How do you measure the waterproofness of a garment?

Have you ever found yourself in the rain for several hours? Luckily you were wearing a raincoat! But how does it keep you dry? Today, the editorial staff of Flotte deciphers the secrets of waterproofing (or how to ensure quality protection!).

WATERPROOF, WATER-REPELLENT, WATERPROOF, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

To begin, it is important to understand the nuance between these notions that are too often confused. 

A piece of fabric water-repellent will act so that the drops of water that fall on you simply slide on its surface. The goal is to avoid absorption of water by the fabric and, ultimately, to keep you dry as best as possible.

The raincoat acts in the same way, with the difference that it also prevents the absorption of water when there is stagnation or pressure on the fabric of your clothing. This detail, which may seem trivial, is actually very important and should be taken into account when you are looking for clothing to protect yourself from water. In fact, a water repellent will not keep you dry as long as a raincoat since, under too much pressure (that of the handles of a backpack for example), there is a strong risk of water seeping under the fabric and therefore getting you wet.☔

The clothes waterproof, for their part, are waterproof clothing whose seams have been worked to keep the piece waterproof. The seams are thus heat-sealed or ultrasonic welded. So yes, waterproof means that water will not enter. But waterproof clothing will also not allow the water vapors emitted internally by your body to pass through. So, it's very likely that you're wet under your jacket from your own sweat (not the rain).

 

Find our collections of waterproof jackets man and women !

HOW ARE CLOTHES WATERPROOFED?

There are two techniques for waterproofing fabrics:

COATING

A waterproof coating is applied to the inner surface of the garment. This material is useful because it effectively prevents water from penetrating the fabric, while also allowing heat and moisture produced by the body to escape! 

Although at first glance this technique may seem like a good solution, it is actually only temporary. Jackets or other products waterproofed by coating can help you deal with light rain. They can, for example, serve as a backup in case of an unexpected shower. But in heavy downpours, these products will not provide long-lasting protection.

In principle and generally, the coating method is used when adding a "bonus" function to a garment that is primarily designed for another purpose. A coat, for example, is meant to keep you warm, but it can also be at least somewhat waterproof to be more useful to its wearer, more "versatile."

THE MEMBRANE

It is a hydrophilic film that is also applied to the inner side of the garment. This way, the membrane prevents water from entering from the outside to the inside, but it also allows all the water vapor produced by the body to escape! For example, your raincoat Amelot will let water, coming from all directions, entirely liberté !

You might say to us: yes, so it’s like coating… Well no, the difference is that the membrane is more durable and more breathable, in addition to being waterproof. It keeps you dry much longer than a simple coating, a method where the applied layer can deteriorate more quickly over time. This way, you will have a garment with a membrane waterproofing that lasts longer throughout its life.

This technique is therefore the most effective, but it also makes it more expensive than the first one.

WATERPROOFING TESTS AND SCHMERBER INDEX

Now that you know everything there is to know about waterproofing garments, we're going to tell you how it's done. test waterproofing. Because yes, making a fabric waterproof is good, but testing its effectiveness and quality is even better!

Once again, there are several verification techniques available. 

The first is the water column test. This test measures fabric resistance under water pressure. Technically, how does it work? 

The waterproof fabric is simply placed under a column of water. The column fills up until the water passes through the fabric. After this, the number of millimeters of water reached in the column as the fabric is pierced can be measured, giving the result, and hence the waterproofness index. 

When we talk about this waterproof rating, we mean that the garment resist to, for example, 2000 mm of water, equivalent to 2000 Schmerber.

The second test is the shower test🚿 More effective than the first, it allows you to test the entire garment. In fact, you'll soon realize that while testing the fabric is useful and gives a good indicator of waterproof quality, on a jacket there are also parts that are more exposed to water, more accessible and more sensitive: the zips, for example. 

So testing the entire product as if it were in heavy rain is the ultimate test of its true water resistance. In any case, the result obtained will be the most reliable and closest to reality.

The process is quite simple: the garment is placed under a shower-like device, hence the name, and doused with a large quantity of water. In this way, it's possible to see if water is seeping through, not only the fabric, but also the seams, zips and other sensitive areas.

Understanding the Schmerber index

If the name of this index sounds complicated, it's simply that it's taken from the name of its inventor: Charles-Edouard Schmerber. 

1 mm of water = 1 Schmerber 1000 schmerber = it took 1 m of water in the column before it pierced the fabric

A garment with a resistance of 10,000 mm will keep you dry for an hour or so in a good rain or surprise shower. It will also keep you dry if a light rain persists all day, for example.

On the other hand, in extreme conditionssubject to humidity and the presence of a lot of water (or if you're planning to do Koh Lanta) prefer much more technical clothing and equipment, with a resistance of at least 20,000 schmerber! 

Remember that impermeability is subject to living conditions Pressure on waterproof fabric can reduce its effectiveness! For example, like the pressure of a bag handle on a waterproof jacket, the pressure of a support or object placed on a tent also threatens its waterproofing. 

And yes! If you're an avid camper, you're probably already aware of this. the tents have degrees resistance The floor fabric must be more impermeable than the other edges. The floor fabric needs to be more waterproof than the other edges, as it is almost constantly subjected to the pressure of a mattress. So, to make sure your groundsheet stays dry, it's important to pay attention to these details too when you go camping.⛺️

AT FLOTTE, OUR RECYCLED WATERPROOF ARE DESIGNED AND DESIGNED TO KEEP YOU DRY!

As you have understood, there are multiple methods for waterproofing your clothes, but also for testing them. And while they all work and have the merit of existing, some turn out to be more effective than others! But suddenly, at Flotte, what do we do?

> Our recycled and waterproof materials

We have aimed to produce more eco-responsible fashion since our beginnings. So, if you know us, you are surely aware that the fabric of our raincoats is made from 100% recycled materials, in particular recycled plastic bottles, agri-food packaging or even used clothing♻️

These are the main wastes which constitute the rPET, the material we turned to for the design of our raincoats. rPET is also more simply called recycled polyester.

Learn more about the rPET

Then, in order to waterproof our clothes, we apply a membrane on the interior surface of our raincoats. We chose the membrane because, more durable over time, it also promised greater effectiveness against water and allowed your body to breathe more than with a simple coating. You are of course not safe from sweating a little when wearing it for a long time and in heavy weather, but that is the nature of humans!💪

Our raincoats all have the same characteristics: 

- resistant to 10,000 mm of water

- breathable at 10,000 g/m²/24h

They are like this ideal for use in the life of every day. In addition to being waterproof, our jackets are breathable. But what does that mean?

> The breathability of clothing

In fact, the breathability of a garment is its ability to evacuate water vapor. Thanks to good breathability, we avoid the storage of water vapor inside the jacket. This water vapor is normal and inevitable, it is due to the sweating and the temperature difference between your body and the outside temperature. Good breathability is therefore the key to being comfortable in your waterproof coat.

> Waterproofing tests

To ensure that water doesn't get through our raincoats (in which case they wouldn't be😅), we perform the two tests detailed above: the water column and the shower. These tests are carried out in a French laboratory in Lyon. We do our utmost to ensure that our garments are as water-resistant as possible, by testing both the main fabric and the entire garment.

The water column test is the first step in ensuring that our fabric is waterproof. The shower test guarantees total waterproofness.

 

Plot twist Our waterproofs are waterproof. They withstand up to 10,000 mm of water pressure and are breathable, so you're ready for a shower or a whole day of light rain! So, if you're looking for the perfect companion for your adventures (everyday or a little crazy), our colorful, recycled raincoats are made for you! 

PS: After reading this article, you'll also be able to boast that you know everything there is to know about waterproofing.🌈

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