Until recently, the major waterproof breathable fight used to be GORE-TEX versus GE's eVent. With new hardshell entrants such as Polartec and innovation from Gore with Active Shell, GE has been forced to refocus and is now working hard on a making come back.
GE has teamed up with Japanese firm Amaterrace to pair GE's waterproof breathable membrane technology (the basis of eVent) with Amaterrace's new laminates to create several new air-permeable fabrics. With these new high-performance laminates, GE will be able to offer their customers a range of air-permeable windproof softshells and fleeces, hardshells, and windproof air permeable shells and liners.
Recently, GE shifted the focus away from marketing eVent as a brand, to a more collaborative approach. GE wanted to give their customers greater flexibility, putting the customer’s label on the outside of the jacket with proven eVent waterproof breathable technology on the inside.
Mountain Hardwear was one of the first to take advantage of the new GE approach and paired GE's waterproof breathable membrane with a combination of quality face fabrics, backers, glues, tapes and lamination technology, in the new Dry.Q series of apparel.
GE customers in the past have included REI, Vaude and Montane among others. It will be interesting to see which brands adopt the new GE fabrics when they become available.