UNDERSTANDING SNOWBOARD OUTERWEAR

Snowboard outerwear can make or break your day on the mountain. Staying warm and dry makes all the difference. Choosing the right gear for the current weather conditions can help make any day on the mountain more enjoyable. There are several key drivers that go into choosing the right snowboard pants and jacket. In this guide, we will go over some of the major things to look for when picking out the perfect snowboard outerwear for your riding conditions.

 

Waterproof rating

The waterproof rating system is a fairly simple scale to understand. The first thing to remember is that when we refer to waterproof, we really mean a measurement of water resistance. You’ll often see the waterproof rating scale represented on a jacket or pant in a mix of different formats that all mean the same thing (Ex. 10,000 or 10K or 10,000mm).

Outerwear manufacturers test waterproof levels in different ways but the general standard is the static-column test. In this test a tube is filled with water and placed vertically over the fabric. The measurement is the height of the water when leakage begins. This is simply seeing how much water can build up on the clothing before it breaks through the waterproof coating.

So what waterproof level do you need? Here is a breakdown of what these ratings will usually hold up against:

● 1K: You will see this rating mostly in rain jackets. It will resist rain but is not completely rainproof.

● 5K: Here you are getting into more functional outerwear. For snowboard this generally the starting point. 5k typically comes in a a much lower price point, but after sitting or having snow build up on your jacket for extended hours you will start to see some leakage.

● 10K-15K: This level will be able to handle a lot more sitting or pressure buildup prior to any leakage compared to the 5k. Anyone out in medium to heavy snow/wet conditions will notice a difference in dryness. 

● 20K: A rating of 20K or higher is generally considered “waterproof”. You can sit in the snow all day without getting any leakage.

● 30k+ (proprietary): There are proprietary waterproof membranes that companies will license to use on their outerwear. This is usually membrane that is laminated to the fabric producing a waterproof ratings that often quoted as being 30K+.

● GORE-TEX: This is the most common proprietary waterproofing technology outerwear brands will license. The pores in a GORE-TEX membrane are 700 times bigger than a water vapor molecule to allow breathability. They are also 20,000 times smaller than a drop of water which means moisture can not penetrate the membrane. GORE-TEX is as waterproof as it gets when it comes to snowboard outerwear.

Waterproofing can sound confusing, but when you break it down it can be easy to narrow down your needs based on where you will be riding and how long you’ll be in wet conditions. As you continue through this guide you’ll find that other factors like the quality of seams and construction of the jacket work with the waterproof technology to keep you dry.