage. Exact names, sizes and absorbency levels vary between countries.19

Protective underwear

Protective underwear is designed to resemble ordinary underwear more closely than a conventional adult brief. TENA markets both women’s and unisex protective underwear products. Current ranges emphasise close body fit, softness, breathability, leakage protection, odour control and discreet appearance. For example, TENA’s current US portfolio includes TENA ProSkin Plus protective underwear.7

Adult briefs

For moderate to heavy incontinence, TENA offers adult briefs. These products are suitable where greater absorbency and security are required, particularly in situations involving significant urinary leakage, faecal incontinence, limited mobility, overnight protection or professional caregiving. Design and terminology differ between countries.

Men’s products

TENA maintains a dedicated TENA Men portfolio, acknowledging that male anatomy and typical leakage patterns differ from those of women. The range includes male guards, protective underwear and other male-specific leakage protection products engineered around men’s body shape to provide discreet protection.9

Women’s products

TENA also offers dedicated women’s ranges including liners, pads, protective underwear and other products designed around female anatomy. Some ranges are deliberately styled to look and feel more like ordinary underwear rather than medical products.827

Skincare constitutes a significant part of TENA’s portfolio. As incontinence can expose skin to moisture, urine, faeces and repeated cleansing, continence care involves more than absorbing liquid. TENA sells cleansing wipes, washcloths, cleansing creams, moisturising lotions and protective barrier creams. Its TENA ProSkin portfolio is specifically associated with skin health and cleansing solutions.10 This positions TENA closer to a complete continence care brand than a conventional disposable hygiene brand.

TENA operates in both the consumer retail market and the professional healthcare market. Professional users include hospitals, nursing homes, residential care facilities, home care organisations, nurses, professional caregivers and continence specialists.11

The professional side of TENA is particularly significant because incontinence management often requires selecting products according to an individual’s mobility, leakage level, anatomy, skin condition and care requirements. TENA therefore provides healthcare professionals with specialised products and continence care resources in addition to consumer goods.29

TENA’s development has extended beyond physical absorbent products. One example from its earlier history is TENA Identifi, a continence care technology introduced by SCA. It utilised sensing technology to monitor urinary output and timing, allowing caregivers to develop more individualised continence care plans. SCA described it as a system designed to improve individualised care whilst potentially giving caregivers more time.11

This illustrates a broader industry shift from traditional adult diapers towards individualised continence management and digitally supported continence care. TENA has consequently invested in digital platforms and technology alongside conventional absorbent products.30

TENA serves four primary groups:

• Individuals: People experiencing urinary or faecal incontinence can purchase TENA products directly through pharmacies, supermarkets, specialist retailers and online channels, depending on the country.20
• Caregivers: Family members caring for someone with incontinence are a major audience. TENA provides education covering product selection, hygiene, skin care and practical caregiving.1228
• Healthcare professionals: Nurses, physicians, continence specialists and care home professionals use TENA products and related services as part of continence management.32
• Healthcare institutions: Hospitals, nursing homes and other institutions can purchase TENA products in larger quantities and utilise professional care programmes.

TENA’s branding is strongly based around dignity and normality. Historically, incontinence products were often associated with old age, disability and institutional care. TENA’s consumer marketing has increasingly attempted to reposition continence products as ordinary personal care items that allow people to continue living normally. Its messaging emphasises protection, discretion, confidence and active living. TENA explicitly describes its mission in terms of empowerment, innovation and sustainability, stating its products are intended to help people continue living active and fulfilling lives.14

A significant part of TENA’s market exists because urinary incontinence is often socially stigmatised. Individuals may avoid discussing it with family, friends, doctors, partners or coworkers. TENA therefore markets not only products but also education about incontinence. Its consumer websites explain different types of urinary incontinence, including stress incontinence, urge incontinence and mixed incontinence.1331 This educational role is strategically important, as individuals who do not recognise bladder leakage as a manageable condition may not consider purchasing a continence product.

TENA’s product innovation generally focuses on several technical objectives:

• Absorbency: Absorbent cores are designed to rapidly capture and retain liquid.
• Leakage prevention: Products use anatomical shaping and elastic components to help prevent urine from escaping around the edges.
• Fit: Modern products attempt to follow the body’s shape more closely.
• Odour control: Odour management technologies are used to make products more discreet.
• Skin health: TENA increasingly emphasises skin protection, moisture management and cleansing.
• Discretion: Thin pads and underwear-like products are designed to be less noticeable underneath clothing.

TENA describes its innovation priorities as improving standards in skin health, protection, comfort and fit.15

Sustainability has become a major component of TENA’s brand strategy. Because disposable continence products contain substantial amounts of absorbent materials, plastics and packaging, environmental impact is a significant issue for the category. TENA states its sustainability work aims to reduce environmental impact whilst maintaining hygiene and protection.34

This work is connected to Essity’s broader sustainability strategy, which includes efforts regarding materials, production, packaging and climate impact. The key challenge lies in balancing high absorbency and leakage protection with lower material use and reduced environmental impact. Reducing material too aggressively could compromise protection, whilst increasing absorbency can increase resource consumption. This remains a critical technical and commercial challenge for the entire industry.

TENA is an international brand rather than a primarily Swedish or European product. TENA’s international website lists markets across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and other international regions.422263335

However, product names and ownership arrangements can differ by market. This is particularly relevant in Asia. For example, SCA transferred certain Southeast Asian, Taiwanese and South Korean brand marketing rights to Vinda International Holdings as part of a 2015–2016 transaction. SCA retained innovation and technical support whilst Vinda received rights to market brands including TENA in those markets.16 Thus, stating simply that TENA is sold by Essity everywhere can be an oversimplification; brand ownership, licensing and distribution structures can vary by territory.

TENA in Japan

Japan provides a notable example of TENA’s professional care orientation. TENA states it began its first Japanese introduction at an elderly care facility in Tokyo in 1987. It subsequently expanded into nursing homes, hospitals and other care facilities.1736

The Japanese operation emphasises individualised continence care and helping people maintain independent toileting wherever possible. This reflects a distinction between consumer-focused and healthcare-focused TENA: whilst consumer marketing asks how to discreetly manage leakage, professional TENA focuses on managing continence whilst preserving the individual’s independence, dignity and quality of care.

Essity identifies TENA as a leading brand within both its Health & Medical and Personal Care business areas.2425

To understand TENA, it is necessary to understand Essity. Essity is a Swedish multinational specialising in hygiene and health products. Its portfolio extends beyond continence care into tissue products, feminine care, baby care, wound care, compression therapy, orthopaedics and personal hygiene. Essity states its products and services reach around 1 billion people across approximately 150 countries. In 2025, it reported approximately SEK 138 billion (€13 billion) in net sales and about 36,000 employees. Its headquarters are in Stockholm and its shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.24

TENA describes itself as the world’s leading adult incontinence brand. The company cites Euromonitor International’s 2024 edition for its claim of being the number one adult incontinence brand globally, measured using retail adult incontinence retail sales value.18

This qualification is significant: the “number one” status is a market position claim based on a specific market definition and measurement methodology, rather than implying TENA is the largest company in every country or every type of continence product. Nevertheless, TENA is unquestionably one of the most internationally established brands in the adult incontinence industry.

Depending on country and product segment, TENA competes with brands such as:

• Always Discreet (Procter & Gamble)
• Depend (Kimberly-Clark)
• Poise (Kimberly-Clark)
• Prevail (First Quality)
• Attends (Attends Healthcare Products)
• Various regional and private-label brands

The competitive landscape differs substantially between retail consumer products and institutional healthcare products. For example, a supermarket in one country might primarily sell TENA alongside Depend and Always Discreet, whereas a hospital market can have an entirely different competitive set.

TENA is significant for several reasons. Firstly, it helped normalise continence products by promoting the idea that leakage can be managed discreetly whilst people continue ordinary activities, rather than presenting incontinence purely as a medical or geriatric issue. Secondly, it operates across the entire care ecosystem, serving individuals, family caregivers, professional caregivers and healthcare institutions, giving the brand a broader position than a typical consumer packaged goods company. Thirdly, it combines consumer products with healthcare technology, progressing from absorbent products into skin care, individualised continence management and digital solutions. Fourthly, it operates globally, having been adapted to different healthcare systems, cultures and retail environments across dozens of countries.

As of 2026, TENA is best understood as a global continence care platform under Essity rather than simply an adult diaper brand. Its portfolio encompasses consumer products, professional healthcare products, skin care, education and digital technology-supported continence solutions. TENA has more than six decades of experience and remains one of Essity’s flagship global brands.18

Its overarching proposition is essentially continence protection that allows people to live with greater security, dignity and freedom. This positioning explains why TENA has evolved from traditional absorbent products towards discreet underwear, specialised male and female products, skin health, caregiver support, individualised care and digital continence management.

1. Who we are – TENA
2. Continence Care You Can Trust: What is TENA?| TENA UK
3. Who we are – TENA
4. TENA Countries and Regions
5. Your Expert on Incontinence
6. Conheça a TENA: referência em cuidado e higiene
7. TENA incontinence underwear
8. Incontinence underwear for women | Stylish bladder weakness panties
9. Choose the right male incontinence product for you from TENA Men.
10. TENA Cleansing Wipes & Creams | Effective daily skin care
11. Products
12. All you need to know about incontinence and incontinence products from TENA
13. TENA on types of female incontinence or bladder weakness
14. Our story of responsibility | TENA
15. About TENA – TENA UK
16. TENAについて―TENA
17. TENAとは | 当サイトについて
18. All About Incontinence
19. Incontinence Pads & Products | Advice | TENA US
20. Where to Buy TENA Products
21. Incontinence Liners
22. Who we are – TENA
23. Incontinence Products – Essity Annual and Sustainability Report 2017
24. Personal Care – Essity Annual and Sustainability Report 2021
25. About our brands | Essity
26. ¿Quiénes Somos? | Conoce Más de TENA
27. Products & Information for Female Urinary Incontinence | TENA Women
28. All you need to know about incontinence and incontinence products from TENA
29. Products | TENA Professionals UK
30. TENA Home Care | TENA Professionals | TENA Professionals UK
31. About Female Urinary Incontinence | TENA Women
32. Insights | TENA Professionals UK
33. Who we are – TENA
34. TENA – нашата история за отговорността
35. Who we are – TENA
36. 〖公式〗排泄ケアのTENA（テーナ）｜ひとりの人を大切に