It's just the nature of things. Whenever you wish for rain, the sky remains largely dry. This is also the case with our rain suit test. To compare the twelve waterproof jackets and eight pairs of trousers in this article, we had to get creative. And so, with the help of two sprinklers, a standardised rain shower poured down on the editorial washing area.
During the fifteen-minute test runs, almost 5000 litres of water are poured onto each test product
And, of course, the test rider. With the bike mounted on a roller trainer, the rider simulates a ride, sometimes sitting, sometimes standing. Experience has shown that jackets and trousers that can withstand this artificial downpour without leaking are also waterproof in practice. Leaks are usually detected after just a few minutes. If, on the other hand, the test candidates remain dry inside for the first few minutes, the rest of the test ride is not too much of a challenge.
One thing is clear even before the field test: the different membranes are not the reason why the waterproofness fails. Regardless of whether Gore-Tex, Ceplex, ExoShell60 or whichever brand the manufacturers use - in the Suter test carried out beforehand, the membranes all remain watertight. Even the number of layers does not matter when a water pressure of 0.4 bar (equivalent to a water column of 4000 millimetres) is applied to the jacket fabrics for over two minutes.
It becomes critical at the seams
If water seeps through anywhere, it's here. This shows how high quality the jackets or trousers are made and, above all, whether the manufacturers have worked properly. In order to permanently seal the connecting seams of the individual fabric panels, the seams must be sealed on the inside with so-called seam tape. This is the only way to prevent water from making its way inwards at the joints. With Pearl Izumi's rain jacket, showers have an easy time because the tape is completely missing. After just a few seconds, moisture drips down the seams into the inside of the jacket. The Pearl Izumi is therefore hardly suitable for more than a little drizzle. However, some of the products from other manufacturers are also unable to withstand the water pressure. On the jackets from Bontrager, Craft, Cube and Endura as well as the trousers from Craft, Cube and Mavic, the control paper turned dark in some places in the Suter test. This makes it easy to find the leaks. The seam intersections proved to be particularly critical. In other words, places where several lengths of fabric meet and two to three layers of tape lie on top of each other. Water often seeps through here. Sobering: Only 10 out of a total of 20 products are really 100 per cent waterproof. Surprisingly, Gore membranes are used in half of these cases.
The DWR coating determines the wearing comfort
The water-repellent coating on the outside is not decisive for the waterproofness of the rainwear, but is particularly important for wearing comfort. DWR coating (Durable Water Repellent) called. Outer material that soaks up water on the outside not only makes the jacket or trousers noticeably heavier. After just a few kilometres in the rain, the material feels clammy and the body starts to cool down.
The so-called spray test (in accordance with DIN-EN-ISO 20811) is designed to show how well an impregnation makes water bead up on the surface. For this purpose, the test candidates are sprinkled with a defined amount of water - when new and after five washes. The water rolls off good materials like a lotus leaf. Poor fabrics, on the other hand, soak up large areas of water. This quickly shows how durable the DWR coating really is. Most impregnations degrade considerably after just a few washes and only allow water to bead up partially or not at all. Only the jackets from Gore, Löffler, Pearl Izumi and Vaude still repel water as well as when they were new, even after five washes. None of the rain trousers reached the initial value. The outer fabrics slowly soaked up more and more water during the test rides. Sometimes soaked through, our testers were rather happy to be able to simply turn off the tap after 15 minutes.
Good rain protection is not a question of price. Vaude products are reliably waterproof for as little as 130 or 100 euros. However, if you want to survive longer showers dry, you should definitely opt for a jacket with a hood. The two Gore products have all the important features and secure the well-deserved test victory. Stefan Frey, Bike Editor
The right care
Washing is essential for the function of rainwear.
There are three scenarios - we show you how to care for rainwear properly.
1st part is still clean, but water no longer drips off.
Dry garment for 20 minutes in the tumble dryer at 60° C/one point to reactivate the DWR impregnation
2nd part is dirty and needs to be washed
Wash garment at 40° C with liquid detergent (no powder!)
Two additional rinse cycles to remove detergent residues
Spin at 400 rpm to prevent damage to the membrane
Drying, preferably on the line > Dry garment in the tumble dryer at 60° C/one point (heat process) for 20 minutes to reactivate the DWR impregnation
3. water no longer beads up, even after the heating process
Wash garment at 40° C with liquid detergent
Two additional rinse cycles to remove detergent residues
Spin at 400 rpm to prevent damage to the membrane
Allow to dry slightly, preferably on the line
Apply a spray impregnation to the still damp clothing and leave to dry on the line
Dry garment for 20 minutes in the tumble dryer at 60° C/one point (heat process) to activate the applied impregnation
The complete article was published in Trekkingbike issue 1/2017.
Stefan Frey
Editor
