Female Urinals / Portable Women Urinal

Who Needs a Female Urinal?

Female portable urinals are designed to prevent leaks and spills while meeting the urological needs of patients, the elderly, and those who find it difficult to get out of the bed. These urinals prove especially helpful for women recovering from surgery, since some mobility issues can make bathroom visits difficult to impossible and may persist for years following certain procedures.

Urine bottles for women help these patients relieve themselves while preserving their dignity. They also provide invaluable support to caregivers who assist in these tasks. The popularity of female urinals has increased in recent years due to their utility for patients and nursing staff. Female urinals also have less-well-known applications in such arenas as camping excursions and road trips. 

Types of Female Urinals

Handheld female urinals are recommended for people who have limited mobility but who can still support themselves when standing or sitting. These female portable urinals are also helpful if one would like to dispose of the urine in the device without assistance and reuse it later. Several different styles of hand-held female urinals exist, some of which include jug-shaped, bottle-shaped, dish-shaped, and models featuring molding with a drainage bag attached.

Choosing a Female Urinal

The following are important things to keep in mind when choosing a urinal for females:

• Size: Before investing in any female urinal, you need to be sure both that the size is appropriate and the model is comfortable in order to avoid spillages.
• Ease of Cleaning: Make sure the female urinal is easy to empty and clean with soap and water. Some female urinals (called hydrophobic urinals) are particularly suited for ease of cleaning and reuse.
• Portability: Those considering a female portable urinal should purchase a device made of lightweight material with an easy-to-lift handle. Also, if you opt for a body-supporting female urinal, it should be constructed of lightweight material and should feature a grip area that is easy to hold. Almost all patients can manage using a portable urinals.
• Disposable or Reusable: If you plan to reuse the women's urinal, the device should be durable and designed for the task. When seeking the right disposable female urinal, be sure to choose a model with material that is safe for the user’s individual skin needs.
• Odor: To mitigate any unpleasant odors, users should consider ladies' portable urinals that feature odor-killing technology that blocks bacteria when the container is sealed. Read more about this below, where we discuss covers and other odor-containing options.
• Hypoallergenic: Consider a women's urine bottle whose entire construction is made of hypoallergenic materials. This factor proves especially important for those with allergy sensitivities.

Important Features of Female Urinals

• Female Opening: Female urine bottles feature a wider opening at the neck, making it easier for the container to be angled appropriately against the skin, thus preventing leaks and spills.
• Spill Proof Features: Because of the unique shape of their openings, many urinals for women do not have a cover, which is considered important in containing odors and preventing spills. This is in direct contrast with male urinals, most of which are equipped with simple flip lids or covers. While you may not be able to purchase a women’s urinal with a cover, consider choosing a female urinals that has an inner spill-proof valve to reduce odors while preventing urine spillage.
• Handle: The built-in handles in women's urinals serve several purposes; they enable easy positioning during use and assist in efficient and controlled emptying once full. Furthermore, those that are attached on only one end can often be used to hook the bottle over the bed rails for accessible and spill-safe storage.
• Measurements: Most female urinal bottles are clear and equipped with graduated marks to make it easy to monitor the amount of urine output, which proves helpful for caregivers.
• Material: Women’s urinals are generally made from either pulp-paper, plastic, or stainless steel. Urinals made from pulp paper are disposable, whereas plastic and stainless devices are reusable. At AvaCare Medical, we carry the most common type of women’s urinals, which are made from plastic.

Female Bedpans vs. Urinals

Female bedpan urinals usually accommodate both a larger liquid capacity and opening than a female urinal bottle. Bedpans are typically used in a lying or sitting position, while one can use a urinal bottle standing or sitting. Unlike bedpans, urinal bottles have a graduated scale, which makes it easier to monitor and measure urine output. These differences, as well as the anatomically-designed opening exclusive to female urinal bottles, can all be determining factors when choosing between the two for micturation. If you do choose to use a women’s urinal, keep in mind that bedpans have the added function of fecal collection, so if this is a need, it may be a good idea to purchase a bedpan in addition to a handheld urinal. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of incontinence can be helped with a urinal?

There are many types of incontinence, or loss of bladder control, among women of all ages. Female bed urinals are a preferred solution for urge incontinence and functional incontinence. Women experiencing these types of incontinence have control over micturation but don’t have the ability, or time allowance, to get to the toilet. For such women, the ability to grab a urinal wherever they are prevents accidents and eliminates the need for costly incontinence products such as pads or pullups. However, other women, such as those who experience stress incontinence or total incontinence, may not do well with a urinal and should consider wearable incontinence protection.

Will I have difficulty putting my urinal into position?

Some women find feminine urinals challenging to position. Some models are more efficient than others, depending on the user’s anatomy and mobility. Therefore, the more flexible and mobile models of female urinals allow more convenient and comfortable use. Keep this in mind while shopping, and give yourself some time to get accustomed to positioning it in the most effective way possible.

Will the device help me stay in bed throughout the night?

Depending on how frequent the user urinates at night, a larger-capacity female urinal model may enable users to remain in bed for as long as 12 hours at a time.

AvaCare Medical offers a variety of female urinals for your health and budget needs. If you require any assistance in choosing the right women’s urine bottle, reach out to one of our helpful customer service representatives today at 1-877-813-7799.