Diaper Covers Showdown: Bummis vs. Motherease

When Milo's bum isn't wrapped up in one of his wonderful, wonderful Wonderoos, it's usually covered by a cotton prefold and one of his waterproof diaper covers.

We're currently using two different types of diaper covers -- Bummis Super Whisper Wraps (henceforth to be referred to as SWWs) and Motherease.

The two diaper covers are quite similar in design. Both have Aplix (aka "Velcro") closures and are made from waterproof laminate, kind of like the material K-Way jackets are made from -- and if you don't know what K-Way jackets are, all I have to say is, where the hell were you in 1980?

(If your answer is, "Still a twinkle in my father's eye," I don't wanna hear it.)

Here's Milo sporting one of his fancy-pants "froggy" SWW diaper covers...

And here he is in Motherease "jungle print" cover.

So far, I'm fairly happy with both these diaper covers. We're using the small size of both diaper covers on a long, relatively lean 3 1/2 month-old baby who currently weighs 14 1/2 pounds , and they fit Milo really well. They easily cover his cotton prefold without being saggy in the crotch or having any gaps around the legs.

Both diaper covers rarely ever leak, except for when he's had a SERIOUS (and by "serious," I mean mind-bendingly HUGE) blowout. When I put them on, I can almost always guarantee that the clothes Milo's wearing will remain relatively unscathed, no matter what kind of storm his unpredictable digestive system brews up.

There are subtle differences between the two diaper covers. The Aplix strip across the front is much wider on the Motherease cover. This makes it a little easier to put it on a hyper-wiggly baby.

However, I notice that I have to be careful to make sure that none of the Aplix is above the hem of the diaper; otherwise, Milo ends up with a red mark on his belly where the Aplix has been rubbing against his skin.

The Motherease also has gussets around the leg, which ensure a snug fit and help prevent leaks:

The SWW, on the other hand, has fold-back tabs inside the cover, which help protect the Aplix fasteners by ensuring they don't get all gummed up with lint when you throw them in the washing machine. Since the Aplix fastener is the part of the cover that's most vulnerable to wear and tear, the fold-back tabs definitely help extend the life of the cover.


My one major complaint about these diaper covers is that they don't breathe as well as the Wonderoos pocket diapers do. I find I have to change Milo more often when he's wearing them; otherwise, his skin starts to redden and chafe from being wrapped in wetness for so long. I often notice when I take them off that the inside of them is slick with moisture. This never happens with the Wonderoos, because their microsuede lining wicks moisture away from baby's skin.

That being said, I still like the SWW and Motherease covers. I'd give them a 4/5 rating. I'm sure there are better covers out there -- I've been hearing great things about fleece, and wool's a huge favourite among natural fiber fans -- but I just haven't tried any of them yet. What I'd like to find is a soft diaper cover made from hemp fleece or wool or some other such funky material that has leg gussets and fold-back tabs for the Aplix closure. And I'd prefer that diaper cover to come in vibrant colours that don't bleed in the wash. Oh, and if it was self-laundering so I'd never have to wash it, that'd be good, too.

No harm in dreaming, right?