When choosing a rug for your horse, comfort is just as important as warmth. One of the key measures of comfort is water vapour permeability – essentially, how well a fabric allows moisture (sweat and natural body vapour) to pass through it.
What is Water Vapour Permeability Testing?
Water vapour permeability (WVP) testing measures how much water vapour can pass through a material over a set period. Results are usually expressed in grams per square metre (g/m²), showing how many grams of vapour pass through one square metre of fabric in 24 hours.
A higher number means the material is more breathable, allowing moisture to escape instead of becoming trapped against the horse’s skin.
A Rough Guide to Breathability
While scales can vary between industries, a useful guide for equestrian textiles is:
- Under 500 g/m² → Low breathability (suitable for warmth but may trap moisture)
- 500–1000 g/m² → Moderate breathability (suitable for stable use or rugs worn at rest)
- 1000+ g/m² → High breathability (ideal for active use or performance wear)
Where Does Our Magnetic Rug Sit on This Scale?
Our Magnetic Rug scored 1166.25 g/m² in WVP testing. This places it in the high breathability range.
This means it allows excellent vapour transfer making it suitable for use all year round, helping prevent trapped moisture.
Find out more about the Magnetic Rug here.
