question about bummis covers

[July09Mama]

I just got my first Bummis and they're leaking really badly. They fit fine and the moisture is not coming from around the legs/waist, it's just that the pee soaks right through the whole thing!
I sent this email to the company:
"I just got some Bummis covers as a gift and they seem to be wicking. I don't see any of the shiny part of the PUL on the inside and the whole cover seems to be wet when the diaper gets wet.
I've heard great things about Bummis covers and I assume that these specific covers are a fluke. My hope would be to send these covers back and have them replaced with the same style."
Thank you, *my name*

and got this email back:
"Thank you for contacting us with your concerns! It sounds like you have the Super Whisper Wrap cover, which doesn’t have an exposed laminate. The Super Whisper Wrap has two layers of polyester with the laminate sandwiched in between.

Neither layers of polyester are waterproof, so if wetness touches it, it is normal for it so soak up some liquid. For this exact reason, we do recommend changing diaper covers after every use however it is not necessary to wash after every use. You can simply rinse under the tap and hang to dry. Most likely by the next diaper change, that cover will have dried!
If the cover is leaking straight through (wetness drips out the exterior), this could be a sign of a detergent residue.
We do have another cover, the Super Brite, which has one layer of polyester with an exposed laminate on the inside. Here is a link to our website where you can read about this cover: http://www.bummis.com/us/en/super-brite.php
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks, have a great day!"

So, am I not supposed to be able to use these covers for longer times (like going out) or over night? I sent the email because we woke up with the entire bed covered in pee the night before! Surely that's not the way they are supposed to work.
Does anyone know if that's normal for Bummis covers? Has anyone worked with their customer service before and have any idea if I might be able to get them exchanged or a refund? These were supposed to be the covers I used from now until potty-training, so I'm really disappointed!

[LionessMom]

did it leak just that one time from wearing it over night? a cover will only hold so much in. it sounds like you need more absorbency at night. i use bigger wraps at night so i can double the pfs inside.

[octobermom]

bummi wraps are one of my main covers but I can't use them over night they will though last over a prefold during a 2 hour nap if I choose to put a cover on her. I'd consier detergent residue if its leaking so fast.

deanna

[ExuberantDaffodil]

I used bummis sww and didn't have leaks like that. My lo did outgrow the absorbency in her fitteds, and I had to increase absorbency or else we got a few leaks here or there, but I don't think your covers should be leaking straight through.

Maybe try bumping up the absorbency of your diapers and see if that helps.

[Carolyn_mtl]

Sorry to hear you are disappointed with your covers, you should definitely be able to use them for long naps / over night! Like Bummis said in their response, it sounds like you have the Super Whisper Wrap (you can't see the shiny layer of PUL, it's sandwiched between 2 layers of polyester, unlike the Super Brite, where the PUL is exposed).
Because the layer of polyester on the inside of the cover touches the wet diaper, it too will feel wet, but the cover should not leak because behind this layer of polyester is the waterproof PUL. (make sense?)
Chances are, like others have said, you aren't using a thick enough diaper, and eventually wetness will leak through the waist and leg holes (this is normal, and the cover is not defective). You can try to test the cover by itself to see if it is working properly. Pour some warm water into the cover and hold it over the sink and see if any water drips out. If it does than you should contact Bummis again and let them know that the cover itself is leaking through the PUL. They will likely ask for some details about how you wash the covers, type of detergent etc to figure out what exactly is causing the problem.
HTH

[lunita1]

Huh. I use bummis all of the time and I've never had that problem. They do occasionally feel a bit damp on the inside, but (probably because I change quite frequently and use very absorbent diapers) it has never gone through. I do use them at night, too, which is when they get damp. Do you have other covers that have worked fine for you with the same diapers/in the same situations?

This may be obvious, but make sure the diaper is fully contained within the cover and that no clothing is tucked inside the cover. That will definitely cause a wicking mess.

[Llyra]

It sounds like you need more absorbency. We used SWWs for years, with all three kids, and they did get damp on the inside a bit, if the diaper was soaked, they never outright leaked. If the diaper inside is drenched, the moisture has to go somewhere-- the best cover in the world won't contain it. I would recommend beginning with more absorbency inside the cover.

[treeoflife3]

bummis isn't my favorite cover in the least, but I also never had that problem... I could use them for as long as the diaper on the inside didn't get soaked.

Like everyone else said, consider finding a different diaper/more absorbency to use the bummis with or consider your current laundry routine.