A Guide to GORE-TEX® Products
From the very beginning GORE-TEX Brand has been committed to supporting the passions that keep people moving. GORE-TEX® Products are well known for providing long-lasting, comfortable weather protection in some of the harshest of conditions.
Since 1969, The GORE-TEX Brand has been committed to leading the market in product innovation and integrity. From their first commercial order in 1972 to becoming a household name for adventurers across the world today, The GORE-TEX Brand has changed the way we experience the outdoors, and for the better.
What is the GORE-TEX Membrane?
At the heart of the GORE-TEX® fabric is an extremely thin membrane that's durably waterproof, windproof, and breathable. It has over 9 billion pores per square inch. The microscopic pores on the membrane are 20,000 times smaller than a water droplet, which means water droplets can’t pass through. The pores are 700 times larger than a water vapour molecule which means perspiration passes right through. This is what makes the membrane breathable. The volume of air that passes through one square meter of fabric in one second (l/m²sec) is 5.0 or less, creating a truly windproof membrane.
The original GORE-TEX Membrane was discovered in 1969 by Bob Gore by rapidly stretching PTFE, or polytetrafluoroethylene, to create the infamous expanded PTFE, an incredibly strong, microporous material. However, in 2022 GORE launched its Next Gen GORE-TEX Membrane; one which is lighter, thinner and yet just as strong as ePTFE, known as their expanded polyethylene (ePE) membrane. This new membrane is a key milestone in their responsible performance journey, providing products which are durable, high-performing and that are engineered for a longer product life.
The GORE TEX ePE Membrane is light and thin, yet strong, and it's PFAS-free* with a reduced carbon footprint**. To form Next Gen GORE TEX Products, the membrane is combined with carefully selected textiles including recycled, solution or undyed textiles***.
*Made without intentionally added per- and polyfluorinated substances; may contain trace amounts. **Through the laminate’s innovative membrane and select textiles (per Higg MSI). ***Depending on laminate choice.
How does this effect you?
The bi-component Next Gen GORE-TEX Membrane is an extremely thin layer which forms a durable barrier against water. Through rigorous testing, GORE-TEX Laminates demonstrate a high waterproof standard of 28,000mm Hydrostatic Head (HH), which is enough to keep you dry in some of the most extreme conditions.
The GORE-TEX Membrane’s construction means water vapour created from your body during activity can escape the membrane effortless, ensuring you stay comfortable and dry from the inside, helping to regulate your body temperature.
Another way in which the GORE-TEX Membrane helps to regulate your body temperature is through its total wind-proofing properties. The wind can have a cooling effect on your body temperature, so ensuring the wind is kept out is crucial for keeping you safe especially during those winter months.
Essentially, the jacket won’t just keep you dry and protected from the rain, but helps to regulate body temperature through keeping wind out, and allowing vapour from your body to escape the jacket.
What are GORE-TEX Products?
The GORE-TEX Brand work alongside partner brands to provide them with GORE-TEX Fabrics, also known as laminates. These laminates come in various construction types for differing end uses and product types which include garments (waterproof jackets being the best example), footwear, gloves and accessories.
Next Gen GORE-TEX Products are made using varying constructions as they are designed to meet specific end uses. The construction of a shoe laminate will be different to that of a laminate made for a waterproof jacket, as they are exposed to different variables and are used entirely differently.
Introducing Next Gen GORE-TEX Pro Garments
The latest products from The GORE-TEX Brand are their Next Gen GORE-TEX Pro Garments, extremely rugged and without compromise. Garments which utilise the GORE-TEX Pro Fabrics are the pinnacle of performance and durability.
Next Gen GORE-TEX Pro products feature a three-layer construction: a tough outer fabric treated with a PFAS-free* durable water repellent (DWR), the waterproof and windproof membrane, and a robust backer on the inside. The solution-dyed MICRO-GRID® backer is made from lightweight nylon that slides easily over your base layers, making it comfortable to move and simple to layer. Both the inner and outer fabrics are engineered to resist snags and abrasion, offering maximum protection in rugged conditions.
*Made without intentionally added per- and polyfluorinated substances. May contain trace amounts.
DWR: What is it & How Does it Work?
While GORE-TEX Products are tested to the same high standards as previous fabrics using the ePTFE membrane, the difference is the PFAS-free* DWR as this doesn’t repel oils and can wet out if not cared for regularly.
DWR is a special treatment that helps to prevent a jacket from wetting out and prevent a clammy feel while wearing the garment. The PFAS-free* DWR treatment offers the highest levels of performance with a lower chemical footprint.
When Do You Need to Reapply DWR?
DWR isn’t permanent, when the jacket starts soaking the DWR isn’t working as it should, meaning it should either be reactivated via the wash and heat process or reapplied with a wash-in product.
Wash & Care for GORE-TEX Products
Wash and care are essential to prolong the life of your GORE-TEX Gear and ensure it performs at its best and is especially important to keep DWR functionality. This process can seem a bit daunting, but it’s super easy to care for GORE-TEX Products at home following the simple steps in the GORE-TEX Care Guide.
GORE-TEX Products Care GuideGore’s Testing Process
Gore’s Scientists, engineers, product specialists and research and development teams have been perfecting their laminates for over four decades. Their rigorous testing processes mean they can offer the best possible performance and comfort in the products you wear. They run rigorous tests at all three stages of testing, which include:
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Material & System: Materials are constantly tested in the laboratory to help innovate and improve their products.
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Human Performance: While lab testing is great and helps us to understand how a product may perform, human performance testing helps them to understand how the product feels, works and the environments and activities they would wear the product in.
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In the Field: Now into the real world. Experts and athletes are sent out to test the products before its approved. This can be summiting a mountain or in a wet and windy city, field testing will depend on the use case of the product itself.
Gore’s GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY Promise
All GORE-TEX Products come with the “GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY” promise. If you aren’t satisfied with the waterproofness, windproofness or breathability of your GORE-TEX product, they will repair, replace or refund your purchase price, simply because they believe that much in their products.
