Water-Repellent and Waterproof Workwear

"Water-repellent" and "waterproof" are the two terms most often confused in corporate buying, and the difference between them decides whether staff are dry or wet at the end of the day.

A water-repellent fabric has a finish applied to its surface; water droplets bead up and run off without soaking in. This is enough against drizzle, short showers and splashes. But the finish is not permanent — it wears off in the wash and needs renewing over time. Under continuous rain a water-repellent fabric becomes saturated and starts letting water through.

A waterproof product, by contrast, has a membrane or coating behind the fabric, and its seams are taped on the inside. That is what protects in continuous rain; in an untaped product water leaks through the stitch holes even if the fabric itself is waterproof.

Choose by exposure time. If staff are caught in the rain now and then, a water-repellent softshell or jacket is enough and more comfortable. If they stay out in the rain for hours, an EN 343 certified waterproof product is needed.

EN 343 has two digits: the waterproofness class (1–4) and the breathability class (1–4). If the second digit is ignored, you end up with a product that keeps the rain out but lets sweat build up inside; in active work this has the same result as getting wet from the outside.

On the care side two rules are decisive: fabric softener damages the water-repellent finish, and high-heat drying can separate taped seams. When the water repellency fades the product is not finished; it can be renewed with a suitable reproofing product.

Mars Wear manufactures to order at its own production facility in Zeytinburnu, Istanbul, with its own design team. Our minimum order is 100 pieces and our standard lead time is 15 working days; we ship within Türkiye and abroad. If certified PPE is mandatory at your workplace, state the required class at the start of the project.