InnovationNovadry Concept , an innovation which increases breathability by 30 % of the hiking boot , while keeping their waterproof properties.
A fabric's ability to prevent water from seeping through.
To guarantee total and efficient protection against
bad weather (rain, snow, wind, fine hail etc.) a garment described as "waterproof" should meet the following criteria:
-
The use of waterproof (that form a barrier to water) and water repellent (so that water glides over the outer surface of the
garment) materials.
- Rigorous design and assembly to prevent water from getting into the garment (such as the use of siliconised
zip fastenings or sealed seams to block water from getting in through the stitching holes or by being absorbed by the stitching
thread).
The use of sealed fabrics is not sufficient to make a garment waterproof.
Internal studies by the CTRD (DECATHLON Technical
research and development centre) have proven that an assembly of sewn sealed fabrics with the usual types of seams allow rainwater
through the structure after fifteen minutes!
It's the reason why, beyond its waterproof and breathable fabrics, NOVADRY puts in place strict design rules that "protect" its products from all water infiltration.
NOVADRY technology prevents water from getting into the fabric.
A waterproof-breathable complex is made by combining a breathable membrane or coating with one (or more) textiles.
The number of textiles determines the number of layers associated with the complex. In this way the three large complex
families can be counted:
- The two-layer complexes (or 2L for '2 Layers')
- The two and a half-layer complexes (or 2.5L
for '2.5 Layers')
- The three-layer complexes (or 3L for '3 Layers')
There are two types of technology as regards waterproof-breathable complexes:
- microporous complexes
- hydrophilic
complex
A fabric's ability to make water droplets glide over its surface.
Applying a water repellent (hydrophobic)
treatment to a fabric means it no longer absorbs water and stops water from sticking to its surface :
The water droplets "bead".
When you add the idea of movement, water can glide over a fabric and you usually characterise this phenomenon as water repellence.
NOVADRY technology enables water to glide over the surface of a fabric.
