Confitex calls for third-party verification in leakproof underwear category
Confitex, a manufacturer of absorbent textile technology and producer of branded and private brand period-proof and leakproof underwear for men and women, is calling on industry substantiation of products in the small but growing category.
The company based in Auckland, New Zealand, released comments asking for the unregulated sector to have products backed by third-party verification to protect consumers. CEO Christine Arden released a statement saying, “We believe in the environmental benefits of period pants and we want the sector to succeed — but we're concerned that the failure of some brands to deliver on their promises will dent the credibility of the entire category. It's literally the wild west, in that anyone can claim anything.”
She continued: "A number of industry players have suggested the sector requires regulation for the protection of consumers. In particular, we back the call for companies to seek third-party verification for their marketing claims — and publish the results openly so consumers can make an informed choice."
Confitex launched its products in 2015, producing for retailer own brands in period underwear and absorbent underwear for men, and brands such as Adidas, Bonds and Victoria’s Secret have entered the market, too. Arden recently spoke with Store Brands about the growing category that straddles both personal care and lifestyle categories.
Regarding the Confitex products, Arden said the products underwent extensive laboratory testing with UL to authenticate its marketing claims around absorbency, odor resistance, air permeability of the material and more.
“For example, our Extra Absorbency women's briefs have been lab-verified to absorb the equivalent of 15 regular tampons but because we want to over-deliver to our customers in real-life situations, we only advertise their absorbency as 10 regular tampons," said Arden.
They company’s absorbent textile is made without a layer of PU plastic, which also makes it more eco-friendly and flexible to be molde, shaped, stitched, heat sealed and tumble dried without impacting its leakproof performance.
"In any new sector, third-party verification of product claims is important for consumers, giving assurance that the products will perform as promised,” said Doug Lockard, vice president, general manager for retail and consumer products, UL. “Customers rely on packaging, labelling and marketing claims as part of their decision-making process. To create brand trust, it is key that products are tested to verify a manufacturer's marketing claims."
He added, "We recommend that products in this sector be lab-tested by a reputable standards company with the results published openly for full transparency."