Sweat Pads (or armpit pads, or sweat shields) are a popular way of managing excessive underarm sweating. In this post, we have summarized what sweat pads are, how they work, when they make sense and when they don't. Read on to know everything you need to know about sweat pads.
What exactly is a sweat pad
Stripped to the basics, armpit pads are small pads made up of absorbent fabric (usually cotton) that attach to a piece of clothing or directly to the underarm skin. Once they are in place, they absorb any excessive sweat and thus prevent the sweat marks to show up on the outer clothing.
Sweat pads can be used in a number of ways, depending on the specific construct and brand.
- Adhere directly to the skin
- Stick to the inside of clothing
- Attach to the clothing with a pin/snap
Sweat pads can be disposable, or reusable. While the disposable sweat pads are usually cheaper, the reusable ones can last a long time - thus lowering overall cost.
When sweat pads make sense
Sweat pads are popular, and for a reason. There are several situations where sweat pads may be an effective solution to manage excessive underarm sweat:
- When cost is a factor - sweat pads are very inexpensive. Afetrall, they usually are just a piece of cotton! If money is an issue, sweat pads provide reasonable solution to manage underarm sweat.
- When your excessive underarm sweat is minimal - underarm sweat pads work best for minimal to moderate sweat. If you suffer from hyperhidrosis, they are unlikely to contain the amount of sweat produced
- With certain clothes - underarm sweat shields need to attach to the clothing through pins or snaps. Not all clothing are suitable for this. Especially, you may not want to attach them to expensive clothes. Also, they need to be in close contact with your skin, and thus do not work with loose fitting clothes
When sweat pads do not make sense
However, sweat pads are not for everyone and for every situation. While useful, there often fall short in several important areas. In those conditions, a more integrated sweat proof undershirt like ItsDri will provide you with far better performance and convenience:
- For moderate to heavy excessive sweat - sweat pads are virtually useless for heavy sweating. Their construct is designed to hold a limited amount of moisture with no engineering to allow moisture to evaporate effectively. If you sweat a lo (e.g. hyperhidrosis), sweat pads will not work.
- For Sensitive skin - if you have a sensitive skin (or you have shaven your underarms recently), adhesive sweat pads may not be the best idea. The chemical used to stick the pads to your skin can cause irritation and the inconvenience far exceeds any sweat proofing benefit the sweat pads may provide
- For Expensive Clothing - you really do not want to be attaching a adhesive/snapping sweat pad to an expensive shirt!
In a nutshell, the traditional sweat pads are only somewhat useful in light sweating conditions, and when you do not mind sticking adhesives to your skin or to your clothes. They are cheap for sure, but the social costs of sweat stains and ruined clothing may not be worth it!
ItsDri - the best armpit sweat pads!
We designed ItsDri sweatproof undershirts to do what traditional sweat shields cannot - provide complete sweat proofing for the most heavy sweats, while keeping you super comfortable... all at industry's best prices!
ItsDri sweatproof undershirt feature highly advanced Aqua-Block technology that integrates sweatproof cotton layer within a premium undershirt that looks good and fits well. The result - no sweat marks, no yellow stains.. just a more confident YOU! Know more!