# Some real numbers on waterproof/breathable fabrics

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-real-numbers-on-waterproof-breathable-fabrics/61915>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 14, 2001, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-real-numbers-on-waterproof-breathable-fabrics/61915 "2001-04-14T04:00:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-real-numbers-on-waterproof-breathable-fabrics/61915/1 "2001-04-14T04:00:20Z")

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Everybody claims to have the most waterproof breathable product on the market, Helly Tech, Helly Tech Extreme, Todd-Tex, GTX, GTX-XCR, Mem-Brain, Hydroseal, REI Elements etc. the list goes on and on. But can anybody actually provide real, objective numbers for how waterproof and breathable these fabrics are? Altough I know that nothing is ever truly waterproof, I can personally tell you that Elements, Hydroseal, and Mem-Brain are not waterproof enough to totally stop water in all practical conditions. How much vapor can these fabrics transport? The only person who I have actually seen publish numbers is Bibler (Todd-Tex, now BD Equip.), although they compared themselves to nameless competitors, one of which I assume is GTX, but I could find no data to back this up. If Todd-Tex is so waterproof and breatable (#1 in their own little chart) why do not they make outerwear out of it? Did they cook the books? Choose their “competitors” wisely to compare?

Does anybody have the data?

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-real-numbers-on-waterproof-breathable-fabrics/61915/2 "2001-04-14T14:24:23Z")

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The current issue of _Consumer Reports_ has info on permeability of rain gear.

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**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2001, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-real-numbers-on-waterproof-breathable-fabrics/61915/3 "2001-04-15T01:41:24Z")

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Does that article contain numbers on how waterproof or breathable fabrics are?

I have scoured the internet, but nobody provides anything. The only thing I could find was that Gore-Tex provides about 65 PSI of protection. Even this statistic varried a lot from site to site. Nothing on breathability, arguably the more important aspect, assuming that waterproofness no longer becomes an issue after a certain point.