Do you spend much time outside in all kinds of weather, or do you need a versatile jacket to stay dry if the weather suddenly changes? Then you’ll need some level of water protection. Still, there are several things to consider when you’re deciding what’s the right style for you. Here, we’ve outlined the three things you should know about our products designed for rainy days:

1. There are three levels of water protection

We categorise products as waterproof, water resistant, or water-repellent. And yes, those are different things!

Water-repellent is the lowest level of protection. Here, the water bead on the outside of the fabric so it’s harder for it to penetrate the outer layer. The higher the repellence, the better the water beads and rolls off. This can be achieved with the fabric itself, but most commonly by applying a coating to it. We use a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) coating to make our products water repellent.

The next level of protection is water resistance, where the fabric is developed so that water will have a hard time getting through. This means it will not keep water out, but it will give you time to find a dry place. These styles do not have taped seams.

The type of product you’ll need if you plan to spend time outside in heavy rain, however, is a waterproof style. They are created with a membrane material that is both waterproof and breathable, and they have taped seams. This offers the best level of water protection. Like many others, we also use a DWR on these styles, even though they are waterproof. Since these coatings will make water repel, they will move the water off the product’s surface while maintaining the fabric’s breathability.

2.  The water column defines how waterproof a fabric is

A water column is a standard often used to describe how waterproof a fabric is. The term comes from an international test setup where the material is fastened at the end of a tube. Then the tube is filled with water, creating a water column. Generally, the higher the column before water leaks through the material, the more waterproof the material is.

Even though standards vary from country to country or producer to producer, the consensus is that a fabric should be at least 3,000 mm to offer water protection. But most people expect way more. In Norway, for instance, people expect waterproof clothes to have a water column of 10,000 mm or higher. Some exceptions are clothes made with PVC and similar coated fabrics.

3. Increase water protection with impregnation spray 

For optimal water protection, you can use impregnation spray on the outside of the garment after washing. This does not affect the garment's waterproof quality but will help repel water off the fabric's surface.

The benefits of BLÆST’s waterproof styles 

Our waterproof styles have a water column of 20,000 mm. They are created using a 2- or 3-layer fabric, and have taped sealed seams on the inside to help you stay dry.  

This means that if we say a BLÆST product is waterproof, you should be able to spend much time in the rain without water seeping through. As a bonus, our products are also breathable.