The highest-volume item in any feminine hygiene line, and the one buyers reorder most predictably. The build is standardised across the industry: a topsheet, an acquisition layer, a cellulosic fluff and SAP core, and a breathable backsheet. What you are really choosing between is core density, wing or no wing, and packing count per bag.
A sanitary pad is the highest-volume item in any feminine hygiene range and the one with the least room for differentiation. Every factory runs the same four-layer build, the same SAP suppliers and broadly the same machine lines. What separates one quotation from another is rarely the product — it is the pack count, the carton configuration and how honestly the absorbency is specified.
This page sets out the build, the length bands that actually exist in the market, and the three numbers that make two quotations comparable.
| Length band | Position | References in range |
|---|---|---|
| Panty liner 155–160 mm |
Daily wear, end of cycle, backup to internal protection | 12 |
| Regular 180–245 mm |
Standard daytime wear | 31 |
| Super 250–285 mm |
Heavy daytime flow, long shifts | 15 |
| Night 290–320 mm |
Sleep and travel, 6–8 hour wear | 27 |
| Overnight 330–420 mm |
Supine wear, maximum rear coverage | 31 |
Length and absorbency are related but not the same thing, and conflating them is the second most common specification error. A 290 mm pad with a thin core is an overnight-shaped day pad; a 245 mm pad with a heavy core is a short heavy-flow pad. Fix both dimensions on the specification sheet, not just one.
| Minimum order | 50,000 – 412,500 pcs |
|---|---|
| Reference price | US$0.02 – 0.06 / pc, FOB |
| Sample | Free of charge, freight collect. Specification sheet travels with the sample. |
| Lead time | 15–25 days after artwork and specification approval; 7–15 days on stock builds. |
| Payment | 30% deposit on order, balance against copy of B/L. L/C at sight accepted on programs above 500,000 pcs. |
| Port | Xiamen or Shenzhen, buyer's choice. |
When two suppliers quote different prices for what looks like the same pad, the difference is almost always in one of these:
Ask for all three in writing before comparing prices. A supplier who will not state SAP loading in grams is telling you something.
Wings are a fixing mechanism, not an absorbency feature. They wrap around the underwear and stop the pad rotating, which matters most on narrow underwear and during movement. Wingless pads are cheaper to produce and cheaper to pack, and they dominate institutional and aid-program tenders for exactly that reason.
If your market is retail, wings are effectively mandatory. If your market is institutional, wings add cost with no functional benefit for a wearer who is mostly stationary.
| Format | Typical use | Effect on cost |
|---|---|---|
| Single flow wrap | Retail, convenience, on-the-go | Highest per-unit packaging cost, best shelf presence |
| 4–8 pcs bag | Standard retail | Balance of cost and shelf price |
| 10–20 pcs bag | Value retail, family pack | Lowest per-unit packaging cost |
| Bulk polybag, 50+ | Institutional, aid programs | Minimal, but no shelf presence |
For a 245 mm daytime pad, 3.5–4.5 g of SAP in a fluff core is the commercial norm. Heavy flow builds run 6–9 g. Below 3 g you are selling a liner with a pad's footprint, and the returns rate will show it.
Almost always SAP loading, total pad weight, or carton configuration. Ask both suppliers for grams of SAP per pad, total pad mass, and bags per carton. If one will not state those three, the prices are not comparable.
No. Length controls coverage and rear protection; absorbency comes from the core. A 290 mm pad with a thin core is an overnight-shaped day pad. Fix both length and core loading on the specification sheet.
Yes. A cotton-blend or 100% cotton non-woven topsheet is available and reads as a premium feature in Western markets. It costs more than a perforated film and feels softer, but it can feel damp sooner because it wicks rather than passes fluid.
It depends on the pack format rather than the pad itself. A printed flow wrap needs a film print run, which sets the floor. As a working figure, expect the numbers in the commercial terms table above; exact figures are quoted per specification.
We do not ask buyers to order from a table. Send the build you are considering and we courier a physical sample with its specification sheet, so absorbency and hand feel are checked before a purchase order exists.