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Breathable Water Resistant Fabric

Outdoor cloth that keeps the weather off without turning into a sauna. This is the breathable end of our weatherproof range: waxed and dry-waxed cottons, soft shell with a fleece-backed reverse, proofed nylon and stretch ripstop. All of it is chosen for walking jackets, cycling gear, outdoor trousers and anything worn whilst you're actually moving, where a fully sealed fabric would leave you damp from the inside instead.
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Any fabric can keep rain out if you coat it heavily enough. The difficulty is doing that whilst still letting body heat and moisture escape, because a jacket that traps both leaves you as wet on the inside as you'd have been without it. That trade-off is what separates the cloth on this page from a fully sealed waterproof, and it's why the choice depends so much on what you're doing in it.

Waxed cotton is the traditional answer and still a good one. The cotton base breathes, and the wax finish sheds rain and wind rather than sealing the cloth completely. It's the right choice for country coats, work jackets and everyday outerwear, and the finish can be topped up years later rather than being a one-off. Soft shell takes the modern approach instead: a hard-faced outer bonded to a fleece backing, so one layer does the wind-blocking and the insulating together. Stretch ripstop is the lightest option here, a fine woven nylon with elastane and a water-resistant finish, and it suits active clothing where a stiff fabric would get in the way. Proofed nylon sits alongside it for lighter, quick-drying outerwear.

Choosing for the job

  • Walking and hill jackets: stretch ripstop or soft shell, where movement and quick drying matter most.
  • Country and work coats: waxed cotton, for durability and a finish that can be renewed.
  • Cycling and running layers: the lightest ripstop, cut generously enough to vent.
  • Outdoor trousers and overtrousers: proofed nylon or a lighter waxed cloth.
  • Bags, covers and gear: the heavier waxed cottons, which take abrasion well.

Water resistant is not the same as waterproof

It's worth being clear about this before you cut. Water resistant cloth sheds rain and will keep you dry through a shower or a few hours of light rain, but it isn't sealed, and in sustained heavy rain water will eventually find its way through, particularly at the seams. Fully waterproof construction needs taped seams and a proper membrane. If you need that rather than this, our waterproof and water resistant fabrics collection covers the coated and heavier options.

Sewing and care

Use a sharp needle and a slightly longer stitch, since every needle hole is a potential leak: pin inside the seam allowance rather than through the body of the garment. A walking foot or a roller foot helps with waxed and coated cloth, which can drag under a standard foot. Waxed cotton doesn't like heat, so don't press it directly, and clean it by brushing off dirt with cold water rather than washing. Check the individual product page and the care label before washing anything here, as treatments and finishes vary considerably. For waxed cotton specifically, see our waxed cotton fabric collection.

What does breathable fabric actually mean?

A breathable fabric lets water vapour, which is sweat and body heat, pass out through the cloth whilst still shedding rain from the outside. It's what stops you getting damp from the inside when you're moving. No fabric does both perfectly, so the more waterproof a cloth is, the less breathable it usually becomes.

Is breathable waterproof fabric fully waterproof?

Not usually. Most breathable cloth is water resistant rather than fully waterproof: it sheds rain and handles a shower well, but sustained heavy rain will eventually get through, and the seams are the weak point unless they're taped. For full waterproofing you need a coated fabric and sealed seams.

Is waxed cotton breathable?

Reasonably, yes. The cotton base still allows air and moisture through, and the wax finish sits on the surface rather than sealing the cloth completely. It's more breathable than a fully coated fabric and less breathable than an untreated cotton, which is the compromise that made it a classic outdoor cloth in the first place.

How do you sew waterproof and water resistant fabric?

Use a sharp needle, a longer stitch length and as few pins as possible, keeping any pinning inside the seam allowance, since each hole can let water through. A walking foot stops coated cloth dragging. If you need the seams to be genuinely watertight, seam sealing tape is applied afterwards.

Can you wash water resistant fabric?

It depends on the finish, so check the individual product page and the care label first. Many water repellent finishes wear off with repeated washing and detergent, so most are better sponged clean. Waxed cotton should never be machine washed: brush off dirt and wipe it with cold water instead.

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