Just realized my "waterproof" jacket was never actually waterproof

I bought a Columbia jacket off Amazon last spring for $80 based on hundreds of 4-star reviews. Took it out in a real downpour last Tuesday and got soaked through in 10 minutes. Anyone else ever figure out their gear ratings don't match reality after the return window closed?

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wade7805mo ago

Yeah I figured that out standing at a bus stop looking like a drowned raccoon.

4

lee_butler5mo ago

Aren't you the one that bought a $80 jacket and expected it to work like a $300 Gore-Tex shell? Columbia makes decent stuff for light rain and wind, but you took a budget jacket into a "real downpour" and got surprised when it failed. Waterproof ratings on affordable gear are more like a suggestion anyway especially if you didn't treat the DWR coating yourself before wearing it. Most people skip the spray-on waterproofing and then blame the jacket. Your return window closed because you had a whole year to test it during a light drizzle and didn't bother.

3