Guide: What rainwear should my child wear?
Galon or shell, which rainwear is best? What is most useful and what does water column really mean? We talked to an expert who knows what to look for.
Children spend a lot of time outside, whatever their age. And as we all know, the weather is not always sunshine and blue skies. Rainwear is a useful garment, but depending on the material you choose, you may get more or less out of it. We spoke to Kattis Holmegård, product expert at Reima, who knows all about rainwear for children.
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What are the different materials for rainwear?
- Galon is a material that has been around for a long time, it can feel a bit old-fashioned as it was the only option in the past. Galon is a textile with a dense plastic layer on the outside. Galon clothes used to be rigid, but today they are elastic. This means that when the braid is stretched out, for example when the child sits down, small holes form and the material is no longer completely waterproof. "Today's galon has between 6 000 and 10 000 water columns," explains Kattis Holmegård and continues:- "The advantages of galon are that it is easy to wipe off thanks to its plastic, smooth surface. It is also cheaper than other materials. If you're standing still and it's pouring down, galon is good, but that rarely happens to a child. The disadvantages of galon are that it is a non-breathable material. When the child gets hot, steam is formed that is not released by the material, and it gets wet on the inside of the garment. As soon as the child gets cold, it starts to get wet then cold.
Why is shell clothing good rainwear?
- Shell clothes are made of a material that has the textile on the outside and a membrane on the inside, which is what keeps the moisture out. It is like a very thin plastic film. The membrane has small, small pores that can let out steam, but keep water droplets out. This is what allows the shell garment to breathe.Reima works with several different membranes, with Reimatec being the best, which is 100% waterproof.Is shell clothing as good as rainwear?
- Yes, absolutely, as long as you reach high enough water columns. We usually say that at 8,000 water columns you can spend a whole day in the rain without getting wet. Otherwise, 5,000 is enough. Another great thing about shell clothing is that it can be used in almost any weather by adjusting the number of layers of clothing underneath.
Shell clothes are very good as rainwear, they have high water columns and are useful all year round.
What does water column mean?
- This is how you measure the waterproofness of a garment. Imagine a test tube that you make ten meters high. Then you put your garment at the bottom and fill it with water. 10 000 millimeters is 10 meters of water. So the pores are able to keep their shape up to a pressure of 10 meters.Kan can you wash rainwear?
- Yes, you can. All rainwear should be washed inside out, without bleach or fabric softener. Both shell clothes and galoshes can be cleaned by rinsing or wiping with a cloth. Do not machine wash too often, as this will damage the garment and the environment.Kan can you tumble dry rainwear?
- It depends on the membrane of the shell clothing, some can withstand it and some cannot. Check the washing instructions on your garment. It is best to let them air dry. Some membranes cannot withstand the heat of a tumble dryer. Do not use fabric softener, as it gets stuck in the pores and makes the garment less breathable.How to impregnate rainwear?
- You should impregnate when you see that the garment looks wet instead of the raindrops beading the garment. Approximately after four to five machine washes, you need to re-impregnate a garment. There are both impregnations that are used in the washing machine and impregnations in spray form. Choose an impregnation suitable for breathable garments so that it does not clog the pores.Good to know about rainwear:
- Galon is textile on the inside and plastic on the outside. Galon is easy to rinse off but is not breathable.
- Scrubs are useful all year round, provided you customize what you wear underneath. Scrubs are equivalent to rainwear.
- Water column is how you measure the waterproofness of a garment. 8,000 mm water column is usually considered fully waterproof.
- ras Rainwear can be washed in a washing machine, but this should not be done unnecessarily. Rinse or dry in the first instance.
- Check the washing instructions on your rainwear if you want to tumble dry it. Some membranes do not withstand the heat and can come off the inside.
- After four to five washes, you need to re-impregnate your rainwear.
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