Craft Aqua Rain Jacket

Our proofers should not alter the look or handle of the fabric. However, it is recommended that the products are tested on a small, inconspicuous area before spraying on or washing into the garment.Always wash your coat first if re-proofing using a waterproof spray. Dirt and oil can clog up the breathable membrane found in many waterproof jackets, making it feel as though water is penetrating through the fabric. When washing your jacket, it is important to use a specialist performance cleaner designed for technical outerwear rather than everyday household detergents.

Founded in 1989 as Rock Solid, the company re-branded in 1991 as Arc’teryx to produce outerwear and climbing gear for the Coast Mountains in Canada. The company was sold to Salomon Group in 2001 and Amer Sports in 2005, and in turn Amer was sold to Anta Sports in 2019. Arc’teryx maintains two divisions: Veilance, their luxury streetwear retailer and LEAF, their retailer of technical gear for law enforcement and military forces.

Originally named ”Rock Solid” by co-founder Dave Lane, the company’s first line of products was climbing gear. Dave Lane sold his 50% interest to Blair Murdoch and Tim Duholke who became silent partners in 1989. Then-principal and co-founder Jeremy Guard changed the company name to Arc’teryx in 1991 to reflect the company’s vision of creating disruptive ”evolutionary” innovation within the outdoor products industry. Guard was president and principal of the company from 1991 to 2001. Using a heat laminate (thermolamination) technology, the partners designed and marketed the Vapor harness, which would become the company’s most popular item. In 1993, after a series of relocations and staff additions, Arc’teryx released the Bora backpack using the same Vapor technology. In 1996, the company introduced technical apparel featuring Gore-Tex after obtaining a license from W. L. Gore & Associates. Arc’teryx re-located its headquarters to Burnaby, British Columbia in 1999 and then to North Vancouver in 2005.Arc’teryx is a Canadian high-end design company specializing in outdoor apparel and equipment headquartered in North Vancouver, British Columbia. It focuses on technical apparel for mountaineering and Alpine sports, including related accessories. The company’s name and logo reference the Archaeopteryx, the transitional fossil of early dinosaurs to modern dinosaurs (birds). Arc’teryx is known for their waterproof Gore-Tex shell jackets, knitwear, and down parkas.

Jon Hoerauf joined the company as president in 2012, assuming the additional role of general manager in 2016. During the early 2020s, Arc’teryx co-produced items with high-fashion brands and designers which expanded their consumer market beyond outdoor enthusiasts. Arc’teryx has become widely popular in the street fashion scene and Internet culture. The theft (”racking”) of Arc’teryx and other Gore-Tex items is considered to be part of the street subculture. It is seen as a high-end status symbol among youth, ”just shy of Stone Island and Moncler.” The Atlantic noted the brand as selling ”premium-tier outdoorsiness” while the Financial Times noted one of their largest demographics as ”urbanites” in 2022. In 2001, Arc’teryx was purchased by Salomon Group, a French subsidiary of the German retailer Adidas. In 2005, Arc’teryx was sold to Finnish retailer Amer Sports. In 2019, Chinese retailer Anta Sports bought a controlling stake (56%) in Amer.Throughout 2022, a TikTok trend emerged where individuals would shower, fully clothed with an Arc’teryx jacket, as British rapper YT’s song ”Arc’teryx” played on background.

The company is a major influence in the ”gorpcore” and ”normcore” fashion movements – the wearing of minimalist, outdoor apparel in urban settings, along with Mammut, REI, Marmot and Patagonia.The Arc’teryx head office is located in North Vancouver and harnesses, backpacks, and other apparel is made in its own factory in New Westminster, BC. As their apparel line expanded Arc’teryx began manufacturing in international markets, specifically in China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Bangladesh, El Salvador, Laos, and Greece.

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Fabric construction which directs water away from the body, rather than membranes, coatings or laminates, can be used to keep the wearer dry. This means that perspiration can be moved away from the body more effectively, as both liquid water and water vapour can be directed. These are directional fabrics such as Nikwax Analogy and FurTech, which are also breathable in the conventional sense (although these examples are actually a combination of two different fabrics, a directional ”pump” layer underneath a distinct windproof and water resistant outer layer, and while effectively completely waterproof against rain they would fail a strict hydrostatic head test as given in the definition above).Waterproof/breathable fabrics resist liquid water passing through, but allow water vapour to pass through. Their ability to block out rain and snow while allowing vapour from sweat to evaporate leads to their use in rainwear, waterproof outdoor sports clothing, tents, and other applications.

These values should be taken with some caveats. Rain room tests show that some fabrics with less than 1,000 mm of water resistance keep water out sufficiently for practical purposes. Garments made from these fabrics tested in the Leeds University Rain Room show no signs of leakage after 4 hours of simulated rain five times heavier than heavy rain. However, some garments made from fabrics that exceed 20 000 mm have leaked through zips, hoods, and seams. Fabric head ratings do not totally specify water resistance of a garment, as it does not test closures such as zips. In addition, the breathability of nearly all waterproof/breathable fabrics is very dependent upon weather conditions, especially temperature, humidity and wind.Garments that combine waterproofing with some thermal insulation, such as those manufactured by FurTech and Nikwax Analogy, resist cold bridging, heat transferred through layers of poorly-thermally-insulating materials in close contact that would be prevented by a small airspace. When there is cold bridging, vapour on the dry side can condense on the cold surface, making it appear that the thin waterproof breathable fabric has leaked.

Waterproof fabrics are fabrics that are, inherently, or have been treated to become, resistant to penetration by water and wetting. The term ”waterproof” refers to conformance to a governing specification and specific conditions of a laboratory test method. They are usually natural or synthetic fabrics that are laminated or coated with a waterproofing material such as rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), silicone elastomer, fluoropolymers, and wax. Treatment could be either of the fabric during manufacture or of completed products after manufacture, for instance by a waterproofing spray. Examples include the rubberized fabric used in Mackintosh jackets, sauna suits and inflatable boats.

One specific definition of ”waterproof/breathable” requires the fabric to withstand a pressure of over 1,000 millimetres of water (9.8 kPa) pressure without leaking (see hydrostatic head).Discerning Cyclist is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.co.uk. Discerning Cyclist is also an affiliate partner for several other programmes, including Rakuten, which you can learn more about here.For everyday use, expect a waterproof spray to last up to a month. The DWR will eventually wear off, more in areas where friction applies and then apply a new coat. If the garment is worn less frequently, you can expect more life. Spot check to see if the water seeps in or beads before shaking off.

The spray is colourless when dried and offers oil and stain protections. There is no advertised effect on the flexibility or breathability of the garment.I’ve been using Nikwax to top up the waterproofing of a pair of walking boots and find their products simple to use and readily available at local outdoor sports stores.

Most functional outdoor clothing, workwear and tents come with DWR and simply deteriorate over time and should need topping up. Using DWR on standard clothes can waterproof them. The way it works is to hamper the water from entering the fabric. DWR is likely to be removed by regular cleaners.This product is designed to work on wet-weather clothing that have built in absorbent liners. It is tailor-made for materials such as breathable waterproof fabrics, coated, microfibre and laminated clothing.

Grangers Performance Repel Plus comes out the best and this is due to the performance and reliability factors, despite the additional cost. The positivity, environmental performance and wide range of glowing reviews from regular, non-activity based users helped to tip the balance in their favour.

A light shower can be negotiated without both you and your clothes dripping, especially if you are wearing your work gear which is specially made for cycling. If you have the need to wear one, then the suit jacket, tie or sharp blouse may well be left at the desk anyway. Your commute might therefore be made up of good leisure wear or some of the cycle specific clothing seen on these pages. Have a look here at how you can cycle in the rain.

The Nano Fabric Protect aids their recovery and use as a water repellent speedily and also helps keep off other everyday stains. We don’t have a 1980s doorstep washing powder advert to show you examples of such stains, unfortunately.

This product is aimed at those outdoor garments which may have been neglected or shoved through the washing machine too many times when you are in a huff after a sludgy ride.

Forking out for another layer of kit should not be a deterrent to a good commute to work. Cycling more slowly and in a more considered fashion need not require Gore-Tex or anti-fogging sunglasses. Spend more on your bike instead.Let’s be clear. Not everyone needs to wear lycra, or hi-tech fabrics in order to slip through the streets and lanes of a commute. These materials have so many wonderful properties to assist using the bicycle as a tool for exercising, perspiring and avoiding pockets of wind that slow you down and rob you of your PB.

DWR is a coating put onto materials made for function and works for clothing or footwear. It provides the very first blockade to water. It stops it from collecting and flowing as one by keeping the surface of the fabric smooth via increased surface tension and forcing the beads off the material.DWR coatings wash off over time and washing rain jackets is encouraged since it keeps sweat and debris off of the membrane, helping it breathe and expel moisture. Young of Endura also mentioned that newer coatings that are better for the environment wear more quickly and need proofed more frequently. Generally, it takes longer to stitch and tape fabric together, which makes them more expensive than other garments. But the unique fabrics that high-end brands use come at a cost too. “It’s always a bit of a balance of who it’s aimed at and the price point you’re aiming for,” said Ian Young, Endura’s category manager. But, looking closer at how a mountain biker’s rain jacket might differ from a hiker’s, it does get more complex. After all, most of us would agree the demands of mountain biking are quite different from hiking.

“Our opinion is that it’s not waterproof unless it’s fully seam sealed,” said John Pepper, the senior line product manager for Pearl Izumi. Rain jackets can’t be stitched together like a pair of jeans. Instead, brands use a seam tape for a water tight bond.Young from Endura explained that their brand sees the differences in low- and high-end jackets depending on the use. For someone commuting to work in the rain on a flat bike path, they might not notice the difference in breathability. But, if that commute got rocky and slick and the rider had to work a lot harder, they probably would. Re-proofers like Nikwax and Granger are readily available in spray and detergent forms. Jackets typically shouldn’t be dried on high heat though because it can damage the membrane and seams. Fortunately, brands like Rapha include patches on their garments to repair tears and people can send garments in for repair to keep them going. “Temperature regulation is best done by—if you’re too hot, you unzip the jacket or unzip some vents,” said Young. Yes, it costs more money to add zippers, but the ventilation is instantaneous.Rapha uses GoreTex on its top-shelf rain jacket, but it does offer less expensive rain jacket options without the fabric. Before we get farther though, we need to elaborate on rain jacket construction. “It will all keep you dry, but if you are working hard in that jacket, or you’re out all day in it, or you’re riding every day, all winter, then you will get much better performance out of the high-level jackets than you will from our low-end jackets.” There are few things more frustrating than buying a pricey new layer only to have it tear at the seams or wear out prematurely. Roberts of Rapha said, “There are two elements where jackets tend to fail or where you need to pay more attention.”Representatives from Pearl Izumi, Endura, and Rapha emphasized that water proofing and resistance happens through sourcing the right type of fabric for the jacket’s intent and price point. That happens through picking the right type of membrane and their preferred type of water resistant coating on the outer layer, but there are also two other elements that are hugely important:

A 2.5-layer jacket has a waterproof coating on the underside of an outer shell and then it will have a protective coating or half layer on the outside. These tend to be more affordable than 3-layer jackets which are typically flagship models featuring GoreTex. Three-layer jackets have a waterproof/breathable membrane sandwiched between a fabric layer on the inside for comfort and membrane protection, and then a durable layer on the outside of the membrane. Even with three layers, these jackets feel very thin and light.“From a cycling point of view, we put a lot of emphasis on breathability and temperature regulation, but also the kind of waterproofing of the fabric,” said Young.

Brands can tweak these layers and materials in many ways. Some might source high-end fabrics like GoreTex or PolarTec or use their own proprietary fabrics.

“The really important thing about waterproof fabrics is they are like a sandwich,” said Young from Endura. “There are three layers of fabrics or three layers of material laminated into what feels like a single fabric.”

“That’s why there’s so much variability in price and performance,” said Young, “because you can change each one of those layers for hundreds of different options to achieve what you’re looking for.”

“The materials cost more but it’s how you construct and seal the garments where it’s a lot more work that goes into creating a product that is fully waterproof and windproof, for example,” said Roberts.On one of the brand’s latest jackets they use NeoShell from PolarTec, an electrospun membrane. Pepper said it’s spun like cotton candy to make interlocked fibers that let moisture vapor and heat travel in and out of the fabric without the user having to get warm to create a pressure difference in the jacket and allow air to move through the membrane.The other important piece is zippers. Rain jacket designers use storm flaps or waterproof zippers in place of traditional zippers to keep water out of the parts that open the rain jacket to the elements.Rapha, like the other brands, said they don’t have a benchmark for how long a good rain jacket should last. Like other brands, durability starts with selecting a heavier material for their mountain bike jackets than their road cycling rain jackets to prevent tears from crashes and snags. In the end, making the jacket last is up to the wearer. On certain rain jackets where brands like Rapha source materials from another brand, like GoreTex, the costs can add up quickly because of the back-and-forth nature the product requires. GoreTex sends Rapha fabric, Rapha builds a prototype rain jacket and then sends it back to GoreTex to meet their waterproof testing standards. While this adds to the overall cost of the piece, there is obviously a lot of credibility built into the GoreTex brand from decades of research and development. “The way the cost of a garment is generally built, you tend to find that about 30% of the cost comes from materials, about 30% of the cost comes from the make or physically constructing the garment together and the rest is secondary materials like zips, trims, stitching, etc,” said John Roberts, the product director of Rapha. Those costs compound during construction.It doesn’t take much to make a rain jacket that keeps the wearer dry. A trash bag with a hole cut in the top will meet that objective. But to make a garment that keeps water out, lets moisture escape from the inside, and lets air in is a different story.

It might also be unsurprising to know that our testers have given more applause to the pricier garments for their performance in serious wet weather conditions, for their breathability, fit and durability. But that still does little to tell us why good rain jackets cost as much as they do and what goes into the unassuming, high-tech fabrics. So, we called up some folks at leading apparel brands Endura, Pearl Izumi, and Rapha to learn more than we ever expected about rain jackets.

Rain jackets are consistently one of the most expensive wearables we test at Singletracks. For this list of eight rain jackets published early in 2022, the average price was $280, with a range of price points, from $169 to $449. Unsurprisingly, and understandably, the first comments we hear are usually “Holy crap these are expensive,” or “No way in hell.”Craft är en produkt av svett och slit, av snö och regn, av förluster och segrar och av euforin som upplevs när gränser förflyttas. I fyra årtionden har Craft levererat optimal prestation genom funktionella idrottskläder. Nästan lika länge har dom varit en del av den professionella idrottsvärlden. Deras kunskap om hur ett tränings- och tävlingsplagg ska designas för att erbjuda optimal funktion kommer till stor del från ett långt och givande samarbete med elitidrottare över hela världen.1977 i British Colombia, Kanada började Blake Annable tillverka tekniska kläder. Idag är Stormtech känt för mycket hög kvalitet och design. Plaggen är utvecklade och testade i Kanadas tuffa klimat. Man använder sig av de främsta materialen för att kunna möta de hårda krav som väder och vind ställer på ett plagg. Stormtechs kollektion består av tekniska och innovativa jackor, tenniströjor, t-shirts och byxor. Allt fokuserar på moderna modeller med hög funktionalitet.Klassisk regnjacka förr dam med en matt finish. Vind och vattentät med vattentäta sömmar. Ventilation i rygg och under armar för bättre andningsegenskap. Vattenavvisande till 1,000 mm. Justerbar huva. Material: 100% polyurethane Storlekar: XS-2XL

Regnjacka för herr i medellängd med matt finish. Vind och vattentät med vattentäta sömmar. Ventilation i rygg och under armar för bättre andningsegenskap. Två framfickor. Vatten avvisande till 4,000 mm. Justerbar huva och ärmslut. Material 100% polyurethane. Storlekar S-5XL (4-5XL endast tillgänglig i Black)

A washing machine: It’s best to remove and release dirt, stains, sunscreen, and grime from the fabric before you re-waterproof it. Otherwise you risk trapping these particles in the fabric, which can lessen your rain gear’s breathability.The whole process can be completed in two steps. All you need to do is wash your gear and then reapply a waterproof coating, which can be done in a washing machine. If you have a fabric-lined raincoat, the waterproofing is done by hand using a spray bottle (similar to the way you’d treat a suede or leather jacket). Quality rain gear keeps you dry while you’re roaming in fresh spring rains or on misty fall days. If your raincoat or pants are stained or dirty, or if they’re starting to “wet out” (absorbing water instead of shedding it), that doesn’t mean they’re no longer effective. With a little TLC, your rain gear can look and function like new. When you’re using the tech wash or other rain-gear-specific product, put no more than two items of rain gear in the washing machine at a time, and then add the recommended amount of cleaner to the detergent dispenser. (Nikwax specifies 3 ounces per load.)This is a three-step process—wash, treat, and dry. If you let your rain gear air-dry, the process will take about 24 hours. If you opt to dry your clothes on low or no-heat tumble dry, it can take a few hours, by putting your gear through two cycles in the washing machine and one cycle in the dryer.

If there are obvious stains on your jacket, spot treat them with a dab of tech wash. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then buff or rub the stains to loosen them. To weather the cold, damp, and ice of winter, Montbell’s Alpine Light Down Jacket (available in women’s and men’s sizes) is the one we want to wrap up in. You don’t even have to take your gear out of the washing machine. Just drop the waterproofing formula into the detergent dispenser. Nikwax recommends about 5 ounces of waterproofing formula per two-piece load, depending on how much fabric you will be treating.A DWR wash or spray: After you launder your coat or pants with whatever wash formula you choose, the next step is to wash the item again with a DWR formula that re-waterproofs the fabric. DWR stands for durable water repellent, and it’s the chemical that makes water bead up and slide off your rain gear, instead of soaking right through. Again, Nikwax makes the most widely available DWR wash, TX.Direct.

Ketric Cooley-Rieders, a wash technician at Truckee Laundry (which specializes in cleaning and waterproofing ski clothing), said you should “wait three minutes before dropping the tech wash in,” because you want the product to disperse throughout the water in the machine to evenly coat everything. Then set the wash cycle to “normal” so that it spins out as much water as possible.Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time).

A rain-gear detergent: Standard laundry detergents, even mild ones like Woolite, can damage your rain gear. That’s because laundry detergent is a surfactant, and it will leave a water-loving (hydrophilic) residue behind on your rain gear, ruining its rain-repelling properties. So you’ll need a wash that’s made specifically for rain gear. There are a few available, but the most widely available option is Nikwax Tech Wash.

Rain jackets are a surprisingly complicated subject, so it’s good to know a little bit about what you’re getting into when buying one. The first thing to know is what these jackets are made out of. For years brands have been innovating waterproof materials that are also breathable and soft so they’re comfortable to wear. If all you want is protection from the rain, you can easily use a plastic poncho, but if you want to move around and not immediately start sweating, you’ll want to opt for a breathable rain jacket.

This jacket was one of the more breathable jackets we tested, but its pockets — like many others — weren’t waterproof. A bit of water got into the two side pockets, and the tissue inside the chest pocket got completely soaked. It didn’t stand out for any particular reason, but it’s still a solid rain jacket. Just don’t put your phone in its pockets. While some of the other jackets we tested felt sticky, clammy or even itchy against our bare skin, the Torrentshell had one of the most comfortable interior materials, behind only The North Face’s Dryzzle and the Arc’teryx Beta LT. It also proved quite durable, and only got a couple light marks when we rubbed it against our brick building. However, if you do some rough adventuring and your jacket does get damaged, it’s backed by Patagonia’s Ironclad Guarantee, which means you can send it in and get it repaired (in most cases for free) at any time. This jacket was another one of our favorites, and while it didn’t score extremely high, it was solidly waterproof and breathable. The interior of the jacket is a bit sticky and felt clammy against our skin, but if you’re an avid hiker or backpacker, the Helium’s extreme packability just might be enough to sell you. It was the lightest jacket we weighed, coming in at only 6.26 ounces. For reference, the next lightest was about 7.5 ounces and the next after that was nearly 10 ounces. On top of that, the Helium stuffs down into its sole chest pocket into a tiny package that’s about the size of our hand. So if you’re searching for the lightest jacket that you can throw in your backpack for a thru-hike and don’t care as much about comfort or durability, the Helium is a great choice.This porous membrane is key to this waterproofness, and also part of the layering system that you’ll see in the names and descri
ptions of rain jackets. There are two-layer, 2.5-layer and three-layer jackets, which tell you about the build of the jacket. A two-layer jacket basically just has the outer material with the waterproof membrane on the inside, a 2.5 has the same construction but with a sprayed or printed material on the inside to protect the membrane. Finally, a three-layer jacket has its outer material, the waterproof membrane and a whole other layer on the inside. There are differences in terms of the weight and feel between all three, but if you’re looking at waterproofness and durability, nothing beats a three-layer jacket because that extra material completely protects the internal membrane so dirt and oils from your skin can’t clog the pores and make it less breathable. All jackets we tested were either 2.5 or three layers.

The Microgravity from Outdoor Research fell out of contention after a poor waterproofness test. Again, the pockets were its downfall, and in the Microgravity’s case, so much water came through all of its pockets that our shirt got wet underneath. The interior material also felt quite itchy, so we just can’t justify spending $250 on this jacket.The most famous of these materials is GORE-TEX, which you’ve probably seen used in tons of brands and products, including coats, shoes and even gloves. But other brands, such as Patagonia and The North Face, have created their own versions of waterproof fabrics that work in the same basic way. These fabrics are waterproof and breathable at the same time because they have tiny little pores that are so small that water droplets can’t get through, but big enough so the air and vapor from your body can escape.

Since we couldn’t rely on frequent heavy rainstorms to test the waterproofness of our jackets, we hopped in the shower for 10 minutes with each jacket to see if we would stay dry. It turns out showers, which on average dump 2.1 gallons per minute, are surprisingly good at simulating some pretty extreme rainfall.This jacket from REI Co-op was another high scorer but just didn’t do well enough to edge out the competition. It’s also a discontinued item, so it’s only available in one color and stock will eventually run out. Even at a massively discounted price it’s more expensive than our winner, so while it’s a solid jacket, there are better options out there.

Whether you’re an avid hiker or just need protection from the rain during your commute, the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L is the one rain jacket you should buy.This jacket is one of the cheapest we tested but surprised us with its solid scores throughout our testing process. It was solidly waterproof, decently breathable and an overall fantastic jacket. It didn’t score quite as high as the Torrentshell, mostly due to its sticky interior, but if you’re looking for a cheap jacket, the Rainier is a fantastic option. To find the best rain jacket, we tested everything from waterproofness and breathability to fit, feel and packability. We broke up our tests into three categories: performance, durability and versatility so we could compare the different features of each jacket against the others directly. Here’s a full breakdown of all the tests we ran. The Patagonia’s durable water repellent (DWR) coating worked perfectly, causing any water that hit the shell to bead and run right off, preventing water from soaking into the jacket and pooling (which happened with a few of the other jackets we tested). Plus, since the water runs right off, we were able to easily shake the Torrentshell dry after our test, meaning you’ll never have to walk into work with a drenched jacket again.This jacket was fantastic, but it fell just a bit short in a few tests. The fact that it didn’t blow the other jackets out of the water paired with the highest price tag in our testing pool, this jacket is a tough purchase to justify. Like we said earlier, it had our favorite hood we tested, plus its waterproofness and breathability performance was stellar. Its zippers, however, are only water-resistant, not waterproof, and both our shirt and the tissues in our pockets got a bit wet. You can save a lot of money and get a slightly better jacket with the Patagonia Torrentshell. This jacket didn’t impress us much, as it wasn’t very breathable, didn’t hold up well in our rub test and is the only jacket we tested that you can’t throw in the dryer. It was decently waterproof, but its hood is a little flimsy and its pockets don’t zip close, although the tissues we put in there didn’t get as wet as some other jackets. Whether you’re camping, commuting or just running errands around town, a trusty rain jacket can keep you protected from even the worst downpours. We tested 14 top-rated jackets from popular brands like The North Face, Patagonia and Arc’teryx for their waterproofness, breathability, durability and so much more to find the best option out there. And after more than three months of testing, there was one rain jacket that stood out above the rest.

Outdoor gear isn’t always the most eye-pleasing, which is why we love the Torrentshell’s many color options. There are nine available at both Patagonia and REI for the women’s version, and nine at Patagonia for the men’s jacket and eight at REI. Plus, it comes in six sizes from XS to XXL in both men’s and women’s, with two styles available in 3XL at Patagonia.This jacket did not score very well, mainly due to a poor waterproofness test. Its hood channeled the water down our face and right into the jacket itself. We had to look directly at the ground to keep the water out, and couldn’t move our head like we could with other jackets. At the end of our test our shirt was completely soaked. It is incredibly light, but if you’re looking for a packable jacket, go for the $159 Outdoor Research Helium instead.

The other key to waterproofness is a jacket’s durable water repellent, or DWR. This is a coating that is applied to the outside of a rain jacket so the water will bead up and run right off. DWR coatings stop working after a while, which will lead to the outer layer of your jacket soaking up water. The internal membrane will still keep you dry, but since that outer layer is filled with water it will be harder for your sweat vapor to escape, making your jacket less breathable. However, you can easily reapply your DWR coating with products such as Nikwax.The Patagonia Torrentshell is super packable (though not as packable as the teeny tiny Outdoor Research Helium — more on that below) and stuffs into its own pocket. It was also one of the more breathable jackets we tested. So whether you’re hiking through the backcountry or running late for work, you won’t feel as hot and muggy as with other jackets. Plus, its pit vents mean there’s an easy way to dump heat if you’re starting to build up a sweat.

All of the Torrentshell’s zippers are protected by a flap that didn’t allow a drop of water through, even when we pointed the shower’s stream directly onto them. So unlike most of the jackets we tested — which didn’t have fully waterproofed zippers, allowing water to slowly (and sometimes not so slowly) leak through both the main zipper and the pockets — the Torrentshell protects your phone and other items from getting waterlogged.

This jacket had the same hood issue as the other Columbia coat, and water ran right down into the neck of the jacket. It’s heavy, not portable, doesn’t feel comfortable on the inside and isn’t very breathable either.Other than waterproofness and breathability, you’ll want to look for different features depending on what you plan on doing. Lots of pockets help with a commute, a storm hood is great if you get caught in a storm on a hike, weight and packability are essential for backpackers and if you’re a climber or biker, you’ll want a helmet-compatible hood.

The only aspect of the waterproofness test where the Patagonia fell a bit short was its hood. While many of the other jackets had super-sturdy storm hoods, the Torrentshell’s wasn’t as large or stiff. The heavy stream from the shower caused the hood to bend a little bit, so the water would sometimes run down our face. To compare, the Arc’teryx Beta LT had our favorite hood, which maintained its shape in the shower and kept the water far from our face.

The Stormline was the stretchiest jacket we tested and had quite a high score. It’s nice and light, and felt nice both on the outside and inside. It was mostly waterproof, with just a tiny bit of water getting into the pockets. If you need an extremely stretchy and malleable jacket, the Stormline would be a great pick for you, but overall it couldn’t beat out the other coats we tested. Det billigaste priset för Craft Aqua Rain Jacket (Herr) just nu är 1 000 kr. Prisjakt jämför priser och erbjudande från nätbutiker och fysiska butiker. Oavsett om du är en erfaren skidåkare eller precis börjat, hittar du här information om allt från de bästa skiddestinationerna till den senaste utrustningen och säkerhetsråden. Vi har artiklar om allt från skidteknik till vikten av att värma upp ordentligt innan du åker på berget.Vår blogg innehåller också inspiration för livet på berget utanför skidbackarna, från restauranger och boenden till aktiviteter och evenemang. Jag vill att Alpinliv ska vara en plats för att uppleva och dela allt det härliga som livet på berget har att erbjuda. While waxed cotton is neither as durably waterproof or as breathable as PTFE membrane fabrics, for most time spent outdoors, it’ll work quite fine. It will unquestionably biodegrade better. Long story short, eVent removes that polyurethane layer. The upside: a highly-breathable GORE-TEX alternative. The down: because sweat isn’t managed, eVent gear must be thoroughly cleaned more frequently to keep gunk (aka, skin oils and debris) from building up and impacting performance.

There’s more to fabric tech than its most famous name. If you’re looking for a cold weather jacket to help you survive this winter, here are 5 GORE-TEX alternatives to know.While the technology is respected, the sheer cost of the fabric keeps its use limited. Look for it on pinnacle outerwear from brands like Mission Workshop and Alchemy.Nike, adidas. Pepsi, Coke. For 20 years, eVent fabrics has produced the other waterproof tech. But much like the famous Pepsi Challenge, when eVent goes head-to-head, the results speak for themselves.

The most sustainable GORE-TEX alternative fabric is waxed cotton. Waxed cotton is exactly like it sounds: wax (typically beeswax or linseed) is applied to cotton, giving the cloth a hydrophobic coating. Nature applied to nature. That’s it.

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Often used in high-activity wear, Pertex Shield is a breathable waterproof membrane fabric designed for, in the brand’s own words, “intense mountain pursuits where weight and breathability are key.”eVent is a waterproof, breathable textile just like GORE-TEX. The key difference: eVent is a “dry system.” Layered GORE-TEX fabrics insert a layer of polyurethane between the wearer and the membrane. This layer manages sweat to keep gunk away from the sensitive waterproof bits, but because it’s there, the fabric can’t “breathe” sweat away until that layer gets wet.