How do you know if a jacket is waterproof

[Wester]

If you see a jacket for sale in a second hand shop or a market how can you tell if it is waterproof or not ?

 

[Hicky]

Label?
Depending on the material nothing ever is, treat with nikwax often and bobs your uncle....

 

[Arjimlad]

You could google it on a smartphone if you can identify the brand ?

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Get it wet

 

[Wester]

You could google it on a smartphone if you can identify the brand ?

It is a muddyfox jacket that is on offer from Sportsdirect for £19.99 that I am on about and I think that it is not waterproof but it does not say if it is or it is not . which probably means that it is not waterproof

 

[Turbo Rider]

I had this debacle at Halfords...guy went round the back and got a jug of water, then laid the jacket out flat and tipped the water al over it. Solved. Bought. Loved.

 

[nickyboy]

Jackets that aren't labelled as "waterproof" aren't waterproof. Same goes for the ones marked "waterproof"

 

[Archie_tect]

Anything that's keeps water in, [generally] doesn't let water out... so in my experience after a few miles riding I'm as wet as I would have been if I hadn't worn the waterproof at all.

 

[Mo1959]

It is a muddyfox jacket that is on offer from Sportsdirect for £19.99 that I am on about and I think that it is not waterproof but it does not say if it is or it is not . which probably means that it is not waterproof

Just get this instead. Lol.
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/500-high-visibility-waterproof-cycling-jacket-id_8221258.html
It is waterproof and not too boil-in-the-bag if you don't work too hard. Quite a slim fit though so not sure about sizing. I would say up one from normal.

 

[Leaway2]

Just get this instead. Lol.
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/500-high-visibility-waterproof-cycling-jacket-id_8221258.html
It is waterproof and not too boil-in-the-bag if you don't work too hard. Quite a slim fit though so not sure about sizing. I would say up one from normal.

I notice the write up says "in moderate rain"

 

[Mo1959]

I notice the write up says "in moderate rain"

Never noticed that. This is the review that I based my purchase on and it came out quite well.
http://road.cc/content/review/133596-btwin-500-high-visibility-waterproof-cycling-jacket

 

[stephec]

I notice the write up says "in moderate rain"

Yeah but at where Mo lives, she must know her stuff when it comes to being wet /dry on a bike.

 

[Hacienda71]

You can tell if the material is waterproof by seeing if you can breath through it. Discreetly obviously . The issue on a lot of jackets is the seams though where a lot end up leaking when it gets really wet.

 

[Katherine]

If it's second hand, then you won't know if it's only been washed in non-bio detergent. Biological detergent destroys the water proofing properties. Then you can try re-treating it with nik wax.

 

[Studley]

Put the jacket on, stand outside in the rain and see if you get wet.