What is Durable Water Repellency and How Does it Work?
Durable Water Repellency (DWR) is exactly what its name sounds like: a feature to repel water well and hold up to whatever you throw at it. On a deeper level DWR is a treatment applied to clothing and outdoor gear to make the fibers in the clothing hydrophobic and resist water. The fibers become hydrophobic because the DWR application creates an angle / spikes on the material for water droplets to sit on and bead up. The beading is shown well in the photo below. Once the water is beaded like that it is very easy to simply brush it off as if it was never there. This treatment is used on all rain jackets and anything that is truly waterproof / resistant.
Where Does DWR Fit in at TEREN?
Here at TEREN, we have multiple products with DWR as a technical feature. Our Daily Driver Pants are one of our main DWR products to keep you dry through all of your day-to-day adventures. We have used PFAS FREE DWR for these pants - PFAS is that forever chemical most people use but we work hard to be the best to our planet as we create sustainable, versatile and multi-use gear that doesn't bring harm to the planet. This is an important feature of our gear because we prioritize that our TEREN family is able to face any weather, rivers or spills with confidence.
Convenience Indoors
Something we love about our Daily Driver Pants is how multi-use they are. Perfectly technical for long days on the trail, professional and sleek for the office and fashionable for a date night. Believe it or not, durable water repellency is not just great for the outdoors! DWR plays a convenient part at the office or on a date as well, because nobody wants a stain after their date, (or yourself) has a bit too much wine ;)
- Professional and sleek for the office or a night out
- Technical for long days on the trail
- Protects against spills and staining from spills
Why we love DWR for outdoor adventures
The Daily Driver Pants are specifically made to be the ideal technical pants in the great outdoors. Light rain and splashes from the river will brush away like they never happened. Have you ever been drenched from hiking in a rainstorm? Although DWR does not exactly keep you dry during a downpour, it does provide a great aid in quick drying so that you are right back where you started before the rain. This allows you to avoid a “wet out” or being soaked for the rest of your hike.
- Keeps you dry in nasty weather
- Unexpected rain is no longer a problem
- Ultimate protection against soggy clothes / “wet out”
How To Care For and Reapply Your DWR Products
DWR gear does have a finite lifespan, and needs to be cared for to keep it repelling as long as possible. Luckily, noticing that your normal wear and tear have diminished the quality of your DWR does not mean that the product’s lifespan is over. The best way to to keep your gear dry as long as possible is to use a wash designed for technical fabrics like Nikwax.
These washes will clean your gear of any oils and substances that are cutting into the quality of your treated gear. It is also worth noting that dryer sheets are an evil villain to your DWR products and will shorten their lifespan significantly. When your DWR needs a reapply down the road, will set you right up for durable water repellency that feels brand new! There is no defined regular treatment plan to keep up with for when to reapply because it depends on your personal wear and tear. Just keep a close eye on how well your DWR is performing and reapply when it seems to begin slacking.
- DWR does not last forever and needs to be cared for.
- Use Nikwax washes & sprays to protect your DWR.
- Do not use dryer sheets when drying DWR products.