The basic concept comes down to hole sizes. The holes within waterproof fabrics are too small to let water in, however, they are big enough to let water vapour come out which makes the fabric breathable allowing sweat moisture to escape.
This makes it practical for certain activities involving waterproof clothing. When we dive more into the details, waterproof fabrics come down to 2 factors, fabric layers and Durable Water Repellent Spray (DWR).
The layers include an outer layer (face fabric) mainly made out of nylon or polyester. This layer's job is to repel water and make the product look good. The 2nd layer is the membrane layer which is usually coated or laminated and made out of Teflon (ePTFE) or Polyurethane (PU). its microscopic holes are where water can't pass through, but liquid vapour can.
Higher-quality fabrics will have a third layer which is the tri-coat mesh. This adds a layer of protection and comfort to the membrane which is usually exposed in 2 layer fabrics.
This fabric is then typically topped off with DWR to further repel water. Over time, this spray needs to be reapplied as that protected layer can wear off.
Different products will be made differently depending on the strength and activity it is used for. You can get products with variability in waterproofness, layers and DWR strength.
Essentially when shopping for waterproof clothing, checking labels and their uses is important for picking the right one for your activity of choice.
Waterproofness is typically determined by the brands themselves or by fabric producers who test it in-house or independent labs.
With the rise of gorp-core and goretex, we thought it was a good time to dive into the science behind how all this waterproof clothing actually works.
Its no denying that social media, especially tiktok put gorp-core on majorly, with arteryx being one brand capitalising off that limelight well.
It's also important to note, Different products will be made differently depending on the strength and activity it is used for. You can get products with variability in waterproofness, layers and DWR strength. Essentially when shopping for waterproof clothing, checking labels and their uses is important for picking the right one for your activity of choice. Waterproofness is typically determined by the brands themselves or by fabric producers who test it in-house or independent labs.
The topic can get a lot more complicated when you factor in materials, chemicals and different brands/patents such as Goretex or HyVent
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