Urine Collection for a Bedridden Person at Home

In one paragraph: For someone who cannot get out of bed, the choices are absorbent pads, a bedpan or bottle, a sheath or pouch that drains to a night bag, or a powered collector that pumps urine away as it arrives. The Quietdry Night System is a powered collector: a washable silicone cup in a cotton brief, with a sensor that starts a small bedside pump and stops it when the cup is empty. It comes in fits for men, men with a retracted penis, and women. US$299 once, with free tracked US shipping and a 60-night money-back trial.

The options, side by side

Option	How it works	Who does the work at night	What you keep buying
Adult briefs and bed pads	Absorb urine and are changed when wet	The caregiver: checks, changes and laundry	Pads and briefs, continuously
Bedpan or urinal bottle	Put in place each time the person needs to go	The caregiver, awake and at the bedside each time	Nothing
Sheath (condom) catheter with a night bag	An adhesive sheath on the penis drains by gravity to a bag hung below the bed	Nobody, as long as the sheath stays on	Sheaths, usually daily, plus bags
Adhesive external pouch with a night bag	A skin barrier stuck around the opening or the base, draining to a bag	Nobody, as long as the seal holds	Pouches, replaced regularly
Wicking external catheter with suction (for example PureWick™)	A disposable wick against the body, joined to a bedside suction unit	Nobody overnight; the wick is replaced regularly	Wicks or catheters in packs. Costs compared.
Sensing cup and pump (Quietdry Night System)	A washable cup in a brief. A sensor starts the pump when urine arrives, and it drains to a 2 L jug	Nobody overnight; the jug is emptied in the morning	Nothing regular. A small sensor tip is the one wear part
Indwelling catheter	Held in the bladder by a small balloon	A clinician's decision	Catheters changed by a nurse; bags

What an automatic urine collector is

Shops list powered collectors under several names: automatic urine collection system, electric urine collector, urine suction device. The idea is the same in each. A cup or a wick sits against the body, and a pump at the bedside moves urine to a container so it does not stay on the skin or the sheets.

Before buying any of them, check five things:

The fits on offer. Men, women, and men with a retracted penis need different shapes.
What is washed and what is replaced, and how often.
Where the urine goes and how the container is emptied.
How it is powered, and whether it may be used while it is charging.
The return terms and the warranty, and who answers when you have a question.

How the Quietdry Night System works

Bedtime: fit the brief with the cup in place, check the rim sits flat, connect the tube and switch the unit on at the bedside.
Overnight: when urine reaches the cup the pump runs until the cup is clear, then returns to standby. It works on the back or the side.
Morning: empty the 2 L jug, rinse the cup and tubing with warm water, put the brief in the wash and fit the spare.

In the box: the pump unit and its charger, a silicone cup in the chosen fit, two briefs, tubing, a 2 L jug with a lid and a 2 L drainage bag. The unit is rechargeable; charge it during the day and unplug it before the night. How it works, step by step.

Which fit

Men: a tubular cup. As a guide, the maker recommends it when the penis is longer than about 4 cm (1.5 in).
Men (retracted fit): a shorter cup for a penis that is shorter than that or sits close to the body. More on the retracted fit.
Women: a contoured cup with a raised rim.

The brief is one adjustable size, for waists up to about 47 in (120 cm) with the included extension strap. If the first cup does not suit, the 60-night trial includes one free fit swap, and we send the new cup first.

Looking after it

Each day: rinse the cup and tubing with warm water, never above 50 °C, and brush the cup and the sensor tip gently with a soft toothbrush. Wash the brief.
Once a month: run a descaling flush through the tube and pump. The Descaler Pack has the sachets; any citric acid kettle descaler does the same job.
From time to time: replace the sensor tip, the one part that wears. It comes with the Replacement Cup + Sensor.

The pump unit has a 6-month warranty.

When it is not the right choice

An indwelling catheter is in place.
They are up and walking at night. The Night System is for lying in bed. For daytime there is the Day Kit.
Medicare or insurance will cover a PureWick for them. Check that first. How coverage works.
The skin in the area is broken or very fragile. Ask the care team before using any external collector.
Bowel incontinence. It collects urine only.
You want a product with clinical studies behind it. Quietdry is a new brand and has none.

Questions

Does it work if they sleep on their side?

Yes, on the back or the side. The cup has a soft raised rim and the brief has an adjustable waist tab and side straps to hold it in place. Check the fit after they turn for the first few nights.

Is there adhesive on the skin?

No. The cup is held by the brief, not glued.

What has to be bought again?

There are no wicks or liners. The cup and briefs are washed and reused. The one wear part is a small sensor tip, which is sold with a replacement cup.

Can the pump stay on the charger overnight?

No. Charge the unit during the day and unplug it before the night.

Is it covered by Medicare or insurance?

No. Quietdry is not billed to Medicare or insurance. PureWick can be covered in some cases, so check that first.

Is it a medical treatment?

No. It collects urine and keeps the bed dry. It does not treat incontinence or any medical condition. The US FDA lists this product type as a non-invasive powered urine collector (product code NZU, Class I, exempt from premarket review).

See the Night System — US$299 →

PureWick™ is a trademark of Becton, Dickinson and Company. Other product names are trademarks of their owners. Quietdry is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.