How is a three-in-one outdoor jacket made?

1. Waterproof and breathable membrane
This is the key to the waterproof and breathable nature of the jacket, mainly divided into three categories:
First is ePTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) membrane, representative products include the famous Gore-Tex, eVent, Dermizax, etc. This material has extremely excellent performance and is the first choice for high-end jackets, but it is also known as one of the most stable polymer materials, extremely resistant to acids and alkalis, weather aging, and almost does not degrade.
Second is TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) membrane, representative products include The North Face's FutureLight, Patagonia's H2No, etc. This material is slightly inferior in durability and overall performance compared to top-tier ePTFE, but it has the advantage of being recyclable (can be hydrolyzed or alcoholized under specific industrial conditions).
Third is PU (polyurethane) coating/membrane, which is the most traditional and lowest-cost waterproof treatment method. A layer of PU coating is directly applied to the inner layer of the fabric to achieve waterproofing. Breathability is very poor and is usually used for low-end jackets or raincoats. Polyurethane generally takes hundreds of years to degrade in the natural environment and will break down into microplastics.

 2. Outer Fabric

The membrane is typically attached beneath a tough outer fabric, which determines the garment's abrasion resistance, hand feel, and appearance. Common materials include: Nylon, known for its excellent strength, abrasion resistance, and lightweight properties, takes decades to degrade; Polyester, such as taffeta, has better UV resistance than nylon, lower moisture absorption, dries faster, feels a bit stiffer, is extremely stable, and is resistant to light, weather, and acid-base.

Of course, it's not possible to rely on a single yarn fabric, as such fabrics will have creases when fitted. Therefore, nylon or polyester needs to be blended with spandex, so that the resulting fabric can better bond with the TPU film.This type of fabric is generally referred to as four-way stretch fabric.

We have many colors available for this fabric. Even if these colors are not what you want, you can choose the color you desire from the Pantone color chart, and we will do our best to help you achieve the fabric color you want.

3. Durable Water Repellent (DWR)

Is a thin layer of chemical coating on the outermost layer of all fabrics. It causes water droplets to bead up and roll off instead of spreading and soaking the fabric, which helps maintain both the breathability and water resistance of the material.

4.Inner layer fabric

Outdoor jacket not only needs waterproof functionality, but also requires thermal insulation. We can add thermal fleece on the other side of the membrane based on the existing fabric. This way, it becomes a complete outdoor rain jacket composite fabric, integrating waterproof, windproof, and thermal insulation functions.