How to maintain waterproofing?

Nearly a dozen Lagoped garments are waterproof and breathable to accompany adventurers on the most beautiful trails, in the most complex corridors, or on the wildest seas. To guarantee your comfort and the performance of the garment you wear on your back, we work with European artisans, recognized worldwide for their expertise and skilled in working with our partner Sympatex.

The membrane has the advantage of being non-porous: its effectiveness relies on absorption and evaporation processes to ensure breathability thanks to the hydrophilic inner fabric, and its waterproofing is guaranteed by the hydrophobic outer fabric. Therefore, it has no pores or holes that could become clogged over time by dirt or sweat, requiring constant maintenance.

Also read: What is waterproofing?

Thus, clothes equipped with Sympatex technology are easy to care for: it is not necessary to wash them after every use to maintain the performance of the waterproof and breathable membrane. Even if you wish to wash them frequently, detergent residues are unlikely to embed in Lagoped waterproof garments since they have no pores.

The EVE jacket in Royal Blue and the KIIRUNA2 bag in Sun color

When you feel the need to wash your waterproof and breathable clothes, we invite you to follow the cleaning advice given by the company that developed the waterproof membrane used in our garments. The company Sympatex recommends washing at 40°C or 60°C with a delicate laundry program.

Additionally, it is recommended not to overload the washing machine and to use a mild or special detergent for functional textiles.

We discourage the use of fabric softener and prefer to remind you of a detail that can be very important in caring for your garment: close zippers and Velcro that could damage the garment during washing.

For spinning, we recommend spinning the laundry at a reduced speed. Finally, tumble drying can be advised as it helps activate waterproofing, provided it is done at low temperatures and with few revolutions per minute.

To extend the lifespan of your waterproof clothes, we also advise taking care of them daily. It is best to avoid placing them near a heat source that is too direct or too strong, as this would damage the materials. Likewise, we recommend storing waterproof clothes when they are dry and clean, avoiding overly humid places.

If the waterproofing of your garment no longer seems sufficiently effective, which can happen depending on fabric wear, it is possible to re-waterproof the outer fabric. The surface material can lose its water repellency; in this case, we invite you to follow the recommendations below:

• Add a waterproofing product in the washing machine instead of fabric softener (which is also not recommended for technical clothing).
• Put the waterproof garment in the dryer to allow the heat to help eliminate moisture and improve the water-repellent effect.
• Spray a care product on the outside of the garment. Lagoped water-repellent clothes do not contain fluorinated compounds (PFC), so the water repellency may fade over time. That’s why we recommend using a care product to maintain your jackets or pants. Entirely made in France, our spray is easy to apply on the outer fabric after washing, while it is still wet. We recommend hanging the garment, spraying from a distance of 15 cm, wiping off the excess with a sponge to spread the product, and letting it dry naturally. You can repeat this process at least twice a year or after each wash.

Photographed by Jérôme Maltete, Christophe is wearing the EVE jacket in Lawn Green and the SUPA pants in Royal Blue.

You now have all the keys to take care of your waterproof and breathable clothing; your EVE, TETRAS, URSK jackets or your SUPA pants will be completely delighted and their lifespan extended. This is what matters most to us: Lagoped clothes are designed to last, be worn, lent, repaired, recycled…