The shock of moisture permeability is 70,000g/m²/24h. Workman 2025 Spring/Summer New "X Shelter Ultra-Moisture-Releasing Rain Jacket & Side Full Zip Rain Pants" Review: This Comfort is a No Price

The "evolution of breathability" in rainwear over the past few years has been remarkable. A series of products have been released from authentic outdoor brands for high-load activities that make sweat easier to escape, and the world has been progressing so far that it was a standard or not satisfied with it now.

And that wave finally came to that Workman. That's what we'll be introducing today: X-Shelter Ultra-Moisture-Relieving Rain Jacket & Side Full Zip Rain Pants . It uses waterproof and breathable fabric that is outstandingly breathable as is the case with outdoor brands, and I was able to bite into the details of the specifications, and I was able to undoubtedly install the features that would be great if there were any.

I tried wearing it on the mountains during sunny and rainy weather from March to April, so I'd like to review it right away.

Main features of X-Shelter Ultra-Moisture-Releasing Rain Jacket (Trekking Model) & Side Full Zip Rain Pants

Workman X-Shelter Ultra-Moisture-Relieving Rain Jacket & Side Full Zip Rain Pants are rainwear that focuses on comfort in Japan during the unpleasant summer, with the waterproofness necessary for mountain climbing while being extremely resistant to stuffiness. A two-layer fabric with a moisture permeability of 70,000g/m2/24h and a three-layer fabric with a 50,000g/m2/24h period are also equipped with a ventilation zipper under the armpits to enhance ventilation, allowing you to maximize sweating and minimize discomfort during hot seasons and intense activities. In addition, it features a large number of details that are designed to be worn on mountain climbing and hiking, such as a dial-type hood that fits your head with simple operations, a highly sealed sleeves and hem with Velcro and drawcords, three-dimensional cutting and moderate stretchability that provides ease of movement, a front double zipper and snap buttons that allow for adjustable ventilation while reducing flapping, and a high left and right zip pocket that does not interfere with the hip belt. The rain pants have a full side zipper that allows you to easily take off and put on and take off while wearing shoes. The reason for this is also a big attraction.

Favorite points

• Excellent breathability that is comparable to specialized brands (excellent ventilation thanks to underarm pit zippers)
• Highly water-resistant fabric with sufficient passing point
• Adjustable dial hood for excellent fit to the head
• Three-dimensional cutting and stretchability for ease of movement
• Highly functional, designed to be a full-fledged mountain wear, even in the smallest details such as zippers and cuffs.
• A durable fabric that can be used all year round, regardless of activity
• Amazingly low price that is hard to imagine from the performance

Interesting points

• The front is not a waterproof zipper and is not a double flap, so you need to be careful not to flood from the front in heavy rain or long rainy conditions.
• Water repellent slightly

Main Specifications and ratings

Detailed review worn on the low mountain trail in spring

Comfort and ease of movement: Moderate room, 3D pattern, stretchability, high level of comfort and ease of movement

The size is loose but not extremely thick, with a standard silhouette. I'm a slim figure with 176cm, 63kg and long arms, and I wear size L for a perfect fit.

When you look through the sleeves, the first thing you can feel is the unexpectedly firm and comfortable pattern, which is hard to believe is low-priced rainwear. The standard fit is not too tight and the 3D pattern is carefully designed to measure the flexion of the shoulders and elbows, making it perfect for my body type. Thanks to this, the L size is about 367g, so it's not light at all, but it doesn't really feel the weight when worn. All of the fabrics used in the jackets are moderately stretchy, and even during movement, the clothes do not get tense due to arm bending or shoulder rotation, providing a comfortable fit.

The lining is made of a smooth, three-layer fabric that feels good on the skin, from the shoulders to the arms, and two-layer laminated parts that are highly breathable and stretchy, and the parts that are easily touched by the skin are generally made of three-layer fabric, making it comfortable to wear.

In addition, attention was paid to the smallest details, such as a hanging group and brushed fabric that takes into consideration dirt and scuffs on the back of the neck, and a chin guard with an extended flap placed on the part where the zipper touches the lips. 

Micro fleece fabric crimped on the back of the neck. It absorbs oil and sweat from the back of the neck, which tends to accumulate dirt, to increase comfort and durability.

A chin guard that reduces the discomfort of a zipper hitting your chin. It even comes with punching to improve breathability.

Waterproof and breathability: "The surprising specs are not just for now." Extremely resistant to stuffiness. On the other hand, waterproofing is a bit uneasy when it comes to heavy rain and long rain.

The X-Shelter ultra-moisture-releasing rain jacket uses Workman's unique waterproof and breathable fabric, "X Shelter," which has extremely high breathability, as the name suggests. The surprising moisture permeability is up to 70,000g/m2/24h for the three-layer section, and 50,000g/m2/24h for the two-layer section (both B-1 method), making it a high performance that was hard to see even in rainwear from a full-fledged outdoor brand. What can be seen from the product introduction and micrographs is that this is also a membrane with a porous structure. This means that it directly permeates water vapor, so it should also be breathable faster.

However, as with any rainwear, there are many different methods of measuring moisture permeability, and each manufacturer uses arbitrary measurement methods, so it is not possible to make a simple comparison, and the high and low numbers do not necessarily lead to the actual difficulty of sweating. Of course, it's better to get expensive.

So is this number true even in the field? To make sure that this is the case, I actually went on a few hours hiking on the trail towards Tanzawa on both normal sunny days and on quite a few days of heavy rain.

First, hike on a day when it's not raining. Even if it's a cool morning in March, if you climb a little while in the mountains, you'll start to sweat inside your clothes no matter what. However, perhaps due to the high humidity permeability of this jacket, the speed at which you start to feel stuffy is clearly slower than other typical rain gear, and the inside of the clothing kept it quite dry. However, unlike so-called "breathable" membranes, it doesn't feel like the air flowing through, so personally I don't think the stuffiness will be that much less than those "thin, breathable" rainwear (the fabric is not that thin, so it doesn't seem to be that thick. This may depend on the individual's feelings, but in any case, you can be able to do things that are so comfortable that it is impossible to believe in the price.

Furthermore, in addition to the high moisture permeability of the fabric, this jacket also features an extremely impressive ventilation zip underarms. If you open the zipper all the way, you can quickly remove any stuffiness from here, so there is little room for situations where it gets too stuffy and painful. Furthermore, the position of this ventilation is slightly offset so that the zipper creases just aren't rough when bent to the sides.

Next time I'll wear it in the heavy rain.

Here too, just like in sunny weather, it was highly breathable. However, perhaps the DWR (durable water-repellent) coating on the jacket itself is not that high, and I can feel the water repellency drop quickly and water is soaking into the outer fabric itself, which makes it seem that it cannot fully demonstrate its moisture permeability compared to the situation in sunny weather, which is a bit disappointing. However, since there is no rain jacket that does not remove water repellent, such a situation will arise sooner or later for any rain gear, so even taking this into consideration, there is no doubt that it still had high moisture permeability.

At first, I was repelling the water, but its water repellent power began to decrease after a few minutes of wearing it.

Waterproofing

Regarding the waterproofness of the jacket, heavy rain hit the hood and shoulders throughout the test, but even at a considerable level of strength, there is almost no problem with flooding if the water resistance of the jacket's fabric itself (10,000mm for 2-layer fabric and 20,000mm for 3-layer fabric). There is also a strong seam tape at the seams, so there is almost no need to worry about water coming out of the seams.

However, unfortunately, this jacket is not waterproof, and it is not a double flap (the back of the zipper has a flap to stop water), so it is not often the case where water is exposed to strong water on this point, but it is best to keep in mind that even if it is an emergency storm or long rain, it is not a perfect match.

Functionality: Comfortable hood, highly practical details

Adjustable hood with a dial for a perfect fit

The outstanding functionality of X-Shelters is not just about the fabric performance. The adjustable hood fits perfectly with the shape of your head with just one dial, making it quite convenient.

Push in the dial installed at the back of the head and turn it to the right to give you a perfect fit and keeps firmly following when you move your neck. The brim is also well-made, long enough to prevent rain from coming from ahead. Also, if you roll the entire piece into this hood and finally close the dial, you will be able to pack it without needing a stuff sack.

Double front zipper and snap buttons to prevent flapping

The front zipper is a double zipper that can be opened and closed from the top and bottom. It is very useful for outdoor use, adjusting ventilation and preventing interference with the harness. By the way, this front zipper pull can also be used as a whistle in the unlikely event.

Furthermore, when opening the jacket fully, you can use the snap buttons on the chest to reduce flapping and act.

Hand pockets with ample space on the left and right. The waterproof zipper makes it difficult for water to enter.

Velcro cuffs and hem drawcord

The cuffs have a wide design that allows you to easily take off and take off even over gloves, and can be adjusted using Velcro. It can be used in a wide range of situations from early spring to early winter.

Drawstrings are placed on both sides of the hem, and by tightening it, you can prevent rain and cold air from entering.

Overpants with excellent functionality that combine protection and practicality when climbing

The pants that are also sold are loose, straight fit that is intended to be worn over trekking pants as over pants, but have a stable, clean and beautiful silhouette.

Like a jacket, the three-dimensional cutting around the crotch and knees and moderate elasticity provide natural ease of movement (although the side zippers are slightly stiff).

The zipper on this side can be fully opened from the feet to the waist, so you can wear it without any difficulty even while wearing thick trekking boots. It's useful when it rains.

The waist can be tightened with Velcro on the left and right, so it fits a wide range of sizes.

There are four pockets, one on the front and back, one on the left and right, making it extremely easy to store, as is typical of Workman.

Summary: High-performance and cost-effective rainwear that will bring you changes if you are climbing for a day trip or one night, where comfort is more important than waterproofing.

It is touching to see that 2025 will be able to achieve performances that were previously impossible for a full-fledged mountain brand, at a price of less than 10,000 yen, up to 70,000g/m2/24h. The satisfactory comfort, material performance, and detailed functionality make it hard to find a product that can rival the price. If I were to be greedy, the weight was just a little lighter and the front zipper was waterproof, but as far as I could go, I felt that as long as I had worn it, it would not be such a serious problem unless it was a full-scale traverse for a few days.

However, in the first place, for such a tough, long route, you should use a reliable model from a serious outdoor brand rather than a Workman. From the beginning, this site has said that Workman is the perfect product for light climbing and beginners to use as an entry model before buying a full-fledged model, or for veterans who can understand its features and understand its features. In that sense, even if you consider it within the above ranges, you will be satisfied enough to wonder if there were any more cost-effective rainwear.

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