{"id":22833,"date":"2017-12-11T09:27:29","date_gmt":"2017-12-11T17:27:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=22833"},"modified":"2020-08-24T13:11:42","modified_gmt":"2020-08-24T20:11:42","slug":"what-does-it-mean-if-a-jacket-is-water-resistant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/what-does-it-mean-if-a-jacket-is-water-resistant","title":{"rendered":"Water Resistant Versus Waterproof Jackets"},"content":{"rendered":"

With storm season in full bluster, the need for dependable raingear develops a greater sense of urgency. If you\u2019re shopping for a new rain jacket, you\u2019ll quickly encounter a trio of seemingly interchangeable terms: water resistant<\/em>, waterproof<\/em> and water repellent<\/em>. Is there really a difference between them?<\/p>\n

Spoiler alert:<\/strong> \u201cWaterproof\u201d beats \u201cwater resistant\u201d and \u201cwaterproof\/breathable\u201d will make you the driest of them all.<\/p>\n

The technology in a jacket can be incredibly sophisticated. For an in-depth discussion of the subject, read our Expert Advice article: How Does Raingear Work<\/a>? Here we\u2019ll touch upon a handful of key concepts.<\/p>\n

The preceding trio of water words do indeed mean different things, and if you want to know which jacket to wear based on your area\u2019s weather forecast, it\u2019s important to understand the distinctions between them. Essentially, water resistant<\/em> and waterproof<\/em> designate the degree to which rain is kept from getting through a jacket, while water repellent<\/em> refers to an extra coating that improves any rain jacket\u2019s performance (waterproof, included).<\/p>\n

Water resistant is a lower level of rain protection<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In theory, any fabric between you and falling rain will keep some water from reaching your skin, making it at least partially water resistant\u2014and a surprising variety of jackets list water resistance as a feature. Assuming a jacket\u2019s outer surface isn\u2019t some absorbent material like cotton, it likely could handle a light drizzle. If you\u2019re out for an extended time in the rain, or the intensity of that rain increases, though, you\u2019re going to get wet.<\/p>\n

Waterproof is the highest level of rain protection<\/strong><\/h4>\n

If you want a jacket that can stand up to serious rainfall, then the technology game also gets serious. To achieve a truly waterproof fabric, jacket brands experiment with a seemingly infinite variety of outward-facing fabrics, as well as high-tech laminates or coatings in layered constructions.<\/p>\n

From a lab-results perspective, a fabric is considered waterproof when it reaches a certain level of water resistance. But there\u2019s no agreed-upon industry standard for this value, so you have to trust a brand\u2019s claim that a fabric is waterproof. If you trust the brand, you can probably trust the designation, but you won\u2019t be able to easily compare levels of \u201cwaterproofness\u201d between brands.<\/p>\n

(It\u2019s also worth noting that, \u201cwaterproof\u201d means something else for other types of gear\u2014things that might get submerged, like a watch or a camera. For those types of items, a whole different set of tests and test standards come into play.)<\/p>\n

What about \u201cwaterproof\/breathable\u201d jackets?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

If the only goal is keeping rain out, then one could simply fashion a plastic bag into a jacket. The minute you exert yourself, though, your own sweat will make the jacket feel like a sauna. Inexpensive rain slickers and ponchos can shed rain\u2014and meet waterproof standards\u2014but you only want to wear one if you\u2019re planning to sit or stand still.<\/p>\n

In the end, it\u2019s the combination of waterproof and breathable technologies that will keep you the driest if you\u2019re headed outdoors during a serious rainstorm. Inventing this technology is what made Gore-Tex\u00ae<\/sup> fabric a household name. Today, you can find dozens of jackets with similar technologies. It\u2019s worth noting that in general, the drier you want to be, the more you\u2019ll need to spend.<\/p>\n

Brands test breathability in the lab, too, again using a variety of methods and mandated results. The takeaway is the same, though: Comparing performance between brands isn\u2019t possible, but, if you trust a brand, then you can trust its waterproof\/breathable jacket has been rigorously tested.<\/p>\n

Understanding water repellency <\/strong><\/h4>\n

Durable Water Repellent (DWR) coatings are used on both water-resistant and waterproof jackets. The easiest way to explain what this coating does is to look at the surface of a new rain jacket during a light rain. When you see water drops bead up and roll off, you\u2019re seeing water repellency in action.<\/p>\n

A DWR coating doesn\u2019t turn a water-resistant jacket into a waterproof one, but it does increase the level of water resistance of any jacket. It also prevents the surface layer of a waterproof\/breathable jacket from getting saturated, enabling that jacket to operate at peak efficiency. When a jacket\u2019s DWR coating eventually wears out, you can renew it to give your jacket back its full rain-protection mojo. Read Rainwear: Durable Water Repellent Care (DWR)<\/a> to learn more.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re ready to shop REI’s selection of men’s rainwear<\/a> and women’s rainwear<\/a>, you can also take a look at How to Choose Rainwear<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With storm season in full bluster, the need for dependable raingear develops a greater sense of urgency. If you\u2019re shopping for a new rain jacket, you\u2019ll quickly encounter a trio of seemingly interchangeable terms: water resistant, waterproof and water repellent. Is there really a difference between them? Spoiler alert: \u201cWaterproof\u201d beats \u201cwater resistant\u201d and \u201cwaterproof\/breathable\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":22835,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[387],"tags":[687,724,974,727,455],"internal-tag":[1442],"class_list":["post-22833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hike","tag-ask-an-expert","tag-gear","tag-gear-advice","tag-latest-posts","tag-rain-jackets","internal-tag-seo"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"http:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/hike\/what-does-it-mean-if-a-jacket-is-water-resistant","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Water Resistant Versus Waterproof Jackets","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/what-does-it-mean-if-a-jacket-is-water-resistant","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/what-does-it-mean-if-a-jacket-is-water-resistant"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/12\/Content_113016_0041_water_resistant.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/12\/Content_113016_0041_water_resistant.jpg?fit=1500%2C960"},"articleSection":"Hike","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michelle Flandreau"}],"creator":["Michelle Flandreau"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["ask an expert","gear","gear advice","latest posts","rain jackets"],"dateCreated":"2017-12-11T17:27:29Z","datePublished":"2017-12-11T17:27:29Z","dateModified":"2020-08-24T20:11:42Z"},"rendered":"