Ladyz by Design relaunches patented Comfort Urinal

Portable urinals are an essential part of patient care, helping those with limited mobility, incontinence, or long-term health challenges maintain dignity and independence. Yet too often the urinals leak, or scrape delicate skin, creating new problems for patients and healthcare providers.

One Milwaukee-area company has a solution to this problem and is working to reintroduce a patented design aimed at improving comfort and usability for patients and caregivers alike.

Ladyz by Design, led by owner Narda Riley, is relaunching the Comfort Urinal, a soft, latex-free, ergonomically designed attachment that prevents spills and reduces abrasions often caused by standard hard plastic urinals. The innovation was first envisioned in 2007 by Riley’s late mother, Zandra Davis, a nurse who saw firsthand how existing products failed to meet patients’ needs.

“My mother’s vision was to correct the basic standard urinal to help patients and caregivers,” Riley said. “I’m pushing her vision forward because this is something that’s truly needed.”

Prototyping for the Comfort Urinal was completed with the help of Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), and a feasibility study was conducted through UW–Whitewater, giving the product a strong foundation of local academic support. The patent for the product was granted in 2018, shortly before Davis’ passing.

The Comfort Urinal briefly reached the market in partnership with engineers who sold the product on Amazon before operations paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, Riley is rebuilding momentum by seeking business partners and distribution channels that can help bring the product into hospitals, nursing homes, and home health settings.

Riley said her goal is to relaunch the product through medical supply networks that understand market pathways and patient safety standards. She recently reconnected with Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through networking events, and this fall, she will pitch the product as part of the Green Bay Packers Mentor-Protégé Program.

The timing may be right for a comeback. According to market reports, the U.S. portable urinal market was valued at approximately $150 million in 2024 and is expected to reach $300 million by 2033, growing at a compound annual rate of about 8.5%. Analysts attribute that growth to an aging population, increased focus on infection control, and the demand for sustainable, single-use medical products.

“If it didn’t work, I wouldn’t have gone this long,” Riley said. “This is my mother’s vision, and I truly believe in it.”

As she works to reintroduce the Comfort Urinal, Riley continues to connect with healthcare innovators, investor networks, and accelerator programs, determined to bring her mother’s idea to the patients who need it most.