In its latest campaign, Columbia is pushing hard its own waterproofing-high breathability tech called Omni-Dry by comparing it to the well known and leader, Gore-tex.
While waterproofing is deemed equal for both and as good as a nuclear submarine, Columbia is keen to point out that in airflow however, Gore-Tex is comparable to a “broken old fan”. If you trust the results of their lab, Omni-Dry allow an airflow of 100 cc/min and Gore-Tex… 0 cc/min.
Another important factor when making high performance garment is weight. And here again Omni-Dry is said to outperforms Gore-Tex with 7 grams/m2 against 40 grams/m2 for Gore-Tex. Last criteria is “Enjoyment” and their friend Steve’s fun doesn’t go down when wearing Omni-Dry.