Water-Resistant vs Water Repellent vs Waterproof: What's the Difference?Updated 3 years ago

If a product is labeled as “water-resistant,” it was designed specifically to resist contact with light water (rain showers/light rain and snow flurries) but is not designed to withstand any heavy exposure to the elements.

A product labeled “waterproof” provides the highest quality level of protection from water among all outerwear. When companies design waterproof products, they target water-resistant features and enhance them to increase the amount of water being repelled.

Water repellency is a term used to describe the characteristic of both water-resistant and waterproof products. If a product is labeled as “water-repellent”, it means that it is hydrophobic, or repels water on contact. A feature of water-resistant and waterproof fabrics, water repellency measures how much water pressure a material can withstand before water begins to permeate.

For additional information, please refer to our article on the topic.