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Hi,
My bike waterproof jacket has seen better days and, whilst considering a replacement, I was wondering whether it would be possible to treat my Endura Windchill softshell jacket with some form of water repellent coating and use that instead.
Nikwax sell wash in and spray on DWR treatments for softshells - just wondering if anyone has tried them and what the results were.
I am not expecting Goretex like performance - just want something to keep the worst off during my short (3 mile) commute and occasional audaxes.
Wash in DWR can mess up breathability and feel of softshells so I'd be wary of that.
not in my experience - proofing stuff only (occassionally) works to re-proof a previously waterproof fabric.
some softshells have better water resistance than others
but of course with jackets n=n+1, or is it n=n+2... so buy something huge and waterproof for commuting (cool & dry) and something snug, vented and waterproof for your audax requirements.
Wash in DWR can mess up breathability and feel of softshells so I’d be wary of that.
Nikwax do a specific softshell proofer:
https://www.nikwax.com/en-gb/products/softshell-proof-wash-in/
Wash it in Tech Wash first, that removes all the crap that bungs up the pores. To be honest, while it's certainly better than nothing, it's really only worth doing that a couple of times before you sort of accept defeat and buy a new jacket! It will however extend the life of the jacket by 2-3 years (depending on usage).
Depends a bit on the softshell. It it's a woven, non-membrane fabric, using a proofer of some kind will improve the fabric's ability to cope with light showers - water will tend to bead and run off rather than soak in - but won't reduce breathbility. It just bonds to the fabric fibres, the gaps between the weave are still there.
If it's a membrane-type fabric, you'll stop the outer fabric from wetting out as easily, but it won't make it any more or less 'waterproof'. That's down to the membrane and the construction. If it doesn't have taped seams, it won't be waterproof.
Bottom line: a wash-in or spray-on treatment won't make a soft shell waterproof, though it will improve its ability to shed rain in lighter showers and make it less prone to soaking uop water.