TREKKINGBIKE determined the waterproofness with a pressure tester that builds up the equivalent of a 4000 millimetre water column on the seam and surface for two minutes. This exceeds the DIN standard, but corresponds to the findings and decades of experience of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (EMPA) in St. Gallen.
Hardly any jacket is sold without a label with the word "breathable". However, only a textile laboratory can objectively determine how the material actually performs. The so-called RET value (Resistance to Evaporating Heat Transfer) measures the resistance of the membrane to water vapour. Fabric samples with values below three are considered very breathable, values above 13 are considered satisfactory.
The clear favourite here is the Gore-Tex Active membrane. It is used in four jackets and consistently delivers values below three. The Ventair Xlight material from Craft offers the greatest resistance to perspiration. Although the lightweight material feels airy, it was measured with an RET value of over 14 and only received a satisfactory rating. While the material samples were sweating away on a "skin model", we analysed the other qualities of the jackets in the laboratory and in practice.
The key criterion here is waterproofness. The seams of the jackets are the weakest point. If these are not properly taped, water will penetrate, even if the material itself is actually waterproof. This is another area where Active Shell (Gore-Tex) jackets score highly.
The rain jackets in the test:
Craft Performance Bike Rain Jacket, http://www.craft.se
Endura Venturi II, http.//www.endura.co.uk
Gore Bikewear Alp-X 2.0 GT AS, http://www.goreappareal.de
Gore Bikewear Alp-X 2.0
Löffler Bike GTX Active, http://www.loeffler.at
Mavic Stratos H20, http://www.mavic.com
Odlo Zephyr, http://www.odlo.com
Pearl Izumi W Elite WXB Jacket, http://www.paul-lange.de
Pearl Izumi Select Barrier WXB
Scott Helium Active Shell, http://www.scott-sports.com
Vaude Realto, http://www.vaude.com
plus three rain trousers:
Endura Superlight Shorts, http://www.endura.co.uk
Vaude Spray 3/4 Pants, http://www.vaude.com
Norrona Fjora Dry Pants, http://www.norrona.com
Downloads:
Stefan Frey
Editor
