VEAR Lab Test Results
VEAR Lab Test Results
VEAR's travel jacket and pants shell was tested by SGS in June 2023 and recorded a hydrostatic head of at least 20,000 mm under ISO 811 and water vapour transmission of 20,881 g/m²/24h under JIS L 1099 method B-1.
This page is the source we cite from every article on this site. It reproduces what the reports actually say, including the standards used, the dates, and the limits of what was tested. If a number appears anywhere else on vear.me, it should trace back to here.
The reports
Two reports were issued by SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services Co. Ltd, Guangzhou Branch, and signed by Ivan Xie, Technical Manager. The applicant was our manufacturing partner, Fujian Xianghong Outdoor Products Technology Co. Ltd. The sample was submitted as "waterproof jacket and pants", style VR-5118, in black.
| Report number | Issued | Testing period | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| SL92319280247401TX-1 | 21 June 2023 | 3 to 9 June 2023 | Waterproofing, strength, abrasion, colour fastness, chemistry, flammability |
| SL92319291510201TX | 19 June 2023 | 14 to 19 June 2023 | Water vapour transmission |
Report SL92319280247401TX-1 supersedes an earlier version, SL92319280247401TX of 9 June 2023, which SGS marked invalid.
What the fabric is
SGS's component list describes the material as a coated textile and the fibre content test returned 100% polyester. That matters when you compare it to other jackets: a coating is applied directly to the face fabric, where a laminate is a separate membrane bonded between layers. Neither approach is inherently better, but they are different constructions and they age differently. We explain the difference in what a breathability figure really tells you.
Waterproofing
| Property | Standard and conditions | Result | Requirement set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrostatic head | ISO 811:2018. Pressure increase 60 cmH₂O/min, distilled water at 20 °C, back side facing water | All five specimens exceeded 20,000 mmH₂O | ≥20,000 mmH₂O |
Read this result carefully, because it is easy to overstate. The test was run to a 20,000 mm threshold. Every specimen passed that threshold, and the equipment did not record how far past it they went. So the honest statement is: at least 20,000 mm, not quantified above that. We do not know the true figure, and neither does anyone else. We will not claim a higher number, and if you see one attributed to us, it did not come from this report.
For context on the scale: EN 343, the European standard for protective clothing against rain, sets its highest water-penetration class far below this figure. A 20,000 mm result is well clear of what sustained rain demands. It is not a promise that you will never get wet, because a garment leaks at its seams, zips and cuffs long before its fabric does.
Breathability
| Property | Standard and conditions | Result | Requirement set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water vapour transmission | JIS L 1099:2021 method B-1, potassium acetate, back side facing water. Water 23 °C, room 30 ± 2 °C | 870 g/m²/h, reported as 20,881 g/m²/24h | ≥10,000 g/m²/24h |
The method matters more than the number. JIS L 1099 B-1 is the inverted-cup method: the sample sits in contact with a liquid desiccant and the water on the other side, which drives vapour through far more aggressively than upright-cup methods such as JIS L 1099 A-1 or ASTM E96 procedure B. B-1 routinely returns figures several times higher than those methods on the same fabric.
This means 20,881 g/m²/24h cannot be placed in a table next to a competitor's breathability figure unless that figure was produced by JIS L 1099 B-1 as well. It also cannot be converted into an RET value. Anyone who tells you otherwise is guessing. We have written about why the whole industry gets this wrong in our guide to reading these specifications.
Strength, tear and abrasion
| Property | Standard | Result | Requirement set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength, warp | ISO 13934-2:2014, grab method | 650 N | min 160 N |
| Tensile strength, weft | ISO 13934-2:2014, grab method | 530 N | min 160 N |
| Tear strength, warp | ISO 13937-1, Elmendorf | 23 N | min 10 N |
| Tear strength, weft | ISO 13937-1, Elmendorf | 22 N | min 10 N |
| Abrasion | ISO 12947-2:2016, Martindale at 9 kPa | Exceeded 20,000 rubs | min 20,000 rubs |
The abrasion result is censored in the same way as the hydrostatic head: the test was stopped at 20,000 rubs, so the figure is a floor rather than a measurement. Tensile strength came in at roughly four times the requirement on the warp and over three times on the weft, which is the number we would point to if you are worried about a pack strap or a bike frame wearing through the shell.
Colour fastness
| Test | Standard | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Light | ISO 105-B02:2014, method 2, xenon arc, cycle A1 | Better than grade 4 against blue wool reference 4 |
| Washing | ISO 105-C06:2010 A2S, 40 °C | Shade change 4-5; staining 4 to 4-5 |
| Water | ISO 105-E01:2013 | Shade change 4-5; staining 3-4 to 4-5 |
| Rubbing | ISO 105-X12:2016 | Dry 4-5; wet 4 |
| Perspiration, acid and alkaline | ISO 105-E04:2013 | Shade change 4-5 in both |
Grey scale ratings run 1 to 5, where 5 is best. The practical version: the black should stay black through sun, sweat and washing, and it should not transfer onto a white shirt underneath, wet or dry.
Chemistry and flammability, and what was not tested
| Test | Standard | Result | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formaldehyde | ISO 14184-1:2011, UV-Vis | Not detected, reporting limit 16 mg/kg | 75 mg/kg |
| Migration of elements | EN 71-3:2019+A1:2021, ICP-MS | All 19 elements not detected | Pass |
| Flammability | 16 CFR 1610-2008 | Class 1, before and after dry cleaning plus laundering | Class 1 |
The 19 elements screened under EN 71-3 are aluminium, antimony, arsenic, barium, boron, cadmium, chromium III, chromium VI, cobalt, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium, strontium, tin, organic tin and zinc. None were detected.
What these reports do not cover. Neither report tested for PFAS, PFOA or fluorocarbon content. We therefore make no claim about them in either direction, and any statement about our products on that subject, from us or from anyone else, should be treated as unsupported until a test exists. The reports also do not cover air permeability, so we have no laboratory figure behind the word "windproof". And they cover the fabric, not the finished garment: seams, zips and closures are not part of an ISO 811 result.
Scope: which products this applies to
Both reports name style VR-5118, the shell used in the VEAR Jacket and VEAR Pants. They do not cover the VEAR Winter Jacket or VEAR Winter Pants, which use a different shell construction. Any performance figure you see for the winter products comes from a different source, and we are working through documenting it properly.
The two numbers worth remembering: at least 20,000 mm of water column under ISO 811, and 20,881 g/m²/24h of vapour transmission under JIS L 1099 B-1. Both are meaningless without the standard attached, which is exactly why we always attach it.
Quick glossary
- Hydrostatic head: the height of a water column a fabric holds back before water pushes through, measured in millimetres.
- ISO 811: the international test method for hydrostatic head, run at a specified rate of pressure increase.
- MVTR: moisture vapour transmission rate, how much water vapour passes through a square metre of fabric in 24 hours.
- JIS L 1099 B-1: the inverted-cup MVTR method, which returns substantially higher numbers than upright-cup methods.
- Censored measurement: a result recorded as "exceeds X" because the test stopped at X. It is a floor, not a value.
- Martindale: an abrasion test that counts how many rubbing cycles a fabric survives under a set pressure.
Keep reading
- Waterproof and breathability ratings explained: why these numbers are not comparable across brands.
- How to wash a waterproof jacket: keeping the performance the lab measured.
- Our Kickstarter campaigns: where these products came from.
- Comparison and materials guides: the full cluster.