What is Gore-Tex®? User’s guide

What is the Gore-Tex® membrane?

Gore-Tex® membrane is used in outdoor, technical clothes as well as footwear. It ensures waterproofing, windproofing, and breathability.

The properties of the Gore-Tex® membrane are due to the structure of the material. The Gore-Tex® membrane is created by pressing porous, semi-permeable Teflon into the fabric.

Even though, Gore-Tex® is mainly associated with membranes in jackets, it’s also used to produce:

• footwear,
• all kinds of outdoor clothes: trousers, gloves etc.,
• clothes and equipment for services such as the police and the army,
• surgical threads, artificial blood vessels, ligament substitutes and other materials used in surgery and endoprosthetics,
• bicycle cables,
• rain protection covers for event venues,
• electronics, e.g. microphone covers in mobile phones.

Let’s come back to membranes in outdoor clothing.They make the clothes water-repellent and at the same time permeable to water vapour. How is this possible?

The secret of Gore-Tex® membranes is the size of the pores. They are so small that they do not allow liquid water molecules to pass through, but they are large enough to allow water vapour molecules to pass through. This makes a Gore-Tex® jacket waterproof, for example, but it also means that you do not overheat and sweat does not build up under the clothing.

The water vapour from the body evaporates because its concentration under the layer of fabric is higher than in the environment. By means of osmosis, water vapour escapes through the pores in the membrane to equalise the concentrations. The result: you stay warm and dry, even when you sweat heavily and it is freezing outside.

It is worth knowing that there are different types of Gore-Tex® membranes available on the market to meet a variety of needs. This is particularly evident in trekking shoes, where you can find Gore-Tex® membranes in the following variants:

• Extended Comfort
• Performance Comfort
• Insulated Comfort. When buying membrane clothing, you may come across products with the distinctive diamond with the Gore-Tex® label. Pay attention to the colour and content of this sign, as it indicates different membrane variants:
• A black diamond with the words ‘Guaranteed to Keep You Dry. Gore-Tex® Products’ indicates full waterproofness.
• A white diamond with the words ‘Comfort and Performance. Gore-Tex® Infinitum™ Products’ indicates that the product uses Gore-Tex® Infinitum™ membrane, a less water-resistant but more comfortable variant. Membranes can vary in their degree of thermal insulation, but also in their vapour permeability. The latter can be expressed in g/m²/24h, i.e. grams per square metre per day. Breathability is also indicated by the RET factor, which determines the evaporation resistance. The lower it is, the more freely the shoe or other garment with a membrane ‘breathes’.

Gore-Tex® membrane. Two or three layers?

The Gore-Tex® membrane can be combined with more than one layer of material in different ways. When buying a hardshell jacket, you will come across the following markings: 2L, 2.5L and 3L. This means 2, 2.5 or 3 layers:

• Jackets 2L – two-layer, two-laminate – is the oldest solution. The membrane is permanently bonded to the outer material. To prevent the skin from coming into direct contact with the membrane, there is a thin mesh or other type of delicate lining on the inside of the jacket.
• Jackets 2.5L – two and a half layers, two and a half laminates – instead of mesh, a layer is sprayed onto the membrane on the inside of the garment. It is softer to the touch and at the same time protects the membrane from rapid wear and tear. 2.5L clothing is lighter and compresses more easily than other types of hardshell jackets.
• 3L jackets – three-layer, three-laminate – have 3 permanently bonded layers: outer fabric, membrane and inner fabric. The high waterproofness and durability make 3L hardshells the first choice for climbers and very experienced hikers. 3L models are heavier, but they also last longer and withstand the toughest conditions.

Want to know more about hardshell and softshell jackets? Go to the article.

How to care for Gore-Tex®?

Read the manufacturer's recommendations. As a rule, clothes with a Gore-Tex® membrane can be machine washed at up to 40 degrees Celsius and up to 600 revolutions. Do not use washing powder, fabric softener, bleach or stain remover intended for normal clothing.

Detergents should be gentle and used in small amounts. Use detergents intended for clothes with a membrane. Run an empty wash cycle to remove any remaining detergent from the dispenser and pipes in the washing machine. Before washing a jacket, remove any visible dirt from the outer layer with a damp sponge. If your washing machine has a mode for outdoor clothing, use it.

You can also wash clothes with a Gore-Tex® membrane by hand. Avoid friction and bending. Immerse the clothes in water and move them quickly. Then rinse them very thoroughly.

Can clothes with a Gore-Tex® membrane be dried in a tumble dryer? Yes. Select a low temperature and a fairly slow spin speed.

If you want to iron clothes with Gore-Tex®, make sure that there is no sign on the label that prohibits it, and then iron the clothes through a towel. Do not place the iron directly on the ironed material. The ironing temperature should be low. Do not use steam.

If your membrane clothing has an additional waterproofing layer, remember to reapply the waterproofing when it starts to lose its water-repellent properties.

Which products with Gore-Tex® are worth choosing?

Gore-Tex® is generally associated with jackets, but it is also commonly found in footwear, trousers, sweatshirts, and outdoor and technical gloves.

Jackets with Gore-Tex® are already classics in tourism, not only in the most demanding and competitive ones. Light waterproof jackets are useful even for a walk or a short run. Models with greater waterproofing are suitable for multi-day winter mountain trips. You can choose the degree of protection according to your lifestyle and activity.

Are you looking for a completely casual outfit that still offers the water and wind resistance of outdoor clothing? Check out the Goldwin Gore-Tex® Snow Range down jacket.

Gore-Tex® boots are mostly winter trekking boots that protect your feet from getting wet, but also from overheating during intense exercise. Dolomite 54 High FG EVO GTX can serve as an example. You will also often find a membrane in summer trekking shoes.

The membrane is indispensable in winter gloves. Whether you're scraping the windows in the morning, building a snowman or conquering snow-covered peaks, Gore-Tex® in gloves will keep your hands comfortably dry and warm. For the highest level of comfort and grip, choose a model with a Gore-Tex® Infinitum™ membrane, e.g. Mammut Astro GORE-Tex® Infinium™ gloves.

Alternatives to Gore-Tex®

Gore-Tex® is not the only semi-permeable membrane used in outdoor clothing. An alternative to Gore-Tex® is a fabric called Texapore. It is comparable to Gore-Tex® and also comes in several varieties.

eVent is a material that surpasses Gore-Tex® in terms of breathability.

Sympatex is a slightly more environmentally friendly and comparably effective protection against water and wind than Gore-Tex®. Another planet-friendly technology is H2No.

Another well-known technology is DryVent. This membrane is suitable for moderately active people who are looking for effective protection, good breathability and an affordable price, but are not so concerned about durability.

These are just a few examples of alternatives to Gore-Tex® membranes. Outdoor clothing manufacturers are developing their own technologies in an attempt to match or even surpass the classic in terms of effectiveness and comfort. However, it seems that the leader's position is unchallenged for the time being and it is easiest to find outdoor clothing with Gore-Tex® membranes.

Summary

The Gore-Tex® membrane is a material mainly used for the production of outdoor, technical and tactical clothing and footwear. It owes its popularity to the fact that it combines waterproofness and windproofness with breathability. This allows you to enjoy outdoor activities in any weather without worrying about getting wet, overheating or sweating. Gore-Tex® is available in different versions that provide different degrees of protection and wearing comfort.

If you have clothes with a Gore-Tex® membrane, you can ensure that they last for many years without losing their properties. All you have to do is follow the manufacturer's instructions, avoid strong detergents, fabric softeners and washing and drying at high temperatures.

Gore-Tex® is one of many waterproof membranes available on the market. You can find materials with similar properties under other names, e.g. DryVent, Tex®apore or eVent.