What Adult Continence Briefs Cost in Australia, and How to Work Out Your Cost Per Day
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Nobody in this industry likes publishing the annual number, because the annual number is confronting. We are going to publish it anyway, because if you are planning a budget, a plan review or a CAPS application, guessing is worse.
Start with cost per brief
Pack price on its own tells you nothing, because packs come in different counts. Divide the pack price by the number of briefs inside it. That number is the only one worth comparing between suppliers.
Our tab-style briefs come ten to a pack:
| Size | Price per pack of 10 | Cost per brief |
|---|---|---|
| Medium | $23.99 | $2.40 |
| Large | $25.99 | $2.60 |
| Extra Large | $27.99 | $2.80 |
Then multiply by how many you actually use
Three changes a day is a common pattern. Some people use two, some use four or more. Work from what you actually go through in a week rather than from an assumption, because this multiplier drives everything.
| Changes per day | Per day (Large) | Per week | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | $5.20 | $36.40 | about $1,900 |
| 3 | $7.80 | $54.60 | about $2,850 |
| 4 | $10.40 | $72.80 | about $3,800 |
So a realistic annual figure for one adult on tab-style briefs sits somewhere between roughly $1,900 and $3,800. That is before bed protection, wipes, barrier products or gloves.
Now hold that next to the funding. CAPS pays $739.40 for 2026-27. An NDIS consumables allocation for lower needs commonly sits between $500 and $1,500. On a three-changes-a-day pattern, CAPS alone covers roughly eleven to fifteen weeks. This is not a criticism of either scheme. It is the reason so many households hit a shortfall in the back half of the year without having done anything wrong.
The four things that change the number
1. Fixing leaks. The largest single saving available to most households, and it is free. A person getting through five briefs a day because of leg leaks is usually not facing an absorbency problem. They are facing a fitting problem: leg cuffs folded flat under the core, a brief a size too big, or tabs fastened straight across instead of angled up into the leg crease. Fix that and five a day becomes three. On the table above, that is $950 a year.
2. Postage, and how it is charged. This is where cost per brief quietly gets undone. A supplier can be cheapest per brief and dearest overall if postage is charged per pack. Ask two questions before you order: is postage charged per order or per item, and is there a free shipping threshold. Then work out your real cost per brief including delivery.
3. Order size. Buying one pack at a time means paying postage repeatedly and running out at inconvenient moments. Ordering several packs, or splitting a larger order with someone in the same situation, reduces the delivered cost per brief. Just check the storage space first, and note that continence products have a shelf life, so buying two years of stock is not the win it looks like.
4. A continence assessment. A continence nurse advisor assesses the whole picture and specifies products that suit the person. This regularly produces a plan that costs less than the one arrived at by trial and error, and it is the evidence you need if you go to a plan review asking for more funding. Products often get ordered before any assessment happens, which leaves people with a cupboard of the wrong thing and no money for the right thing.
The one that does not work
Sizing up to save money. In most ranges, including ours, Large and Extra Large hold the same manufacturer-stated amount. Extra Large is a wider fit, not a higher capacity, and it costs more. If someone needs more capacity, a booster pad inside a single brief delivers it. Two briefs stacked together does not, because the inner backsheet blocks fluid from reaching the outer one, and you have paid twice for a leak.
Where the funding comes from
- CAPS pays $739.40 for 2026-27 as cash into your bank account, with no restriction on which supplier you use. Eligibility requires permanent and severe incontinence from an eligible condition, confirmed by a registered health professional.
- NDIS funds continence products under Core Supports in the Consumables category. The amount reflects assessed need and there is no universal cap.
- Support at Home, which replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025, may cover continence aids depending on your plan.
- DVA and state schemes operate in several jurisdictions. The National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66 can tell you what applies where you live.
Common questions
Are cheaper briefs a false economy?
Sometimes, and not always. What matters is cost per dry hour rather than cost per brief. A cheap product that needs changing twice as often is dearer. A cheap product that fits well and holds is simply cheaper. Buy one pack and count what you use before you commit to a bulk order.
Do I pay GST on continence products?
Many continence aids are GST-free in Australia. Check how any given supplier's pricing is presented, and check with your accountant if you are claiming.
Is bulk always cheaper?
Not automatically. Some bulk listings are priced at or above the single-pack rate once you account for postage. Always divide down to cost per brief, delivered, before you decide.
How long do continence products last in storage?
They have a shelf life and the absorbent core degrades over time. Store them somewhere dry and out of direct sunlight, and buy in quantities you will get through within a reasonable period.
Our pricing
Medium $23.99, Large $25.99 and Extra Large $27.99 per pack of ten, stocked in Australia and dispatched from our warehouse in Western Sydney. Every order ships in plain outer packaging with a tax invoice suitable for plan-managed and self-managed NDIS claims.
Equipit is the product-supply arm of Kinship Uniting Services, an NDIS registered and CHSP approved provider since 2017. For facilities, group homes and providers ordering at volume, email products@equipitdsp.com or call 0448 663 293 and we will quote properly rather than send you to a shopping cart.
Prices current at the time of writing. General information only, not financial or medical advice.