FUNCTIONAL CLOTHES & UNDERWEAR
Guide EN 343
Clothing that carries an EN 343 certification is tested for protection against bad weather .
The latest version of EN 343:2019 involves testing seams for water penetration in classes 1-4 and resistance to water vapor classes 1-4 , with 4 being the highest class . The garments must achieve results on both tests to be labeled with the EN 343 symbol .
- Protection against ingress of water : 1-4 , where class 4 gives the best waterproofness - Water vapor resistance ( breathability ): 1-4 , where class 4 provides the best breathability - Effect of high pressure water drops from above ( this is optional )
The results are affected by the construction of the garment , where an unlined garment can achieve EN 343 4 / 4 while a lined garment with the same outer fabric ( but with a lining that affects the penetration of moisture ) only achieves EN 343 4 / 1 .
The previous standard only had 3 classes , these have now been expanded with a fourth class that requires a higher result . Garments certified according to EN 343 continue to apply . PROJOB Workwear will continuously update certified garments .
Water resistance ( WP ) Class 1 ≥ 8000 Pa Class 2 ≥ 8000 Pa material after pretreatment Class 3 ≥ 13,000 Pa material after pretreatment Class 4 ≥ 20,000 Pa material after pretreatment
Water vapor resistance ( Ret ) The breathing function is indicated in RET value . At a lower RET value , the better respiratory function .
Class 1 Ret > 40 Class 2 25 < Ret ≤ 40 Class 3 15 < Ret ≤ 25 Class 4 Ret ≤ 15
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