Waterproof Breathable Fabrics: Fact Or Fiction?
How marketing deceives by almost telling the truth
First some history: the original fabric advertised as waterproof and breathable was Gore-Tex, developed by an ex-DuPont chemist called Wilbur Gore back in 1969 after a serendipitous discovery that stretching polytetrafluoroethylene resulted in a material full of tiny holes that were so small they would cause rainwater to bead on the surface rather than soak into the material. Conversely, these tiny holes would enable water vapor (aka sweat) to pass out, thus avoiding the condensation that results from using impermeable barriers like plastic or rubberized canvas, which were the previous options if you wanted garments that would keep rain on the outside and not soak into your clothing.
Gore-Tex no longer uses the original material as it’s toxic and polluting; today, every “waterproof & breathable” garment from every manufacturer uses the same (different) chemical structure including Gore-Tex, which is now a brand rather than a patent-defended unique proprietary fabric. So you can buy “waterproof & breathable” clothing cheaply today provided you’re not captivated by the Gore-Tex label.
There is, however, a problem with the “waterproof & breathable” claim. Yes, the fabric is waterproof (except for certain conditions) and yes, it is…
