Durability of Waterproof Jackets – How, When and Why do Jackets Reach their End of Life? 

There is currently no method to measure product durability, although it is key to a more sustainable industry. In spring 2023, we initiated a global project with the aim to create a common industry standard measurement for product durability, accounting for product function and performance. To understand what durability means in the case of WWB jackets, we will present an insight into why products “fail“ from a physical perspective, based on the inspection of hundreds of well-worn and end-of-life jackets, and how we can use this information to develop a testing protocol to measure the durability of jackets that reflects real usage.