EN 343 Protective clothing against rain
The EN 343 standard specifies the requirements and test methods for materials and seams of clothing that protect against precipitation (rain and snow), fog and soil moisture. In reality most clothing standardized to EN 343 consists of rainwear and snowwear. There is a separate EN 342 standard for the cold.
The EN 343 standard has an umbrella as its symbol with two values placed one above the other: an X and a Y. The X value indicates the waterproofness and the Y value indicates the permeability of water vapor (breathability).
The X-Value (Waterproofness)
At the X value there are four classes (there were previously 3). 4 is the highest class (waterproof) and 1 is the lowest. A certain amount of water is applied under pressure to the cloth (in combination with the insert) and the class is determined depending on the amount of pressure it withstands.
The pressure is expressed in Pascal (PA) or in mm water column. This is usually tested with a piece of fabric with a transparent tube of 2.5 cm in diameter on it. This tube is slowly filled until the water passes through the fabric. For example, if the pipe is filled with water up to eight meters when the material starts to let this water through, then the water density value is 80 cm (800 mm). Class 1 is only tested once and class 2 and higher are tested more often.
| Water penetration resistance WP | Classes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| Pre-treatment material |
WP ≥8000 Pa ≈ 800mm water |
|||
| Material after each pre-treatment |
WP ≥8,000 Pa ≈ 800mm water |
WP ≥13,000 Pa ≈ 1300 mm water |
WP ≥20,000 Pa ≈ 2000 mm water |
|
The Y-Value (water vapor permeability)
The Y value indicates the breathability of the cloth (all layers used with the product). There are also four classes for breathability (previously there were 3). Class 1 is the lowest value and class 4 is the highest and therefore the most breathable. In warm environments with high temperatures it is important that the Y value also has a higher class. This is because the breathability ensures better drainage of perspiration.
Breathability is measured from the inside of the garment and indicates the garment's ability to transmit water vapor or sweat. Good breathability contributes to better comfort because sweat and moisture can be removed from the body and the body cools down less quickly.
The classes are determined on the RET value. The lower the resistance, the better the breathability of the clothing.
| Water vapor resistance | Classes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|
m2⋅Pa W |
RET > 40 | 25 < RET ≤40 | 15 < RET ≤25 | RET ≤15 |
Wearing time recommendations
There are also recommendations regarding the wearing time of the clothing so as not to risk overheating. These are based on the breathability of the garment and the ambient temperature.
| Classes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|
Temperature of the environment |
RET > 40 m2Pa/W |
25 < RET ≤40 m2Pa/W |
15 < RET ≤25 m2Pa/W |
RET ≤15 m2Pa/W |
|
25°C |
60 |
105 |
180 |
- |
|
20°C |
75 |
250 |
- |
- |
|
15°C |
100 |
- |
- |
- |
|
10°C |
240 |
- |
- |
- |
|
5°C |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| - means no time limit (times in minutes) | ||||
Optional Water Tower test
This is a test where the final garment is tested, not just the fabrics/materials. The garment is placed over a test dummy with sensors and a rain shower of 450 liters per m2 per hour is simulated. This is an optional test.
Sources: Blåkläder, Hydrowear, Portwest
Car certification
The EN 343 standard falls under 'selfcertifying'. This means that the product may be certified by the manufacturer itself and therefore does not have to be approved by a testing institute each time. The only risk the wearer runs is that he will get wet and that is not life-threatening. When this standard is used in combination with other standards the entire combination of standards is checked by the testing institute.
A garment must meet certain requirements to become EN 343 certified:
- It is checked whether the model meets the conditions set in the EN 343 standard
- The tensile strength, tear resistance, shrinkage and seam strength must also meet the values of the EN 343 standard
- Furthermore, it is checked whether the clothing has any openings that allow water to pass through during normal use, such as zip-out sleeves