I purchased one of your textile waterproof jackets from George Whites towards the end of last year, and while I found it very warm and comfortable, I have to say that we obviously have very different ideas on what the term 'waterproof' actually means. Although to be fair the outer breast pockets of the jacket are very waterproof, it's just a shame that the zips are not. Having run several tests on a regular journey of 6.4 miles, in rainfall varying from light to moderate each pocket will collect between 60 and 100ml of water, which can only be removed by turning the pocket inside out. This obviously results in anything that was in the pocket at the time is now sat in at least an inch of water, if the rest of the jacket was as waterproof as the pocket linings, I would be a very happy, and dry biker indeed.
The jacket has three parts, the outer jacket, a second waterproof lining, and a thermal inner lining. In even the lightest rain the outer jacket repels as much water as the flannel I use to wash my face, resulting in water sitting between the outer jacket and the waterproof lining, most of this water runs down the outside of the water proof lining and end up collecting at the end of the sleeve, where it is immediately soaked up by the ends on the thermal inner lining, resulting in cold and damp wrists and forearms. The water that doesn't run down the sleeve finds a way through this waterproof lining, usually around the shoulders, where it is immediately soaked up by the inner thermal lining, resulting in cold and damp shoulders and upper arms, in prolonged exposure to light rain, average exposure in moderate rain and just walking to the bike in heavy rain, the water heading up from the bottom of the sleeve will meet the water heading down from the top of the sleeve, so I can also end up with cold damp elbows as well. On an extended journey in moderate rain, it's not unusual for the thermal lining to become saturated enough for water to run not only down my arm into my gloves but also down my chest. Don't get me wrong I'm not against cold water across the nipples every now and then, but I do think there is a time and place for it, and on a bike in the rain is definitely not the time or the place, but again to be fair as this is normally a service I have to pay extra for it is saving me a fair amount of cash. This is an added bonus as what I originally wanted was a warm and water proof textile jacket, and what I actually have is just a warm textile jacket, so the money I am saving on not having to pay to have cold water dripped across my nipples, will now go to pay for a slightly bigger wardrobe as I still need a warm waterproof jacket.
I can't say I will buy Frank Thomas products again, but I thought it important to share my experiences of your product with you, and now I know that before believing what the label says about being water proof, it might be prudent to check that my definition of waterproof is the same as the manufacturers definition of waterproof before making my next purchase.
Kind regards
Stuart Warwick
