Materials

When it comes to fabrics and materials used in outdoor gear, polyester is one of the most common materials you’re bound to find.

From jackets to shoes to tents to even backpacks, you’re bound to see polyester fabric across all kinds of different pieces of equipment.

Rayon is not too common in outdoor clothing and gear, but you can find it in some bomber and biker jackets where it’s used for the external fabric.

For some gear, there’s still a debate between Polyester versus Rayon as the ideal fabric for certain products.

This makes the two materials worth comparing, as both are able to provide different perks to a piece of gear, while each also has its own weaknesses.

There could be an argument for either being a superior fabric, but there are several traits of each that can make an argument in either material’s favor.

Below is a broad summary of what each fabric is and how they’re both made, as well as some key things to consider if you have a choice between polyester and rayon products.

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Comparing fabrics and materials is now a regular segment on our site, where we look at two different materials and the differences between them. We do this in order to learn more about them and to understand their qualities, their purpose and use.

Our main focus is the use of these materials and fabrics in jackets and how they affect their performance and quality.

So far, Polyester has been the most featured fabric, due to it being the one most commonly used in technical and outdoor garments.

Today we will add another comparison to our ever increasing list, in which we will be looking at Viscose and Rayon.

We picked these two materials to clear some misconceptions about their differences and especially their similarities.

Are Viscose and Rayon the same material?

Let’s find out!

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Fabric comparisons in the past few months have helped us to better understand the origin, as well as the purpose of different fabrics, especially when it comes to their use in jackets.

So far, we have gone through a multitude of different fabrics and fabric technologies, by learning more about their composition, use and the qualities that set them apart.

Our fabric comparison series has primarily relied on Polyester as the main fabric to compare other fabrics to, the reason for that being quite simply its versatility.

Polyester is used in a number of different clothes, household items, bedding and also for outdoor items such as backpacks or sleeping bags.

In today’s comparison we have chosen to compare Viscose fabric to Polyester and see where the two differ and how they are used in jackets.

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Here on our site we frequently discuss the differences between various materials, brands and jackets, in order to learn more about what to look for in certain products and materials, as well as to better understand which one would be the right choice to use.

In previous articles we have looked at Elastane, Polyester and Nylon, as some of the most commonly used materials in jackets (and other garments).

We have even compared Nylon and Polyester together, as well as learned a bit more on the differences between the several names of Elastane.

Today, it’s time to go through another comparison, that between Elastane (or Spandex, or Lycra) and Polyester, in order to see why and how they are used in jackets and how they differ from each other.

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We in the Northern Hemisphere are slowly entering Spring, and with the warmer temperatures soon to be upon us, the rain will accompany us for several days.

Those who enjoy spending time outdoors know too well that, regardless of weather, a quality jacket is necessary. Yes, even during summer.

Performance jackets are made to provide protection against the elements, while also being highly breathable in order to reduce perspiration and minimize overheating.

What makes those jackets so good is not simply their design, but also the material they are made of. And such high-performance jackets are almost always made of fabric technologies.

Fabric technologies have been around for decades now and are continuously improved upon, in order to increase their performance, as well as for the brands to set themselves apart from competitors.

In several previous comparisons and review pieces we have gone through different fabric technologies, mainly comparing them to Gore-Tex, the staple of fabric technology.

Today we will take a look at Texapore and see how it measures up against Gore-Tex®.

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