It is quite a rare thing for technology to purposefully take a backwards step in performance, but that is exactly what is happening in the world of waterproof jackets at the moment. This isn’t just affecting the best waterproof cycling jackets, but everything waterproof, thanks to a de-facto global ban on PFAS, also known as forever chemicals.
The short version is that both the old Gore-Tex membrane and the durable water-repellent coatings contained fluorine, the use of which in manufacturing is a bit of a no-no. There isn’t anything to suggest that a PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) membrane is in any way harmful to the wearer, but the PFAS ban is a huge umbrella under which outdoor clothing has been included. To put it bluntly, new jackets for the time being just aren’t going to be as good as the last of the old crop.
