# How do you know if a jacket is waterproof



## Wester (12 Dec 2014)

If you see a jacket for sale in a second hand shop or a market how can you tell if it is waterproof or not ?


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## Hicky (12 Dec 2014)

Label?
Depending on the material nothing ever is, treat with nikwax often and bobs your uncle....


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## Arjimlad (12 Dec 2014)

You could google it on a smartphone if you can identify the brand ?


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## shouldbeinbed (12 Dec 2014)

Get it wet


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## Wester (12 Dec 2014)

Arjimlad said:


> You could google it on a smartphone if you can identify the brand ?



It is a muddyfox jacket that is on offer from Sportsdirect for £19.99 that I am on about and I think that it is not waterproof but it does not say if it is or it is not . which probably means that it is not waterproof


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## Turbo Rider (12 Dec 2014)

I had this debacle at Halfords...guy went round the back and got a jug of water, then laid the jacket out flat and tipped the water al over it. Solved. Bought. Loved.


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## nickyboy (12 Dec 2014)

Jackets that aren't labelled as "waterproof" aren't waterproof. Same goes for the ones marked "waterproof"


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## Archie_tect (12 Dec 2014)

Anything that's keeps water in, [generally] doesn't let water out... so in my experience after a few miles riding I'm as wet as I would have been if I hadn't worn the waterproof at all.


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## Mo1959 (12 Dec 2014)

Wester said:


> It is a muddyfox jacket that is on offer from Sportsdirect for £19.99 that I am on about and I think that it is not waterproof but it does not say if it is or it is not . which probably means that it is not waterproof


Just get this instead. Lol. 
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/500-high-visibility-waterproof-cycling-jacket-id_8221258.html
It is waterproof and not too boil-in-the-bag if you don't work too hard. Quite a slim fit though so not sure about sizing. I would say up one from normal.


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## Leaway2 (12 Dec 2014)

Mo1959 said:


> Just get this instead. Lol.
> http://www.decathlon.co.uk/500-high-visibility-waterproof-cycling-jacket-id_8221258.html
> It is waterproof and not too boil-in-the-bag if you don't work too hard. Quite a slim fit though so not sure about sizing. I would say up one from normal.


I notice the write up says "in moderate rain"


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## Mo1959 (12 Dec 2014)

Leaway2 said:


> I notice the write up says "in moderate rain"


Never noticed that. This is the review that I based my purchase on and it came out quite well.
http://road.cc/content/review/133596-btwin-500-high-visibility-waterproof-cycling-jacket


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## stephec (12 Dec 2014)

Leaway2 said:


> I notice the write up says "in moderate rain"


 Yeah but at where Mo lives, she must know her stuff when it comes to being wet /dry on a bike.


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## Hacienda71 (12 Dec 2014)

You can tell if the material is waterproof by seeing if you can breath through it. Discreetly obviously . The issue on a lot of jackets is the seams though where a lot end up leaking when it gets really wet.


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## Katherine (12 Dec 2014)

If it's second hand, then you won't know if it's only been washed in non-bio detergent. Biological detergent destroys the water proofing properties. Then you can try re-treating it with nik wax.


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## Studley (12 Dec 2014)

Put the jacket on, stand outside in the rain and see if you get wet.


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## Apollonius (12 Dec 2014)

Waterproof stuff stays waterproof for a while. It is very expensive. (Unless it is made of non-breathable material, in which case it might be waterproof, but it won't matter very much as you will be stewing in your own sweat anyway.)


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## Levo-Lon (12 Dec 2014)

Archie_tect said:


> Anything that's keeps water in, [generally] doesn't let water out... so in my experience after a few miles riding I'm as wet as I would have been if I hadn't worn the waterproof at all.



cant argue with that..sweat is the prob when I wear either a waterproof jacket or just a light summer wind beater.


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## Moodyman (12 Dec 2014)

waterproof is sh1t.

for cycling, windproof is better. if you cycle with a little bit of effort you will get hot and sweaty. 

that waterproofness stops your sweat getting out - hence boil in the bag.

in the rain. I get wetter from sweat than falling rain


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## MickeyBlueEyes (12 Dec 2014)

Staying warm when it is wet is the key thing. As had been said, you'll get wet from sweat or rain, but keep yourself warm and you'll be comfortable. Skin is waterproof so don't worry too much about keeping it away from water.


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## buggi (12 Dec 2014)

Archie_tect said:


> Anything that's keeps water in, [generally] doesn't let water out... so in my experience after a few miles riding I'm as wet as I would have been if I hadn't worn the waterproof at all.


I feel the same. They are just boil in the bag and I personally prefer close fitting warm layers. I get my base layers from aldi and my top layers from Corrine Dennis, which are designed to stay warm when wet.


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## Cubist (12 Dec 2014)

Paramo Nikwax Analogy. Expensive, but you can breathe through it, literally- it doesn't depend on a membrane or taped seams. Quito is the cycling specific jacket, or theVista, which is a lighter fabric but the same principle. I have the Vista, which is awesome on cold wet days. I also have a five year old Velez smock which is still working very well. It's washed in Nikwax Techwash and then TX Directional Water Repellent. Water beads on the surface for ages, but the fabric eventually wets out. Then the pump liner shifts a massive amount of sweat and vapour outwards, and it stays warm even when wet. It never feels wet against the skin, or on the base layer. 

They aren't cheap, they cost the same if not more than Gore, but because of the way the fabric is made they don't wear out like taped membrane jackets.


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## Accy cyclist (12 Dec 2014)

You can always spray a not too good waterproof item with this stuff.http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&...spray&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=245155 It might make it less breathable but cheaper items are already non breathable so you wont feel a difference.


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## DRM (13 Dec 2014)

Don't waste your money on the Muddy Fox jacket, I made the same mistake, it wasn't even shower proof & you got so hot that you were wet through with sweat, I bought an Endura jacket which is breathable & rain proof, was about £50 also the last time I was in a TK Maxx they had a gore bikewear jacket in at £49, was a small though so it stayed on the rail.
Have a look at wiggle, chain reaction, and Planet X for a jacket.


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (13 Dec 2014)

nickyboy said:


> Jackets that aren't labelled as "waterproof" aren't waterproof. Same goes for the ones marked "waterproof"


So if I understand you, jackets labeled as waterproof, "aren't waterproof."  









Perhaps I've spent too long in hospital


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## steveindenmark (13 Dec 2014)

If the jacket does not have at least 2 zeros after the first figure in the price, you are going to get wet one way or the other, either from the Inside or out. The trick is to be moist and warm I think.


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## Cubist (13 Dec 2014)

Accy cyclist said:


> You can always spray a not too good waterproof item with this stuff.http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=waterproofing fabric spray&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=245155 It might make it less breathable but cheaper items are already non breathable so you wont feel a difference.



Good call. The Nikwax spray on or wash-in stuff will also make a wind proof shell garment water resistant. I use it on my Dare2be, Montane and Paramo wind proof shells to good effect; water beads off the shells for a good long time before eventually wetting out, but only in the wettest conditions. It's also part of a maintenance regime for Analogy and Goretex membrane clothing like Event and Paclite.


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## BigAl68 (13 Dec 2014)

Muddy fox = do not buy. Boil you like a microwave dinner and the zips break. 

I would never buy anything from them again. I also reproof my winter jackets as this seems to be the best solution.


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (13 Dec 2014)

And just before anyone goes off to buy any re-proofers, the public service announcement (this will only work if you know how many times I have posted this) 1L of both tech wash and the re -proofer is £15 and use collect in store. 
www.tesco.com/direct/nikwax-tech-wash-tx-direct-wash-in-waterproofing-2-x-1-litre/215-7604.prd


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## vickster (13 Dec 2014)

I try not to ride in heavy rain but my altura night vision (vintage c 2011) has always kept me dry but more importantly warm. The cold gets me very quickly when rainy, rather than the wet so I prefer a bit sweaty to a bit cold

I also have a funkier raincape which does a pretty good job on wet warmer days and cost £25


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## SpokeyDokey (13 Dec 2014)

Hacienda71 said:


> You can tell if the material is waterproof by seeing if you can breath through it. Discreetly obviously . The issue on a lot of jackets is the seams though where a lot end up leaking when it gets really wet.



On your advice I just tried this on one of my grandchildren - my Solicitor will be in touch.

PS: not that it matters now: the jacket is waterproof.


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