Omni Tech Verse Gore tex

[shankldu]

So picked up a Columbia jacket for a song , how does this omni tech compare real world to the Legendary gore tex ?

[benb]

They're basically all clones with the following differences:

- Clones tend bias towards more breathable and less waterproof
- Clones do not require getting Gore to inspect and approve the construction of the garment
- Clones do not require Gore to test & certify the garment
- All the lack of testing/certification/whatever allow making cheaper garments since some of the garments would fail Gore's testing

Gore has added more and more lines of different Gore-Tex to their line to compete with all the different clones.. it's gotten really confusing.

E.x. Gore-Tex Pro Shell is very different than Gore-Tex Shake Dry.

So you need to figure out what exactly you're trying to buy and then you can figure out what level of each product is aimed at that use case.

I've had Gore Tex shells for 25 years now.. the general trend at the shell level is that they've gotten a ton lighter and more breathable and haven't given up the waterproofing, but the newer lighter stuff is less durable.

I have an Arcteryx Gore-Tex shell that's on it's last legs after 8 years. It's an "AR" level which is supposed to be mid-range durability. It is vastly less durable than the EMS Gore-Tex XCR shell I bought in 2004 and the original "Gore-Tex" EMS shell I bought in 1994. But it is like 1/2 the weight. I just tossed the XCR shell.. it was all stained and such, but it was in better shape than the Arcteryx one. All the exterior fabrics on my Arcteryx are pretty much 100% fine but the laminations inside are failing. The old stuff wasn't laminated, it was folded and stitched or something, which was heavier but tougher. EMS mostly gave up on Gore-Tex IIRC and sells their own clone.

I need something new but haven't decided what to do yet.. all the stuff is stupid expensive now and I can't go try them on and compare right now.

[shankldu]

Ok just to let u no ebay has the omni tech shells for $34 free shipping I have never had a prob w any of there stuf so I pulled trigger , I had an Arcteryx jacket zipper fail . and a Costco jacket last forever so for the $34 bucks I was n .

[benb]

That's a super different product AFAICT, that's why it's 20x cheaper.

One is for a summer rain one is for wearing a heavy pack and climbing gear in alpine & expedition conditions, falling skiing/snowboarding/hiking and having to survive abrasion, etc..

[Mark McM]

I wouldn't call Omni-Tech and other Waterproof/Breathable fabrics
"clones" of Gore-Tex, exactly. While Gore-Tex uses a PTFE membrane, Omni-Tech (and others) use a PU (polyurethane) coating. They both rely on micro-pores to block water droplets while allowing water vapor to pass, but Gore's PTFE membrane generally does it better. (I think Gore may still hold the patents for the PTFE W/B technology.) Also keep in mind that Gore-Tex is just one of Gore's technologies. For exampl,e ShakeDry and Windstopper work a bit differently.

Here's a comparison of the two technologies:

https://norwaygeographical.com/omni-tech-vs-gore-tex/

[benb]

That page says Omni Tech uses a coating + membrane. Just like all the other house brand products to try and undercut Gore on price.

And it basically says it loses on every single test except that it feels less stiff. The comments on the page make it sound like the people who have bought the Omni-Tech garments didn't find them sufficient in heavy rain.

If you're going to pick something else stuff like eVent sounds like a better option since it can sometimes beat the competing Gore-Tex product on the breathability variable.

[capt_velo]

Originally Posted by benb

They're basically all clones with the following differences:

- Clones tend bias towards more breathable and less waterproof
- Clones do not require getting Gore to inspect and approve the construction of the garment
- Clones do not require Gore to test & certify the garment
- All the lack of testing/certification/whatever allow making cheaper garments since some of the garments would fail Gore's testing

I'm a big fan of Gore but this is either nonsense of false.

Of course clones don't get Gore to inspect or verify their goods. They're competing with Gore, so why would they? Gore doesn't get Columbia to inspect or verify their goods either.

Many manufacturers do test their materials and tell you just how waterproof and windproof a fabric or laminate is. Marmot, The North Face and Mountain Hardware in particular typically publish their numbers on products made from their own proprietary materials. Compare that with Gore only stating that something is guaranteed to be waterproof and breathable.