Doug Schnitzspahn and David Clucas reviews Voormi Water Proof Technology
Your next sweater could be waterproof.
Voormi aims to weave, not laminate, next-gen waterproof/breathable membranes.
As outdoor brands search for new solutions in protecting you from the elements, the trend has been to move away from those stiff, crunchy hardshells toward fabrics that have a softer touch.
Already, we've seen impressive advances toward waterproof/breathable softshells from several brands — but last week at the annual Snowsports Industries America trade show in Denver, we caught glimpse of what amounts to waterproof wool.
The innovation comes from start-up brand Voormi, based out of Pagosa Springs, CO. The company's bailiwick is manufacturing American-made wool/polyester base- and midlayers for backcountry skiers (see our reviews of the Drift softshell and High-e Hoodie). When it turned to make some those layers waterproof, Voormi encountered the traditional solution—laminating a waterproof/breathable layer to the garment. Laminates work, but they're part of the reason rainwear feels less like a fabric and more like a plastic layer. Voormi searched for a better way.
It came up with Core Construction—a way to build waterproof/breathable performance by weaving it right into the fabric—in Voormi's case American sourced wool.
