I’m sad that my 3-in-1 Columbia jacket that is supposed to be water repellant or waterproof is leaking, badly. Water just soaks right in. I guess I will call Columbia tomorrow and see what they recommend. H has several jackets that are older but still shed water.
I have several different treatments I could try using to help treat the garment—one is a spray and one is a wash.
This is the free replacement jacket I got in 2010 when the other one I had started shedding the inner water repellant liner! Sigh! Sure wish this jacket held up because I like the omniheat reflective feature that keeps me warmer with less bulk.
How long are jackets supposed to remain waterproof? I seriously have never idea and would love and information. Thanks. This jacket has omnishield and omniheat protection.
“How long are jackets supposed to remain waterproof?”
I would expect that this could vary enormously depending upon how often the jacket is used, how the jacket is used, and how it is cleaned, as well as what it is made of.
I would be very curious regarding whether Columbia has suggestions on how to restore its water resistance.
If you need a waterproof, breathable jacket, invest in Goretex (widely considered to be the best) or products from very a customer-service oriented companies such as Patagonia or LL Bean (they’re much more likely to stand by their clothes even years after purchase.)
I have a Goretex jacket that’s almost 20 years old and it still keeps me dry even in terrible rains and wet snowfalls. Expensive. But worth every penny.
I only use the jacket for 4 trips/year, 1-3 weeks apiece, so in my mind fairly gentle use. It’s nylon with nylon inner shell that is supposed to have something that makes it water proof or at least water resistant. It also has a reflective lining that helps me stay warm. Will post whatever I learn from Columbia.
I had a Goretex jacket that I didn’t love and donated to my sister. I don’t like the rustling sound goretex makes but may consider northface or Patagonia, now that they have HI stores.
I’m sure you can google care instructions. Give Columbia a call but unless they have great customer service like LL Bean, I doubt they’ll help you out much. I don’t think it is unusual for clothing to lose it’s waterproof qualities with wear and washes.
There are products you can buy to treat clothing to make it water repellent again.
Last time I called Columbia in 2010 they had me mail my jacket back and let me select a new one from their catalog. I was impressed with their customer service.
Like @katliamom, I have a Gortex jacket that is old and still waterproof. I’ve had mine for 34 years, still going strong. But like you, I don’t love the rustling, and find the hood to be stiff around my face in a mildly annoying way. So I only wear it when it is really raining.
If I’m Columbia and that jacket is 7+ years old unless it has some type of lifetime guarantee I would say you have gotten your life out of the jacket…and it can’t really be proved how often you wore it or not.
The first replacement I understand. This one years later is a lot to ask - for a jacket.
There are waterproofing products you can try… google Nikwax. Pay particular attention to the seams, that’s usually where the leaks start.
For the record, I have never had trouble with a true Gore-tex product losing its waterproofing. But I have had problems with the copycat brands of waterproof permeable membranes… Entrant, Omnitech, etc. Mostly the issue I’ve had is that the membrane peels away from the fabric. Sounds like that’s what happened with your original Columbia jacket.
Columbia guarantees their waterproof stuff. If you want to fix it yourself, Nikwax tech wash, and follow the directions carefully or else it won’t work. Nikwax TX Direct or Softshell Proof 2.0 after that, depending on what type of fabric you have. You want that water to bead up on the surface and it is easy to check by splashing some water on it.
Water repellent means you can walk to your car in the grocery store lot. 10k waterproof gives you some protection in light rains. We don’t buy anything that is not at least 15k waterproof if it is intended to be out in serious rain. In our experience, E-Vent technology is every bit as good Gore-Tex. The only waterproof tech that really disappointed us was the Marmot PreCip.
DS had a Patagonia rain jacket that started weeping.
We’d never read the cleaning instructions - assuming one doesn’t wash a rain jacket. Turns out you need to wash it cold - without perfume or softness - and then dry it on low for about 30 minutes. This according to Patagonia ‘reseals’ the cells on the internal membrane .
Like @Consolation said I think the problem may be that the fibers break down after so many years.
Also I think the reason Columbia guarantees their waterproof jackets is that they think that most people will decline to return a jacket that is several years old. It’s like L.L. Bean, they guarantee their products but it is a very small segment that will try and return.
I returned a pair of wicked slippers a couple of years ago. When I returned them I was asked if I felt that the product did not preform satisfactory. If I wasn’t happy they would return. The slippers wore out within a year and my uggs were still perfect after 5. So they were happy to let us get a new pair.
So I think the question is not that the jacket is not waterproof anymore but are you dissatisfied that after 7 years a jacket is not waterproof anymore.
I hope that makes sense. (From someone who worked retail for years).
as someone with 40+ years of retail clothing experience, I have found that few garments will last 7 years, and “guarantees” are just selling jargon.
you got 7 years of good use.
. time to buy another jacket.
Columbia says it is NOT supposed to fail and stop shedding water. The warranty guy said most of the returns are due to zipper issues, NOT because limited lifetime waterproofing and water resistance stops working. He frankly seemed surprised it was no longer shedding water.
They said to send it in and they will have their warranty folks look it over and issue a credit if they find it isn’t waterproof. They want both outer shell and inner liner portion so they can evaluate and give full refund.
After we return from our upcoming trip, I will send the jacket in for evaluation. I DO have products I could have used to try to improve water-resistance but have held off using any so as not to void any warranties.