PORLITE: Our newest Waterproof-Breathable fabric technology

Waterproof breathable fabric technologies are a huge part of what we do here at Showers Pass, and we’ve got some exciting news on the horizon.

For essentially the entire history of the company, whether it was brand-name fabrics or our in-house brand, elite Performance Fabrics, microporous membranes made from expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) have been at the core of our most rugged and high-performance outerwear. PTFE has been a key ingredient in waterproof-breathable outerwear since the 1980s, allowing athletes and adventurers to climb higher and push harder. But its time atop the mountain is coming to an end.

PTFE is part of the family of chemicals known as Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). These human-made molecules, characterized by chains of carbon atoms bonded to fluorine atoms, have some amazing properties. However, in recent years they have come under increased scrutiny by health and environmental organisations. One of the major issues with PFAS is that they take a long time to biodegrade. This has earned them the nickname “forever chemicals”. Their long life leads to accumulation in water sources and living organisms' bodies. At higher concentrations, some PFAS are known to be linked with negative health outcomes. 

While PTFE isn’t among the PFAS of greatest health and environmental concern, using anything considered a “forever chemical” contradicts the celebration of wild places and the use of sustainable materials that characterise so much of our industry’s marketing. 

But going PFAS-FREE hasn’t been easy. Other materials cannot create the same caliber of superhydrophobic surfaces as durable water-repellent (DWR) coatings made from PFAS, and other microporous membrane technologies couldn’t match the waterproof-breathable performance and reliability that PTFE provides. So the outdoor apparel industry has taken a cautious approach to removing PFAS from the supply chain. If replacement technologies result in garments that need to be replaced more often, the environmental benefit may be offset by increased consumption. Many people also depend on their outerwear to keep them safe in harsh environments, so deciding to forgo these highly effective materials has never been a simple choice.

That's Changing.

Porlite is a microporous membrane technology like PTFE, but it’s made from polypropylene, a simple polymer containing only hydrogen and carbon atoms. It’s extremely efficient to make and work with, reducing the consumption of electricity, water, and raw materials during production. Porlite performs as well as PTFE in standardized water resistance and breathability tests, making it the ideal candidate to replace PTFE in our product line.

Recently, states in America and other countries have started passing regulations on the sale and production of products containing PFAS. It’s been an intimidating prospect for much of the industry. Due to the success we’ve had with the Ecolyte Elite jacket, we knew we had little to worry about. Porlite is our path forward. We ceased production of new inventory containing intentionally added PFAS in the summer of 2023, and you’ll be seeing a lot more Porlite in our product line in the future. We hope that other brands in the outdoor industry will follow suit.

While we acknowledge that the transition away from PFAS chemistry is important, it’s worth pointing out that the health and environmental risk is centred at manufacturing, not end users. Outerwear with PFAS DWR or PTFE membranes isn’t dangerous to the wearer. If your gear is still in good shape, extending its lifespan and continuing to use it is still a safe and environmentally responsible thing to do.

Visit PorliteFabric.com to learn more. If you work in the outdoor apparel industry and are interested in using Porlite fabrics in your product line, please feel free to reach out to us and we can introduce you to our supplier. Here’s to working together to reduce impact while increasing enjoyment of the Outdoors!