EN 343
Protective garments against wet weather
Outer layer resistance to traction
No change: minimum 450N value and not including any materials which stretch more than 50%
Protective clothing EN 343
Protective clothing designed to protect against bad weather (rain, snow), fog and ground humidity.
- Water penetration resistance (WP) and water vapour resistance (RET) are essential properties
- The materials, seams and design of protective garments are all tested
The EN 343 standard replaces the EN 343: 2003 + A1 2007 standard
Scope of application of the EN 343 standard
- Protection against wet weather: i.e. rainfall or snow.
- The standard does not apply to conditions other than precipitation i.e. water spray or waves.
Performance tests
| Property | Outer layer | Waterproof or thermal insert | Lining |
| Water penetration resistance (before/after pre-treatment) | X | X | |
| Water vapour resistance | X | X | X |
| Traction resistance | X (fabrics) | ||
| Tear resistance | X (knitting) | ||
| Resistance to bursting | X | ||
| Dimensional variations | X | X | X |
| Seam resistance | X |
Resistance to water penetration
| WP | Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3 | Class 4 |
| Outer fabric before pre-treatment | ≥ 8 000 Pa | _ | _ | _ |
| Exterior fabric after each pre-treatment | _ | ≥ 8 000 Pa | ≥ 13 000 Pa | ≥ 20 000 Pa |
| Seams in X before pre-treatment | ≥ 8 000 Pa | ≥ 8 000 Pa | ≥ 13 000 Pa | _ |
| Seams in X after pre-treatment by washing | _ | _ | _ | ≥ 20 000 Pa |
Water vapour resistance
The water vapor resistance (WVR) of all combined layers of the garment must be consistent: the lower the WVR, the more breathable the complex.
| RET | Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3 | Class 4 |
| M² x Pa / W | RET > 40 | 25 < RET ≤ 40 | 15 < RET ≤ 25 | RET ≤ 15 |
EN 343: 2007 reminder
| RET | Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3 | Class 4 |
| M² x Pa / W | RET > 40 | 20 < RET ≤ 40 | Ret ≤ 20 | Not planned |
The water column states the pressure the garment should be able to withstand: the higher the water column, the more resistant the garment to water pressure
The different resistances of the EN 343 standard
Recommended working minutes
Effects of water vapor permeability on the maximum recommended continuous wear time in minutes for a full suit consisting of jacket and pants without thermal insulation liner
| Temperature C° / Minutes | Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3 | Class 4 |
| 25 | 60 | 105 | 180 | _ |
| 20 | 75 | 250 | _ | _ |
| 15 | 100 | _ | _ | _ |
| 10 | 240 | _ | _ | _ |
| 5 | _ | _ | _ | _ |
