Watercolumn, what’s that? Waterproofness explained.
All our all-weather coats are tested on a water column of 10,000. On our delicate fabrics we use a coating (also called a membrane) with a watercolumn of 10,000, higher than the other raincoats brands in the market (that have for example, 4,000 or 6,000), just to ensure that you can stay in the rain for longer than with the other rainwear brands.
According to the official European standard, you may call a fabric waterproof with a water column of 3,000 or higher.
There is a balance to strike when it comes to the breathability of a fabric and the watercolumn. Because you should not get wet on the inside either because of sweating, we also paid attention to the breathability.
That is 5,000 gr/m2 for our fabrics. A watercolumn of 10k is the maximum that is possible combined with the breathability that our fabric has.
How long can I wear my coat in the rain?
We cannot promise the amount of hours you can wear your coat in the rain, because that depends on the heaviness of the rain. With light rain you may be able to wear your coat for 2 hours without leaking, with heavier rain this may be 45 minutes. And then there is also a difference if you wear it while walking or while biking. The only thing we can promise is that it has watercolumn of 10k which is a higher standard than the other raincoat brands in the market.
Our fabrics are not comparable with a plastic bag which keeps out the rain for an indefinite period of time. You are wearing a design coat made from a delicate material, with a high performance and breathable membrane on the inside.
In addition to the coating underneath the fabric, we also apply a water-resistant layer (DWR treatment) on the outside of the fabric. This is just an outer layer which is an addition to the coating and only holds the first rain. It’s just an extra add-on to the coating.
Any more questions? Just mail us at admin@rain-couture.nl