Waterfallproof Jacket

Waterproof to over 40,000mm

Water is strong enough to carve rock over time, so it’s certainly strong enough to get through most jackets eventually. Downpours that last for days, or a heavy bag on your shoulders pressing the water through the fabric, will all help water find a way in. The Waterfallproof Jacket is designed to combat the megastorms of the future, where crazily intense rainfall becomes the norm. So it’s built with an advanced Swiss membrane that’s still completely waterproof under a 40 metre column of water – which makes its waterproofness 40,000mm+.

How waterproofness is measured

Waterproofness is simply the amount of pressure a material can withstand before water goes through it. A rating of 10,000mm for a material is considered waterproof, as it means that if you stood a 10 metre high column of water on that material, the water wouldn’t go through. The higher the score, the less chance rain has of getting you wet. Measuring waterproofness has become something of an arms race in outdoor gear over the last few decades. And it’s an arms race the Waterfallproof Jacket wins.

Highly waterproof and highly breathable at the same time

The issue with creating something crazily waterproof is breathability. The more water can’t come through one way, the harder it is to let it come out the other. A rubber wetsuit for instance would never let any rain through, but if you tried to go for a run in one you might pass out as it won’t let heat or sweat escape efficiently. So the middle layer of the jacket uses Schoeller’s c_change® membrane. Instead of remaining static, the membrane can open and close to respond to different weather conditions as they happen, while remaining permanently waterproof and windproof.

How the membrane works in the cold

This c_change® membrane mimics natural structures like flowers and pinecones, opening and closing in response to changes in temperature, humidity and sweat. It’s designed to keep you at a consistent temperature by combining really high breathability with heat retention. While it can open up like a series of microscopic vents to let heat escape, in the cold it closes itself like a protective barrier to stop heat leaving. So as soon as the temperature drops, or you stop moving, the membrane contracts to insulate you and retain heat close to the body.

How the membrane works in the heat and wet

As the air temperature rises, the membrane opens up so that excess sweat and heat can escape through the jacket. But while the membrane’s polymer structure opens up to become extremely permeable to water vapour leaving the body, it remains completely waterproof on the outside. It means that even if you held a jacket under a downpour in extreme heat, the jacket will only ever let the water through one way, while still letting heat pass through it.

Waterproof detailing throughout

Every detail of the jacket is built for extreme waterproofness. All the seams are fully sealed, and we’ve engineered out seams at the shoulders to eliminate the chance of water finding its way in. You’ll find adjusters on the inside hem to tighten the jacket closed at the waist, an adjuster at the back of the hood, and hidden elasticated gaiters at the cuffs to create an airtight seal between you and the elements.

Waterproof zippers and storm flaps

The jacket also comes with two large side pockets with waterproof zippers covered by storm flaps. The two-way front zipper is waterproof and protected by an external storm flap. And on the inside there’s an internal storm flap to protect you from wind and rain.

Engineered for movement

The jacket will stretch with you whatever you’re doing. But instead of relying on elastane, we use an advanced weaving process which creates mechanical stretch to achieve the same effect. Articulated sleeves follow the natural shape of your arm. And you’ll find three laser cut vents under each arm to help keep air flowing around your body when you’re working hard.