Portable Urinal / Urine Bottle

Portable urinals are easy to use, hygienic, and convenient, designed anatomically to work for men and/or women, depending on the specific item. They are built to be usable in multiple positions, including laying down, sitting upright and standing.

Portable Urinal Features

Travel and bedside urinals are designed with unique features that make them highly convenient, usable and hygienic. The following are some of the features you should know about portable pee urinals.

Opening

The opening of the urinal is one of the most important features of the urinal, as its formation most directly affects the usability of the product.

• Male vs Female Opening: First and foremost, the type of opening will determine the gender use. A standard round opening is intended for male use, while contoured openings are made with women’s anatomy in mind. Some plastic urinals come with an adapter of sorts that allows it to be converted for use by either gender. (See below for an important note on hygienic use of these products.)
• Spill Proof Opening: Spill proof urinals from different manufacturers are designed with various unique mechanisms that prevent spills, eliminating the need for a cover and providing odor control. For example, some urinals have an inner attachment called an anti reflux spout which prevents spills if knocked over. Spill proof urinals are often equipped with an emptying spout to facilitate easy and hygienic emptying of the urinal when full.

Cover

Pee bottles that are equipped with a cover, especially one that is attached with a neck ring or the like, are significantly more convenient than other handheld urinals. This is because the cover prevents spills - which is especially important during travel - while keeping odors contained within the bottle. Another benefit a urinal with a lid may offer is that the cover is sometimes designed to be glow-in-the-dark, which makes for a great bed urinal that can be spotted easily during the night.

Neck

The angled neck of a medical urinal is intended to assist with liquid containment and prevent spills by creating a separate area for the liquid where it won’t overflow even when the urinal is held horizontally.

Handle

Another important aspect of the urinal container design is the handle, which should be built so that it is easy to grip, can hang reliably over a bed rail for nighttime use, and is out of the way of the liquid (or built as a separate chamber) so that it doesn’t fill during or after use.

Walls

The walls of a urinal should be well-built and sturdy to ensure efficiency and durability. Some plastic urinals are built with ridged walls for increased strength. Other features to look out for include:

• Translucency: Some users may be more comfortable with a urinal with opaque walls, but if you need to monitor output, a translucent urinal will be more effective. Furthermore, translucency enables easy monitoring so you always know when it’s time to empty the pee container.
• Graduated: When urine output measurement is required, make your life simpler by selecting a plastic urine bottle that is graduated for straightforward, one-step measuring.
• Wide Base: Whether empty or full (but especially when full), you want a plastic urine bottle that won’t constantly tip over or roll away. For this purpose, select a portable pee bottle that isn’t round and features a wide, stable base.

Overall Design

• Capacity: Another aspect to look out for in the medical urine bottle you are considering include its overall capacity, which usually ranges from 500 cc to 1,000 cc (1 liter). You may also want to consider the weight or thickness of the design, since heavier urinals may provide more sturdiness and durability, whereas a lightweight urinal is helpful for portability and, for some, usability.
• Reusability: When purchasing a handheld urinal, it’s important to be aware of the reusability of the item. Whereas some medical urinals and urinary drainage products are disposable (such as urine bags) and are only intended for a single use, many are reusable. However, keep in mind that reusable and disposable urine bottles alike should be used as single patient use items to prevent cross-contamination between patients or users. The single-patient use rule is true of urinals that can be converted for either gender, as well. Presumably the reason that there are multi-gender pee bottles is so that hospitals and other healthcare facilities can purchase unisex products and each patient can use their own as appropriate.

Other Portable Urinal Features

Other features to look out for when purchasing a bed urine bottle include the following:

• Male Urinal Kit: A urinal kit is a convenient system for male urine output collection. Designed to fit around male anatomy, these wearable urinal draining system is an effective, cost effective solution for daytime leaks.
• Autoclavable Urinal: If sterility is necessary, be sure that the urinal you choose can be sterilized safely in an autoclave sterilizer between uses.
• Latex Free Urinal: As with all medical products, latex should be avoided if you or your patients may have a latex allergy.

If you need any help purchasing the best portable urinals for your needs, give us a call - we’re always happy to help! 1.877.813.7799.