Post by leadbelly on Oct 2, 2023 5:41:31 GMT -8
It occurred to me the other day that I had not heard or read much about this one for a while. Neoshell is a waterproof/breathable membrane developed by Polartec. I have an old Marmot softshell jacket with it and was wearing it on a cool and very rainy Monday here. It's a good product because in addition to keeping you dry, it's as good at purging moisture away as anything available - it's slightly 'air-permeable,' meaning it's not as good as blocking wind as gore-tex but, as a result, may do a better job allowing moisture your body generates to escape. eVent functioned similarly. these solutions are best paired with looser-weave or mildly stretchy fabrics. Scientifically, these membranes have a lower hydrostatic head than gore tex, meaning that while the pores in the membrane are still too small to allow water droplets to move through them, they're not "as waterproof" as gore-tex.
There are also still a number of proprietary waterproof-breathable solutions - many of those polyurethane film solutions like on Pertex shell materials, Patagonia's Torrentshell jackets with the H2No solution, The North Face Futurelight, Marmot Precip. These tend to be less costly. I have had some issues with durability with these - had a few H2No membranes decay and start flaking off the inner shell of jackets. Then again, I've had a few gore-tex membranes delaminate from shells, usually after extended (several years) wear.
for practical reasons, advertising as much as anything, gore-tex has better name recognition and probably sells a little better for companies as a result than neoshell or eVent.
Neoshell is still available. Westcomb uses it on a few hard shells, and a newer/smaller brand, Bonfire, offers it on some shells. It has also found a home with cycling-oriented jackets and pants from Pearl Izumi and Specialized, among others. Same with eVent. a small brand, Strafe Outerwear, uses it on some ski gear, and Showers Pass on some cycling jackets.
neoshell and eVent membranes both arguably do a better job handling the vapor/sweat you generate during high output activities than gore tex. Don't get me wrong, I like gore tex's ability to block rain & wind while not feeling like I'm wearing a plastic bag, but gore tex jackets really need good pit zips to avoid feeling clammy on hard uphill climbs.
There are also still a number of proprietary waterproof-breathable solutions - many of those polyurethane film solutions like on Pertex shell materials, Patagonia's Torrentshell jackets with the H2No solution, The North Face Futurelight, Marmot Precip. These tend to be less costly. I have had some issues with durability with these - had a few H2No membranes decay and start flaking off the inner shell of jackets. Then again, I've had a few gore-tex membranes delaminate from shells, usually after extended (several years) wear.
for practical reasons, advertising as much as anything, gore-tex has better name recognition and probably sells a little better for companies as a result than neoshell or eVent.
Neoshell is still available. Westcomb uses it on a few hard shells, and a newer/smaller brand, Bonfire, offers it on some shells. It has also found a home with cycling-oriented jackets and pants from Pearl Izumi and Specialized, among others. Same with eVent. a small brand, Strafe Outerwear, uses it on some ski gear, and Showers Pass on some cycling jackets.
neoshell and eVent membranes both arguably do a better job handling the vapor/sweat you generate during high output activities than gore tex. Don't get me wrong, I like gore tex's ability to block rain & wind while not feeling like I'm wearing a plastic bag, but gore tex jackets really need good pit zips to avoid feeling clammy on hard uphill climbs.