Gear Review: Nikwax Waterproofing Line

Some of Nikwax's waterproofing line

Having the latest gear is really nice, but definitely out of the budget. Several items have recently been relegated to the back of the closet simply because the waterproofing that the item originally had either wore off or was washed off through excessive washing. As much as I would love to simply replace some items with the latest, Nikwax has given me the alternative of getting a few more years out of my valuable hiking clothes by renewing the waterproofing. This is great, since it is cheaper and many of my items have lost their waterproofing layer much sooner than they have worn out.

eVent Boots before treatment with Nikwax

eVent Boots after treatment with Nikwax

Nikwax is the makers of wash-in, sponge on and spray on waterproofing products. Their waterproofing line is extensive and eco-friendly. I received waterproofing product for gloves, boots, down, soft shells, and fleece. The down, fleece and soft shell are all a wash-in product. To use a Nikwax wash-in product, the items and the liquid are placed in a washing machine together, and run through a cycle. Alternatively items can be hand-washed in a basin. The glove is a sponge on, while the boot is a spray on product. The wash-in waterproofing comes packaged in single use sizes giving enough for several smaller items or one larger item. The recommended use is in a front-loader washing machine. The spray on and sponge on can cover many items depending on surface area being covered.

The Glove Proof is recommended for fabric, leather, and a combination of both.  The Glove Proof will also treat Gore-Tex gloves.  Softshell Proof will treat all softshell fabrics including Gore Windstopper, and Windbloc.  Down Proof is good for all feather and down-filled clothing and accessories as well as Puffa.  Fabric and Leather Proof is recommended for all fabric and leather combination footwear including Gore-Tex and eVent.  Polar Proof is good for a wide variety of fabrics including fleece, wool, and synthetic fabric items.

Softshell before treatment with Nikwax

Softshell after treatment with Nikwax

Going through my gear closet, I selected an old fleece jacket, well worn light down jacket, over washed soft shell, down booties, eVent boots, Gore-Tex gloves, and Gore-Tex over mittens. Everything is at least a few years old, most bordering on many years. The old fleece and soft shell have been well used and well washed. Almost all of the items have been wetting out to some degree.  I tested each item with a spray bottle and none of them were beading water.  For the most part, the water would either soak in immediately (as was the case with the fleece items) or would wet out the surface fabric before soaking in.

I washed up the softshell jacket first, having washed it the most and knew it would really need the treatment. It was really easy to do, I tossed the jacket in the machine, shook up the Nikwax for Softshell waterproofing and dumped it in. The fleece and down eventually went through a similar treatment. The down treatment required filling the machine with water first, then pouring in the Nikwax treatment. All items were hung to dry. The wash in Nikwax has a mild aroma of glue. This isn’t very strong but it is noticeable when pouring it into the machine and when wearing the treated item the first few times.  After letting the softshell dry, the difference was pretty apparent when I sprayed water on the fabric.  Before treatment, the water would sit on the surface in one large pool and soak in.  After treatment, the water actually beaded up, which hasn't happened in years.  With the down booties, before treatment, the water soaked into the fabric immediately without even sitting on the surface.  After treatment, the water beaded on the surface and sat there.  The difference was quite clear between before and after.

Fleece gloves before treatment with Nikwax

Fleece gloves after treatment with Nikwax

The spray on water-proofing for the boots was really easy to apply. I set the boots on a washable surface (like a tile floor) and sprayed to coat. I dabbed at the drips, runs and excess with paper towel then allowed the boots to dry. With the gloves, application of the Nikwax treatment was a little more challenging. The left glove was easy as I was using my dominant hand to sponge on the treatment. With the right glove, I had to use my left hand to sponge on the treatment which went a little slower and was a little awkward. I didn’t really have much excess to wipe off as I was constantly pushing any excess drips to untreated areas as I was sponging on the treatment. The very base of the fingers was a little hard to get at but that was more due to how far I could spread my fingers with the gloves on than anything to do with the size of the sponge.  The boots really needed the treatment, before treating the boots, the suede would simply absorb the water immediately.  After treatment, water beaded on the suede surfaces as well as the fabric.  The gloves had a little beading qualities before treatment, but water still worked its way into the fabric.  After treatment, the beads are more distinct and no longer soaks into the fabric.

Down booties before treatment with Nikwax

Down booties after treatment with Nikwax

Each Nikwax treatment had a slightly different smell but in most cases there was a glue-like smell. The smell lingered for a little while after treatment but the smell eventually dissipated. Depending on the item, the smell, which was mild to begin with, faded within the week.

The treatments were really easy to use and in most cases made a substantial difference in water-repellency. The fleece showed the most change. Before treatment, the fleece pretty much instantly absorbed water when I sprayed it on. After treatment, the surface of the fleece beaded water for a few minutes before slowly absorbing it. The boots, which were absorbing almost immediately pre-treatment, was beading water post-treatment. All items treated showed an improvement. Nikwax has allowed me to reactivate the water-repellency of my gear and essentially the Nikwax treatment has added to the lifespan of my gear. I like this as it allows me to keep money in my wallet and my quality gear on the trail.

Manufacturer	Nikwax
Products Reviewed	Glove Proof - Sponge on Fabric and Leather Proof - Spray on Down Proof - Wash in Softshell Proof - Wash in Ploar Proof - Wash in

This story was originally posted January 25, 2011.