What absorbency means in practice
Absorbency describes how much liquid the core takes in and holds. For menstrual pants it is shaped by three things working together: acquisition (how fast the topsheet passes liquid inward), distribution (how evenly the core uses its full area) and retention (how firmly SAP holds fluid under pressure). A core that absorbs quickly but releases fluid when sat is not performing.
Rewet and surface dryness
Rewet measures how much liquid returns to the surface when the loaded product is pressed - for example when the wearer sits or lies down. Surface dryness is the wearer's perception of the same property. Both are commonly evaluated in supplier labs, and both matter more for overnight and heavy-flow products than for short day use.
Typical test approach
Labs usually dose a defined volume of test liquid (often saline) onto the product at a marked point, wait a set time, then measure retained liquid and rewet under a standard pressure. Results depend heavily on dose, wait time, pressure and product size, which is why numbers from different suppliers are not directly comparable unless the method is the same.
What buyers should specify in an RFQ
Instead of asking for a number, describe the use case: day use, overnight, heavy flow or postpartum; the target size range; and the pack format. Then ask the supplier to propose the core design and to show test results for that design, including the method used. Ask for a sample of the same construction that will be produced.
Reading claims honestly
Absorbency claims on packaging are marketing summaries, not test reports. A credible supplier can explain what was tested, how, and on which size. If a claim cannot be traced to a test method, treat it as unverified and ask for evidence.
Testing at the buyer's end
Buyers with volume programs can also run simple comparative checks on received samples: dose, wait, blot and weigh. This does not replace supplier reports but gives an independent read on batch consistency across orders.