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Waterproof, water-resistant and water-repellent aren’t necessarily the same thing. Discover how Pour Off® waterproof microfleece works, what 10,000 mm testing means and what to look for when choosing a dog coat for wet weather
When you’re shopping for a dog coat, you’ll see words such as waterproof, rainproof, showerproof, water-resistant and water-repellent used to describe different fabrics.
They can sound remarkably similar, but they don’t necessarily mean the same thing.
For a quick walk in light drizzle, that distinction might not matter very much. But if your dog regularly walks through rain, wet grass and muddy countryside, understanding what you’re buying can make a considerable difference.
So what actually makes a dog coat waterproof?
What does water-resistant mean?
A water-resistant or water-repellent fabric is designed to resist water, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a waterproof membrane within the material.
Water may initially bead or run off the surface, and some fabrics can perform extremely well in showers and everyday wet conditions.
However, depending on the fabric and its construction, prolonged rain, pressure or saturation may eventually allow moisture to penetrate.
This doesn’t make water-resistant fabrics bad. Far from it.
They can be lightweight, breathable, warm and extremely comfortable. The important thing is simply understanding the type of protection you’re buying.
What makes a fabric waterproof?
Waterproof fabrics are designed to provide a barrier against water penetration.
One way of achieving this is to laminate a textile to a thin waterproof polymer membrane.
This is the principle behind our Pour Off® waterproof microfleece.
Rather than relying simply on fleece fibres to repel rain, Pour Off® incorporates a waterproof TPU/PUL laminated layer into the fabric construction.
That distinction is important when comparing waterproof and water-resistant dog coats.
What is Glenndarcy Pour Off® Waterproof Microfleece?
Pour Off® is the waterproof microfleece at the heart of our McTog waterproof dog coats.
We wanted a fabric that could give dogs the softness, flexibility and comfort people associate with fleece, but with something ordinary fleece doesn’t provide: a dedicated waterproof barrier.
Pour Off® starts with a soft, digitally printed microfleece and combines it with a TPU/PUL waterproof laminate. This thin waterproof layer is bonded to the fabric, creating a material that remains soft and flexible while providing a physical barrier against water penetration.
That construction is what makes Pour Off® fundamentally different from ordinary Polar Fleece.
With conventional fleece, water resistance comes primarily from the properties and construction of the fleece itself.
With Pour Off®, we’re not relying on the fleece fibres alone to keep water out. The waterproof protection comes from the laminated waterproof layer within the fabric.
This allows us to create a waterproof dog coat that feels much more like a comfortable fleece jumper than a traditional raincoat, while still being specifically designed for wet-weather protection.
Why do we call it Pour Off®?
The name describes exactly what we wanted the fabric to do.
Rather than relying solely on fleece to resist wet weather, Pour Off® uses its laminated waterproof layer to prevent water passing through the fabric.
For dogs, that gives us a particularly useful combination:
Soft microfleece comfort. Waterproof protection. Lightweight flexibility.
And because the outer microfleece can be digitally printed, Pour Off® also allows us to produce the colourful McTog patterns our customers know us for while retaining the waterproof construction underneath.
What does a 10,000 mm waterproof rating mean?
You may have seen waterproof clothing described with figures such as 5,000 mm, 10,000 mm or 20,000 mm.
These figures refer to resistance to water penetration measured using hydrostatic pressure testing.
One recognised laboratory method is ISO 811, which measures the resistance of textile fabrics to water penetration under hydrostatic pressure.
Put very simply, increasing water pressure is applied to the fabric to establish how well it resists water passing through.
This is where measurements expressed as mm H₂O come from.
What testing do we have for our waterproof fabric?
Our manufacturer has supplied independent laboratory testing showing over 10,000 mm H₂O resistance to water penetration for PUL laminated fabric, including results before and after accelerated washing.
We have also been advised that other laminated fabrics manufactured using the same TPU waterproof film used in our waterproof microfleece have achieved 10,000 mm results.
We think it’s important, however, to explain exactly what this means.
The laboratory reports supplied to us relate to PUL and other laminated fabrics using the same TPU waterproof film. They are not a direct ISO 811 laboratory test of every finished Pour Off® fabric variation or every completed McTog coat.
For that reason, we describe Pour Off® as waterproof TPU/PUL-laminated microfleece, rather than simply putting a certified 10,000 mm waterproof rating on every finished McTog.
We’d rather explain the technology and evidence behind our fabric accurately than turn a laboratory number into a bigger claim than the testing supports.
Pour Off® isn’t simply water-resistant fleece
This is probably the most important distinction to understand.
Ordinary fleece is soft, warm and breathable and, depending on its construction, may provide useful resistance to rain.
Pour Off® waterproof microfleece combines soft microfleece with a laminated TPU/PUL waterproof barrier.
Both types of material can have a place in dog clothing, and we use different fabrics for different McTog products.
But they aren’t the same thing.
When we describe a Pour Off® McTog as waterproof, we’re referring to the construction of the fabric and its laminated waterproof layer, rather than simply the ability of fleece fibres to resist rain.
But can fleece keep a dog dry?
Yes. This is where the terminology can sometimes become confusing.
Certain specialist fleece fabrics can be highly water-repellent and can perform extremely well in rain.
That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re constructed in the same way as a laminated waterproof fabric.
A specialist fleece may resist rain because of the properties of the fleece itself, while a laminated waterproof microfleece combines the textile with a dedicated waterproof barrier.
So when comparing dog coats described as waterproof, rainproof or water-resistant, it’s worth looking beyond the headline description and asking how the fabric actually achieves its protection against water.
What about our Polar Fleece McTogs?
We use Polar Fleece ourselves, but we’re careful about how we describe it.
Our Polar Fleece McTogs are not sold as completely waterproof fleece garments.
Polar Fleece is wonderfully useful for dog clothing because it’s warm, soft, breathable and flexible.
Our Polar Fleece McTogs combine a cosy Polar Fleece upper with a waterproof chest and tummy section.
This gives dogs the warmth and flexibility of Polar Fleece while providing waterproof protection underneath, where wet grass, mud and spray frequently cause the most problems.
For lightweight waterproof protection across the main coat, we instead use our Pour Off® waterproof microfleece.
They’re different materials designed to do slightly different jobs, and we think customers should know the difference.
Waterproof and breathable aren’t necessarily opposites
There’s sometimes an assumption that waterproof dog clothing has to be heavy, stiff or uncomfortable.
Modern laminated fabrics don’t necessarily work that way.
A thin waterproof membrane can be combined with a soft textile to produce a material that’s lightweight and flexible while still providing a barrier against water.
That’s one of the reasons we developed McTogs using waterproof microfleece rather than simply creating a traditional heavy waterproof shell.
We want dogs to be able to walk, run, jump and explore comfortably while wearing their McTog.
The construction of the whole coat matters too
An excellent waterproof fabric doesn’t automatically mean that every possible point on a finished garment is completely impervious to water.
Seams, openings, fastenings, necks and harness access points can all influence the performance and coverage of the finished coat.
That’s another reason we’re careful with our terminology.
Different McTog styles provide different areas of protection.
For example, our High Neck Full Poppers design continues the waterproof Pour Off® microfleece further up the neck, while our Partial Back Poppers design deliberately uses a soft, non-waterproof fleece neck with a waterproof Pour Off® body.
We’d rather tell you exactly what each part of the coat is made from.
Why chest and tummy coverage matters
Rain doesn’t only come from the sky.
For many dogs, particularly smaller and lower-to-the-ground breeds, a considerable amount of water comes from wet grass, puddles, mud and spray underneath them.
That’s why chest and tummy coverage has always been an important part of the McTog design.
When comparing waterproof dog coats, don’t just look at photographs of the dog’s back.
Look underneath too.
A beautifully waterproof panel across the back isn’t much consolation if your dog’s chest and tummy arrive home looking as though they’ve crossed the North Sea.
So should I choose waterproof or water-resistant?
There’s nothing inherently wrong with choosing a water-resistant dog coat.
For short walks, occasional showers or particular types of dog, a water-resistant garment may be perfectly suitable.
But if you’re specifically looking for protection during persistent rain, wet grass, muddy walks and unpredictable British weather, it’s worth understanding exactly what a manufacturer means when it describes a dog coat as waterproof.
Some useful questions to ask are:
Does the fabric contain a waterproof membrane or barrier?
Has the fabric or waterproof technology undergone recognised water-penetration testing?
Which areas of the dog are actually covered by waterproof material?
Are some sections waterproof while others are water-resistant?
How does the manufacturer explain the way its fabric resists water?
The answers tell you much more than the word “waterproof” on its own.
Our approach at Glenndarcy McTog
We prefer to explain what our fabrics actually are rather than relying solely on impressive-sounding labels.
Our Pour Off® waterproof microfleece uses a TPU/PUL waterproof laminate, combining soft microfleece with a dedicated waterproof barrier.
Our Polar Fleece products are described differently, because Polar Fleece and waterproof laminated microfleece are different materials.
And where different sections of a McTog have different properties, we’ll tell you.
Ultimately, the best dog coat is the one that provides the right combination of weather protection, coverage, comfort, fit and freedom of movement for your individual dog.
Because when the heavens open halfway around a Scottish hillside, the difference between sounds waterproof and designed with a waterproof barrier suddenly becomes rather more interesting.
You can explore our full range of Glenndarcy McTog waterproof dog coats and jumpers to compare the different fabrics, fastening styles and levels of coverage.