Windstopper

Windstopper is a generic term used by many companies in the outdoors clothing market. W. L. Gore & Associates uses the word to label its windproof breathable fabric laminate. One of its most common applications is a lamination with polar fleece, to compensate for fleece's lack of wind resistance.

Unlike Gore's well-known Gore-Tex laminate, Windstopper is not waterproof.

Use

Many Windstopper garments are marketed as "softshells" suited to high-output aerobic activities such as running, cycling or cross-country skiing. Because they are not waterproof, they are more breathable than traditional Gore-Tex "hardshell" clothing. However, because they are based on a solid laminate layer, they remain inherently less breathable than other wind-resistant "softshell" fabrics made by Polartec or Schoeller, which rely on built-in properties of the fabric and weave rather than laminates.

Like most softshell fabrics, Windstopper products are typically coated with DWR (Durable Water Repellent), which provides them with a modest degree of water resistance. They will wet through in heavy rainfall but can be worn comfortably in light drizzle.

Windstopper is used by a wide variety of manufacturers including Arc'teryx, Patagonia, L.L. Bean, Oakley, Inc., Galvin Green, Marmot, and The North Face.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.