Jul 2, 2009, 4:55 GMT
Stuttgart - Many outdoor jackets claim to be breathable, allowing just the right amount of air in and out. But this quality is difficult to compare when considering jackets from different manufacturers because they use different criteria to measure breathability.
These criteria cannot be directly compared and contrasted against one another, said Frank Wacker and Boris Gnielka, product testers quoted in a recent article published in a German-language outdoor living magazine.
Claims about a jacket's breathability should be carefully taken into account. A lining, for example, stores some moisture and generally offers pleasant wearability. But when compared with materials that barely absorb moisture, the lining doesn't perform as well in tests of its moisture penetrability.
The waterproofing or impregnation of the jacket's outer material also plays an important roll by supporting the breathability of the material, said the magazine.
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