20 Best Waterproofing For Clothes (2022 Updated)

I bought the two products you advise to take care of a waterproof jacket (Reversible raincoat – Sunglow) recently because, given the way that the world is going these days, when I actually need to use these products, ‘supply chain issues’ will probably mean that they are no longer available’.

So, can’t review the products but expect them to do what they say on the pack. As I now cannot get out of this rigmarole I will have to put something against the Size – Quality – Would Recommend boxes that is meant to indicate ‘don’t know yet – time will tell’ but that option is not available.

I hope you will understand. Sadly, I will be unsubscribing from your pleasant but persistent emails as, like most people I buy from these days (from Waitrose to Hotter shoes), they clutter up my inbox and take up too much of my valuable time.

I will continue to look at your range of clothing as and when this may be appropriate but, for the time being, it’s been nice knowing you but please don’t bother me any more with your emails. Thank you.

Having used the tech wash then this product as per instructions to try and reproof my tin cloth rain jacket, I found the coat actually less waterproof than before. I got totally soaked, albeit in heavy rain, over 100 metres.

That was the distance to the shop to which I reported the problem, to be met with a couldn’t care less rather rude response. Back home I emailed customer care about the problem. The email wasn’t even acknowledged, never mind replied to.

This was about a year ago and, finding you’ve still got this product on sale, I thought I’d try again. I can only surmise that most of the good reviews had tested their coats in rain. Bearing my previous experiences in mind, I don’t think this review will be published (it might be acknowledged if I’m really lucky).

As a customer for many years, I’m very disappointed in you Seasalt. And, sadly I haven’t bought very much from you since, as this has shadowed my previously excellent experience of your shop.

It worked great on a variety of materials, winter boots, winter gloves, snowpants etc. It was a smaller sized bottle than I thought it would be, but it is worth the price as it is cheaper than replacing all the items I waterproofed.

It has a strong lingering smell so make sure you use the spray in the garage or outdoors. I left the items hanging in my garage for days before bringing them inside. Would buy again.

This really saved not only my shoes but my carpet also. Want to save your fabric or shoes this works great. (at time you might need to reapply) but it really saves you from nasty stains wipes right off.

#Rust-oleum #shieldh20 #influester #stay. faded. brand #gloscloset #glosvibe @stayfadedbrand.

I used this product for the fabric cover of my 14ft boat. It works very well and I would buy it again. Be aware, however, that the coverage on fabric is not very good (could be that I applied more than I had to).

I bought three bottles and it was not enough. Will need to order more. Would be nice if they had bigger bottles.

Purchased this Nikwax product for my tent fly based on the positive reviews from other members. Sadly, the spray nozzle is not the same as the one pictured on the MEC. ca website and it is very cheap, difficult to use (the trigger is shorter than the one pictured on the website and gave very poor leverage), and it dripped and leaked the Nikwax product all over my hand while I was attempting to spray the fly.

I ended up holding a rag underneath the bottle while I was spraying to catch the constant stream of drips to prevent an even bigger mess (at least I was doing this outside!). Application was so messy I would not recommend this product unless you plan to transfer the contents to a bottle with a good quality spray nozzle.

I cannot comment on whether or not the product actually made the tent fly more waterproof because I have not used the tent in the rain yet.

Having been disappointed in so many products I approached this job with some with a cynical eye. I used it as instructed to the letter, on my garage awning. I could not see any difference and so left it alone to dry over the next sunny day.

two days later it poured with rain. To my utter amazement not a drop of moisture penetrated the material. Hooray! For once something actually does what it promises to do. I will definitely use this product again, I am really impressed with both the quality and the modest cost.

Well done.

A year ago, I received a heavy REI down Stormhenge jacket as a gift as I currently have limited funds to run the oil heat in my home. I am sitting in the jacket now as I write and it overall keeps me very warm as long as I wear a suitable shirt underneath.

Anyway, after a year of constant, daily wear, both the jacket I received as a gift plus one I bought myself a month later, needed washed. Because of Covid and budgetary concerns, I dragged my feet on maybe going to a laundromat and decided to try to wash and dry the jackets at home.

All I have is a standard washer that does have a center agitator and a dryer, but at least the dryer has a low or no heat setting. Since my washer actually does have a “hand washables” cycle setting, I decided to give it a go and I prayed that I wouldn’t damage the jacket.

I decided to try washing the jacket I bought myself first since I bought it used whereas the gifted one was brand new. After taking a look at the washing tag instructions on the coat, I realized that I was going to have to use something other than standard detergent.

After reading other reviews and contacting REI myself, it was recommended that I use this product for the wash. So, I placed an order and within a few days, the Nikwax had arrived. Then, one rainy day I decided to go forward with the process.

I set the washer on the maximum water setting, added the Nikwax amount according to the instructions. Once the washer had almost filled, I carefully added the Stormhenge jacket and was careful to balance it as carefully as I could around the agitator.

Since I had never used the “hand washables” cycle before, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I kept the lid open so I could see what would transpire. The filling completed and I heard the “click” on to the washing cycle and I thought the washer had broken because nothing happened.

Suddenly, after about 30 seconds, agitation started. It only lasted about 15 seconds and then stopped. I determined that this cycle used a duty cycle- light agitation for a few seconds, then stop, then repeat agitation a minute later.

The washer proceeded this way for about the next ten minutes. I got in my head though that this very light washing might not do the trick, so decided to help swash the coat around while being careful to keep it from compressing around the agitator.

The cycle completed and now on to rinse. No Nikwax on rinse, but instructions say to rinse at least twice. I followed the same process, hand washables setting, then I carefully manually helped the agitation while keeping the jacket away from the agitator as much as possible.

After two rinses, a sigh of relief as nothing appeared to be damaged. I ran extra spin to get as much water out of the jacket as I could before heading for the dryer. Taking the jacket out of the washer, it had a slight smell that I at first couldn’t identify but then turned out to be the Nikwax.

The jacket had the feel of something that had been waxed, which was expected. My hands felt that way too. I should note that the instructions say to wear gloves when using the Nikwax. I didn’t, but was careful to wash my hands thoroughly afterwards.

Drying was a no brainer. Two tennis balls, low heat setting and then fluffing between cycles. Although the jacket seemed dry after three cycles, I decided on a fourth cycle just as a precaution. The drying process took about 3.

5 hours. After the elapsed time, a fluffy, warm down jacket emerged with excellent fluff/ loft and warmth. I’d like to point out that most of the pros say NOT to use a washer with an agitator and I could certainly see why.

If I hadn’t of been constantly monitoring the process, it could be quite easy for the jacket to get caught and torn on the agitator. So, unless you’re planning to monitor the entire process and have a special “hand washables” setting or equivalent, perhaps the tub or laundromat are better options.

Thanks Nikwax for doing an excellent job!.

Use this on three coats (8+ year old grey North Face jacket, 6 year old light pink Lulu jacket, and 5 year old black Lulu jacket). The waterproofing component worked really well on the the North Face jacket which had been originally been fully waterproof.

However, whether it was the age, the roughness of the washer, or the Nikwax, the jacket disintegrated and was no longer wearable after treating it. However, it did waterproof both of the originally water resistant Lululemon jackets; there was some slight miscolouration on the light pink coat but worth it because it’s truly water proof now.

Overall, would recommend but be careful if it’s a jacket you’re obsessed with/likely to change colour. Unfortunate that you can only get 3 washes out of a semi-pricy product, but cheaper than buying a new coat.

The at least 12 year old Novara rain jacket was leaking very badly (again), along with the at least 10 year old J&G Cycle Wear rain pants. It is miserable when the temps are in the low 40’s and the rain is coming down hard and the commute ends with a body near hypothermia.

So I went and bought the Tech Wash/TX. Direct Wash-In to try one more time to save this old kit before I spent at least $240 on replacements. Now, I’ve used these products before, and they worked for the most part.

The difference this time – I machine washed the items in the Tech Wash per instructions. BUT, instead of using the TX. Direct in the washing machine, I HAND WASHED (taking the advice of another reviewer) in a clean bucket with very warm water.

The reviewer also recommended adding more TX. Direct than the instructions said to – so I did that too. I worked the diluted TX. Direct into the garments and let stand for at least 15 minutes. Then, according to instructions, rinsed thoroughly and air dried on a hanger.

There is a HUGE difference between machine washing and hand washing with the TX. Direct. I could tell immediately when I donned the jacket and rain pants the next morning. First, the zipper on my old jacket had never been smoother, and the feel of the fabric was soft and supple.

It didn’t rain for a while after the treatment, but when it did, I only got wet from minor perspiration, and the normal “leakage” at the collar and sleeves. Yes, this product can help you live a leaner, lower waste lifestyle, helping to lengthen the useable life of your rain gear.

I went to Juneau Alaska for 9 days and it rained the entire first day we were there and my Gortex jacket was soaked within the first hour. I hadn’t recoated it in years so I bought this product in the large spray bottle and applied 3 coats per the instructions after I washed the jacket to ensure it was clean.

It rained the rest of the time we were there and this coated did absolutely nothing. The jacket was soaked within the first 30 minutes. The jacket feels like it has a coating on it but it doesn’t repel water at all.

Complete waste of time and money.

The Obenauf silicone watershield works as advertised! The only reason I did not rate it a 5 was the spray bottle which was mentioned in other reviews clogged after the second application to a second pair of shoes.

I had another spray bottle that I was able to transfer the spray and it works great. I’ve been out in the snow and slush and the watershield keeps my leather shoes looking great. Good product but the spray bottle should be better.

Bought 8oz. bottle along with some new boots. Halfway through the spraying of my boots, the pump spray head started acting up. First it was an uneven spray and then no spray at all. Pump head is now not pumping the product.

If you cant get the product out of the bottle in a quality manner then what good is it? Very disappointed. I am taking it back for a refund. I will stick with what I have used in the past. Its more expensive but very reliable.

I typically used the NikWax spray on formula, but depending on application, found that there were still areas that would not bead water properly. I only used this once, and it works fabulously. Spray on didn’t quite last as long either, so hopefully this does.

The only down side is having to go through two wash cycles – cleaner, and repel, but if you’re not pressed for time, it’s a minor problem.

I have been using this product. It works well. The issue I have is it requires four capfuls if using a top load wash machine (directions do not specify HE machine or not). Four capfuls is a lot to treat one coat.

That is, I am guessing, about a third to a quarter of the bottle. At twenty plus dollars Canadian this is pricey.

Used this to restore water repellency on Patagonia Houdini (Ripstop, windbreaker), Salomon Bonatti (Pertex, WPB), and an old OR Rain Jacket (Pertex, WPB). The DWR product works great but there are a few details that aren’t quite clear in the instruction: 1.

You need to prewash your garment using Granger Performance Wash. 2. If you use the DWR liquid too little you won’t get a good result, when I doubt, more is better. I used 2 caps (100ml) per jacket in a top loading washing machine.

3. ~20 minutes of low heat inside a drying machine is recommended.

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TranslateShow in original languageDenna produkt fungerar inte alls, trots att man följer alla instruktioner. Jag tvättade t. o. m. plaggen med tvättmedel från OrganoTex innan jag försökte impregnera plaggen, det hjälpte inte heller.

Jag följde också tvättråden för varje plagg, samt såg till att tvättmaskinen var fri från tvättmedel, sköljmedel etc. Detta fungerar inte ens om man s. k. “dubbel-impregnerar” genom att först använda wash-in (om klädtillverkaren rekommenderar det!) och sen spray-on, impregneringen uteblev ändå.

Mycket besviken, rekommenderar inte alls. Har testat på jackor från både Patagonia & helly Hansen, fungerar ej!.

TranslateShow in original languageLätt att applicera men lite krångligt att behöva “smeta” ut impregneringen med en trasa. Blir lätt vita fläckar på mörkt tyg annars. Men bra impregnering .

For the Fjallraven lovers out there I thought I’d try this as an alternative to the ‘rub in the wax bar and hold the jacket in front of a heater’ technique. This stuff is waaay different. It looks a lot like the suede water proofing you get for you shoes from the same company so I guess some kind of waterborne ‘synthetic’ wax.

You have to do a little work- use a wet cloth, apply liberally and rub in evenly or you’ll get little white spots where the wax droplets land. Functionally it seems to work just as good as the Fjallraven wax – maybe a bit better- water definitely beads up.

It’s different because you won’t get a wax patina look on your clothing – this stuff just soaks in. So not a Barbour thornproof or a like a heavy application of paraffin/beeswax blends. Just functionality in this bottle.

I have used this item on all my wax cotton coats and jackets. Less work than the traditional wax etc I spray the item with a little amount of wax cotton proof then use a sponge to rub the wax coating in to all areas.

Front, back then both sleeves. The item should be damp ,not dripping ,with the proofing when finished. Hang the item to dry completely.

I intended to make my new cotton cushion covers water-resistant. In the instructions on the bottle it mentions the amount of liquid per “item”, but not the weight of the item. The item could be a jacket or, as in this case, a small cushion cover so this is not very clear.

On the first unsuccessful attempt (machine washed as per instructions) I may have used too little of the liquid. On the second attempt I used a lot more, but it made no difference to the fabric. On the 3rd attempt I applied the liquid in a bowl (as per instructions for hand wash) but at the end of this process, the covers were still not water-resistant.

By then the bottle was all used up and so was my patience. I have used this product in the past on jackets, with somewhat mixed results, so in my mind it is not a great product. There seems to be nothing else on the market though.

Used it several times now, every time I’m left with a garment that beads water and stays dry for a decent amount of time. It has it’s limits but it’s the best product out there in it’s category. I also use it on things like DWR treated pants so that they still wick moisture from the inside (specifically Prana and Mountain Hardwear pants).

I’ve used both Grangers and Nikwax on my technical apparel and have found both to be evenly matched. I gave this one a shot with my North Face softshell. It does the job but you’ll need to use a performance wash first.

No issues with colour running and it reproofs the waterproofing to a degree. I don’t have many softshells, so this wash might not be worth it.

Nikwax was about the only product I found to clean and treat my Gore Tex rain suits. Haven’t had the opportunity to test the performance. My disappointment came in the packaging. To wash, use half of the cleaning bottle.

To treat, use a whole bottle. I had two loads of stuff to wash and treat. So then I had to go find a second bottle of just the treatment product. It was almost as much as buying the pair. They should assume if you are taking the time to wash stuff, you will treat it at the same time.

1 bottle of washing detergent + 2 bottles of treatment should be a standard package.

Used this on a twenty year old canvas and was blown away by it. Before applying the product the canvas would soak up some water and be damp. After application there is no moisture retention and water beads up immediately.

The spray battle had less coverage than I would have anticipated, though that could be because of the condition and age of the canvas.

This product is quite expensive but it performs really well and lasts up to 12 months. Best to buy a bulk supply and use a pump spray to apply. It’s easier and gives a better cover. Hand spray bottles are harder to use and always leave some at bottom of the container.

My boat cover had turned into nothing more than a colander when it rained. I washed it, dried it, then sprayed it down with this waterproofing. It’s like my cover was brand new again and the water just runs off.

I used StarBrite waterproofing on my boat cover. It ruined it! I cleaned and sprayed the cover as directed. It dried overnight. When I spread the cover on my boat it fell apart. I could tear it like tissue paper.

What makes this worse is that the company would not stand behind it. Even though the fabric manufacturer said it was possible the chemicals in the product could cause deterioration the company still refused to be accountable.

Pathetic! I recommend never using any StarBrite products.

I settled on Starbrite waterproofing after researching various products to re-treat my aging boat cover which was leaking like a sieve–13 gallons of water collected in the bilge after a very heavy rain (17′ aluminum boat).

I used a small one-gallon garden sprayer to apply a moderate spray over the surface which I estimated to be about 160 sq. feet. I used a little over half a gallon for one coat. The solution was easy to work with and was not nearly as pungent as some youtube videos claimed.

Nonetheless I covered up with skin and eye protection. I sprayed with the cover on the boat and masked tarp edges so the product get on the boat paint. Sunny day, low wind. The spraying was done in less than 1/2 hour, let dry for balance of the day.

Overnight rain beaded up and rolled right off. I missed a couple small areas that now need a second application. Otherwise I’m very pleased with the results. I may use up the balance of the gallon on a second coat but only because this old tarp may need the extra protection.

Reasonable price, fabric breathability maintained.

The quality of the product was a ’10’. Packaging was a ‘2’. The spray pump bottle was wrapped with a lot of clear packaging tape that was really hard to remove. Also, after a long battle of removal, I had a tape glue ‘MESS’ that took a long time to remove.

Very aggravating!.

I should first mention that I am a huge fan of all Nørrona products I own. I have been using their gear for years and have yet to find a supplier of outdoor gear with the same dedication to quality, simplicity, durability, customer service, and repairability.

I put time and effort into taking care of my garments to prolong their longevity as much as possible. I therefore bought this product to take care of my Lofoten GoreTex pro pants and jacket, Trollveggen GoreTex pro Jacket, Lyngen Shell Pants, and some other GoreTex shell garments from ArcTeryx, Patagonia, RAB, Bergans etc.

The instructions say to coat the garment evenly with the product, however this is made impossible by the spray nozzle which sprays a ‘jet’ of product instead of a ‘mist’. This makes getting even coats very hard and causes a lot of wasted product as you have to spray a lot to cover the garment entirely with product.

After 3 jackets I ran out of product, with most of in dripping onto the floor. This felt like quite a waste. Moreover, the Durable Water Repellent effect was not very effective at beading off water after use compared to different products on the market.

It works, but definitely does not restore the DWR coating as well as other products I have used in the past. I would recommend either using a different product to take of your garments, or transferring the Norrøna Water Repellent Tech fluid into a different spray bottle with a better spray nozzle.

I have already Falktind gore-tex jacket -modell 3310-14. Its old, I bought it used but I love it. That’s why I bought the Water Repellent Tech. I also have Falktind gore-tex pants modell 3311. Love it.

Keeps the rain away from me. I also have my old Falktind windstopper hybrid pants model 3415-15 it is starting to wear out, but it can still be used, it is intact. Got a new one in present. I am very satisfied with all my clothes from Norrøna.

I bought this spray to reproof a horse riding jacket and a goretex shell. Easy to apply, I hung the jackets on hangers from the washing line and sprayed them. Dried to leave no marks. I can’t comment on the waterproofness yet, because I haven’t worn either jacket in the rain.

But for ease of use, great!.

This spray extends the life of your shoes, purses, totes, coats, umbrellas, etc. by making them water resistant. It is also great for repelling dirt and stains. I use it on all my tennis shoes! My purse straps and the bottoms of my tote bags also last longer with Camp Dry.

Highly recommend.

Used on a tent. Sprayed two layers then added a third layer over seams. Didn’t work the first weekend I took it out. We had a huge rainstorm one night and had multiple leaks. Everything was soaked and had to stay in the car instead.

Totally fun when you had kids under 6.

This product is awesome! That being said Walmart packages it so badly that the cans arrive with the caps off and the cans have sprayed all over the boxes. I have had this happen multiple times and Walmart still does not pack them correctly.

I did received one box that had been correctly packaged and all cans were perfect. It is not that hard to pack boxes but it sure is costing Walmart plenty to keep having to exchange cans out because of their poor packing skills.

I used it on a jacket because it was predicted to rain on our trip. Definitely apply it outdoors or someplace well-ventilated because it takes a while for the chemical smell to dissipate. I applied two coats of the spray to my hooded coat, it took a full 24 hours to not be stinky, but I was totally waterproof! Side note- do not apply spray on windy days, the liquid won’t make it to your fabric and you will be wet next rainstorm.

It works! I applied it to several shoes. The shoes were worn on a snowy day and the feet remained dry. Easy to use. Yields well. I still don’t know how many uses the protection works without reapplying.

The smell is not very pleasant, but it is only felt during application. Then the smell disappears.

Myself and my family use Scotchguard and trust it for shoes, boots, coats and outdoor fabric. Makes cleaning simple as you only need to wipe down items with cloth. Does not have oder after drying and does not create yellow film like misc off brands.

One coat in a well ventilated area will keep your items dry but a thin second coat after first dries is okay.

This is an easy to use protector for any fabric, not only when camping but for anything you want to be water repellant. I found it easy to use and effective. While it is a slightly pricey, it was worth it to protect the even pricier hiking shoes that I used it on.

Did a nice job and I was able to wipe off the dirt and the shoes still look great.

I just used this on my beautiful black Athleta down jacket, it left a circular like rain marks all over, like my black solid color transformed it into a light and shade spotted ugliness, if you want to transform your beloved items into something you want to throw, or give to your ex-lover then use this! Horrible, companies should test this and not mislead customers into damaging their beloved items.

I sprayed an already (supposedly) water resistant canvas very heavily. It didnt work at all. And DO NOT SPRAY THIS ANYWHERE BUT OUTSIDE – unless youre just tired of breathing! The vapor is so strong.

Very happy with the quality of the suit, reasonable time for delivery, having in mind the whole Covid 19 situation. Will buy from Urban Rider again!

A great product that works well and is easy to apply. I would recommend it.

Having bought the RainSeal spray on more than one occasion I can assure you that it’s pointless. It doesn’t repel any more than a cap full of water. Save your money and buy a high quality rain sealant from a camping store.

Bought to waterproof a pair of pants. Followed instructions to the letter. Seems to outperform the Grainger’s a little bit, but while some water beaded off, the pants were not nearly restored to a new state and still wetted out fast.