Frequent GORE-TEX Questions
December 17th, 2009 Posted in Fabric Articles | No Comments »- What is GORE-TEX® fabric?
- Who can manufacture GORE-TEX® garments?
- Where can I buy GORE-TEX® fabric?
- How can I be sure I’m buying a genuine GORE-TEX® product?
- What’s the life expectancy of a GORE-TEX® garment?
- Will a GORE-TEX® garment keep me warm?
- Do all GORE-TEX® fabrics offer the same quality?
- Why do GORE-TEX® garments need seam tape?
- What does the GORE-TEX® Guaranteed To Keep You Dry® promise mean?
- How durable is GORE-TEX® fabric?
- How does the GORE-TEX® membrane work?
What is GORE-TEX® fabric?
First introduced in 1978, GORE-TEX® fabric is created when we laminate our patented GORE-TEX® membrane to high-performance textiles, which are then used by authorized garment manufacturers to make outerwear, accessories, and footwear.
Who can manufacture GORE-TEX® garments?
Only a limited number of specialist apparel manufacturers are licensed to use our fabric in accordance with our strict quality standards. We test every product design before it is approved for production and sell GORE-TEX® fabric only for the production of approved designs. Plus we guarantee the performance of all finished GORE-TEX® apparel, footwear, and accessories – not just the fabric from which the finished product is made.
So if your product says GORE-TEX® on the label, you know it carries the Guaranteed To Keep You Dry® promise, no matter who manufactured it or where you bought it.
Where can I buy GORE-TEX® fabric?
GORE-TEX® fabric is available only to our licensed manufacturers, who create garments and footwear to our exacting standards.
How can I be sure I’m buying a genuine GORE-TEX® product?
No matter which manufacturer makes the product, our label with the GORE-TEX® or WINDSTOPPER® trademark is sewn into an inside or outside seam. You can’t miss it. In newer products, it might also be embroidered on the sleeve or chest of a garment, or you might find it on a small metal tag on the outside. Remember: If it doesn’t say GORE-TEX®, it’s not.
Product Performance
What’s the life expectancy of a GORE-TEX® garment?
It really depends on you. The GORE-TEX® membrane won’t deteriorate with time, and our garments are guaranteed to be durably waterproof and breathable. Just use common sense and wear your garment for its intended use; i.e, don’t wear a lightweight cycling jacket on a backcountry camping trip. And obviously, a ski instructor who wears his or her garment every day will need to buy a new one sooner than a skier who takes his or her garment out twice a year will. If you maintain your garment properly, you can expect it to last.
Will a GORE-TEX® garment keep me warm?
Yes. GORE-TEX® fabric is windproof, so it blocks cold air and wind that can disturb your body heat and cause windchill. However, GORE-TEX® fabric itself doesn’t have any special insulating qualities, so in really cold conditions, wearing extra layers underneath your outerwear will ensure that you stay warm and comfortable.
Do all GORE-TEX® fabrics offer the same quality?
ALL our GORE-TEX® fabrics are waterproof, windproof, and breathable. However, there are many different outer fabrics and fabric constructions available so that you can choose what’s most important to you: weight, texture, abrasion resistance, and so on.
Why do GORE-TEX® garments need seam tape?
The holes made by needles in seams may be small, but they can cause leaks. That’s why even the most waterproof, breathable, windproof fabric won’t keep you dry and comfortable if the seams are not completely sealed.
For absolute weatherproofness, GORE-TEX® garments rely on the Micro GORE-SEAM® tape technology. Seam tape is used to completely seal every tiny hole created by sewing machine needles when GORE-TEX® fabric is made into garments.
No other fabric manufacturer goes to such lengths to ensure total weather protection. In addition to manufacturing our own GORE-SEAM® Tape, only Gore consistently tests finished garments to ensure they pass our meticulous quality and performance standards.
What does the GORE-TEX® Guaranteed To Keep You Dry® promise mean?
Just that: No liquid from the outside will get to you on the inside. Water from a driving rain you’re caught in, a damp bench that you happen to sit on, or wet grass that you kneel in can’t penetrate GORE-TEX® fabric. To be totally waterproof, a fabric must be able to withstand water entry in all active conditions.
How durable is GORE-TEX® fabric?
GORE-TEX® fabric will last for many years. It’s incredibly durable, and unlike other “waterproof/breathable” fabrics that can lose waterproofness after repeated laundering, flexing, abrasion, or exposure to body oils or insect spray, the waterproofness and breathability of GORE-TEX® fabric is guaranteed under any conditions you may encounter.
How does the GORE-TEX® membrane work?
The GORE-TEX® membrane has 9 billion pores per square inch, with each pore 20,000 times smaller than a water droplet. These tiny holes are too small for water and wind to pass through from the outside, which is how we can guarantee you’ll stay dry and warm in a garment made with GORE-TEX® fabric. But these same pores are large enough for moisture vapor to pass through, so your body’s perspiration is able to escape and you don’t get clammy and uncomfortable. That’s what ‘waterproof/breathable’ is all about.
