Waterproof Rating & Breathability

Why Waterproof and breathability ?

For any type of outdoor activity, you’ll want something waterproof and breathable.

Waterproof so you stay dry, and breathable so you don’t overheat.

A good rule is, the more you’re working, the more breathable your garment should be.

Waterproof Rating

Waterproof Rating is expressed as the height of the column of water that the fabric can withstand. The height of the column of water is measured in millimetres

A waterproof fabric must withstand a 1,300 mm column of water, but most manufacturers apply a higher limit of 2,000 mm.  At levels exceeding 10,000 mm (ie. military & industrial standard), breatheability values can no longer be distinguished as these are all clearly adequate.

Breathability Rating

A fabric’s breathability rating, represented in units of g / m² / 24hrs, tells how many grams of water vapor pass through a square meter of fabric in a day, in labratory tests. A fabric with a rating of 10,000 g / m² / 24hrs is considered highly breathable while those which hit 20,000 g / m² / 24hrs are extremely breathable and rated to be more breathable than even Gore-Tex Pro Shell (with its 20,000 g / m² / 24hrs rating). In the outdoor context, a jacket having a better breathability rating is usually more important than one having a high waterproof rating (>10,000 g / m² / 24hrs), and when the highly breathable jacket performs to expectations, it means greater comfort, safety, and performance for the jacket user.

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