Gore-Tex
A W. L. Gore & Associates trade name for waterproof, breathable membrane and laminate technologies.
Last updated October 7, 2026
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Overview
Gore-Tex is the trade name used by W. L. Gore & Associates for a family of waterproof and breathable membrane, laminate, and related material technologies. The brand is best known in outdoor clothing, footwear, gloves, and equipment, where its fabrics are designed to keep liquid water out while allowing water vapor from perspiration to escape. Its central technology was developed in 1969, when Robert W. Gore discovered that rapidly stretching heated polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) produced expanded PTFE, or ePTFE. The resulting material contained a microporous structure with interconnected fibrils and nodes. Its pores were small enough to resist liquid water while permitting the passage of water vapor, creating a material with a combination of weather protection and breathability that was difficult to achieve with conventional coated fabrics. The commercial significance of Gore-Tex came from combining the membrane with textile constructions and manufacturing controls. In clothing, the membrane is generally bonded to an outer textile and may be protected by an inner layer. Garment seams are sealed with tape under Gore’s construction requirements so that needle holes do not compromise waterproofness. An outer durable water repellent, or DWR, treatment helps prevent the face fabric from becoming saturated; the DWR supports breathability but is not itself the primary waterproof barrier. The brand therefore represents a performance system and construction standard as much as a single material. Gore-Tex entered the market during the 1970s and was adopted by outdoor-equipment companies including Marmot, which used it in a waterproof sleeping bag in 1976. It subsequently became a widely recognized technology brand licensed or incorporated into products made by many manufacturers. Its applications expanded beyond rainwear into footwear, gloves, protective clothing, spacesuits, industrial filtration, wire and cable insulation, gaskets, sealants, and medical products such as vascular grafts, sutures, heart patches, and other ePTFE-based implants. These uses draw on ePTFE’s chemical resistance, thermal stability, controlled porosity, and relative inertness in the body. The brand’s technical and commercial history has also been shaped by patent disputes. Gore established legal recognition of its ePTFE invention in litigation involving Garlock in the 1970s and early 1980s, although later disputes concerning medical ePTFE applications produced different outcomes. Gore’s fabric patents expired during the 1990s, enabling competing waterproof-breathable membranes to enter the market, but Gore-Tex remained a prominent benchmark for high-performance outdoor products. Environmental scrutiny has become an important part of the brand’s recent history. PTFE is a fluoropolymer within the broader PFAS family, and historical production has involved concerns about PFOA and other persistent substances. Gore announced a program to eliminate certain PFC-related substances from its consumer products and marketed alternative water-repellent treatments. From 2024, the company began introducing expanded polyethylene, or ePE, membranes in consumer fabrics as an alternative to ePTFE. The transition is intended to retain comparable performance while changing the material platform. Gore-Tex remains active across consumer, industrial, and medical markets, although its future positioning is increasingly tied to material reformulation, durability, repair, and environmental accountability as well as weather protection.
History
Gore-Tex originated in research at W. L. Gore & Associates during the late 1960s. In 1969, Robert W. Gore experimented with PTFE rods and discovered that a rapid, accelerating stretch produced a porous form of the polymer rather than merely lengthening it. The material expanded by roughly eight times and developed a network of fibrils and nodes that was largely air space. This expanded PTFE, commonly abbreviated ePTFE, combined the chemical and thermal resistance associated with PTFE with controlled porosity. The company patented the porous material and waterproof laminate concepts during the 1970s and 1980s. Gore-Tex was introduced as the consumer-facing trade name for products based on this technology. One of the early outdoor adopters was Marmot, which used Gore-Tex in a waterproof sleeping bag in 1976. The technology then spread into rainwear and other outdoor products. A typical construction bonded the membrane to a textile, while seam tape was used to maintain waterproof integrity. Durable water repellent treatment on the outer fabric helped preserve surface water beading and allowed the laminate to continue functioning effectively. Gore’s patent position was tested in litigation. In the 1970s, Garlock was accused of infringing Gore’s patents. A district court initially found the relevant product and process patents invalid, but the decision was reversed on appeal in Gore v. Garlock. The appellate ruling treated Gore as the legally recognized inventor of ePTFE for the patent dispute because an earlier process associated with John W. Cropper had been kept secret rather than publicly disclosed. Gore later pursued patent litigation involving ePTFE vascular grafts. A dispute with C. R. Bard ended with Bard leaving that market temporarily, while a lengthy case involving IMPRA challenged the validity and scope of Gore’s patents. The principal product-patent claim was declared invalid in 1990 after evidence concerning prior art and patent disclosure. Bard acquired IMPRA in 1996 and later reentered the market. Gore-Tex became a platform rather than a single apparel fabric. Its membranes and related ePTFE materials were used in outdoor garments, footwear, gloves, spacesuits, filters, electrical insulation, gaskets, sealants, and medical devices. Medical applications included vascular grafts, sutures, heart patches, synthetic ligaments, and other implantable or reconstructive products. The material’s porosity can permit tissue integration, while its relative chemical inertness supports use in demanding environments. The expiration of Gore’s ePTFE fabric patents in the 1990s enabled competing waterproof-breathable technologies. Nevertheless, Gore-Tex retained strong brand recognition through requirements concerning laminate performance, seam construction, product testing, and licensed-manufacturer presentation. The name became a consumer shorthand for technical waterproof outdoor equipment. Environmental and health concerns later became central to the material’s public context. PTFE belongs to the PFAS class, and historical fluoropolymer production has been associated with PFOA and other persistent substances. Gore stated in 2017 that it would eliminate certain PFC-related substances from its consumer products by 2023 and introduced alternative treatments marketed as PFC-free in the relevant sense. These changes did not remove PTFE from the core technology at that time. In the 2020s, Gore began moving consumer fabrics toward expanded polyethylene membranes, with the transition beginning in 2024. The company has also faced lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny concerning alleged PFAS contamination around a Maryland manufacturing site. Gore-Tex therefore continues as an active global technology brand while navigating competition, changing membrane materials, chemical regulation, and demand for more sustainable performance products.
- 2024
Expanded polyethylene consumer membrane rollout
[1]Gore began replacing ePTFE with expanded polyethylene membranes in consumer fabrics.
- 2023
PFAS litigation and regulatory investigation
[1]Lawsuits and a Maryland environmental investigation addressed alleged PFAS pollution associated with Gore’s Cecil County manufacturing operations.
- 2017
Commitment to eliminate certain PFC-related substances
[1]Gore announced a goal of eliminating PFC-related substances such as PFOA from its consumer products by 2023.
- 2015
Bard damages ruling
[1]The Federal Circuit ordered Gore to pay Bard one billion dollars in damages in a dispute involving an IMPRA-related vascular-graft patent; the Supreme Court declined review.
- 2006
Robert W. Gore receives inventors’ recognition
[1]Robert W. Gore was inducted into the U.S. National Inventors Hall of Fame.
- 1997
Core ePTFE fabric patents expire
[1]Gore’s principal ePTFE-based fabric patents expired, allowing competing waterproof-breathable membrane products to become more widely available.
- 1990
Medical patent claim invalidated
[1]In the IMPRA litigation, a principal Gore product-patent claim was declared invalid after findings involving prior art and patent disclosure.
- 1983
Gore v. Garlock appellate victory
[1]An appellate ruling reversed a lower-court decision and established Gore’s legal inventor status for the ePTFE technology at issue.
- 1976
Early outdoor adoption
[1]Marmot became one of the early outdoor brands to use Gore-Tex, incorporating it into a waterproof sleeping bag.
- 1976
First major porous-PTFE patent period begins
[1]Gore’s U.S. patent covering a porous PTFE microstructure took effect, supporting its intellectual-property position around ePTFE.
Products and positioning
Premium technical materials and performance systems for waterproof protection, breathability, durability, and all-weather use.
Technical membrane · 1969
Gore-Tex membrane
The original brand platform is based on a microporous membrane that resists liquid water while allowing water vapor to pass through. The classic version uses expanded PTFE, whose interconnected fibril-and-node structure provides the combination of waterproofness, breathability, chemical resistance, and thermal stability associated with Gore-Tex.
Outdoor textiles · 1976
Gore-Tex waterproof-breathable laminates
These constructions bond a Gore membrane to one or more textile layers for use in jackets, trousers, gloves, and other protective equipment. Gore’s system includes requirements for seam taping and construction so that stitching does not create leakage points. The outer textile commonly receives a durable water repellent treatment to support surface water shedding and preserve effective breathability.
Footwear materials
Gore-Tex footwear technologies
Gore-Tex footwear uses waterproof-breathable membrane constructions within shoes and boots. The technology is intended to protect against external moisture while allowing some internal water vapor to escape. Performance depends on the complete footwear design, including the membrane, upper, lining, sole, and methods used to seal or manage seams.
Next-generation technical membrane · 2024
Gore-Tex ePE membrane
Expanded polyethylene is the newer membrane platform being introduced into consumer Gore-Tex fabrics from 2024 onward. It is intended to deliver comparable waterproof and breathable performance while reducing reliance on the earlier ePTFE membrane platform. The transition is associated with higher production cost and different care considerations.
Medical materials
Gore-Tex medical ePTFE products
ePTFE has been used in medical applications including vascular grafts, sutures, heart patches, synthetic ligaments, and other implantable or reconstructive products. Its porous structure can support tissue ingrowth, while the material’s relative inertness and resistance to chemical degradation make it useful in selected medical settings.
Controversies
2024
Maryland lawsuit over historical fluorochemical pollution
Maryland filed a lawsuit concerning alleged responsibility for decades of pollution involving persistent fluorinated chemicals from multiple Gore-Tex manufacturing facilities in Cecil County.
2023
PFAS pollution litigation in Maryland
Two lawsuits alleged that PFAS contamination was connected to Gore operations near Cecil County, Maryland. The allegations included claims concerning historical knowledge of PFOA and PFAS risks. The Maryland environmental authorities ordered an investigation and offered bottled water to residents in the monitored area.
Brand decisions
2024
Transition from ePTFE to expanded polyethylene membranesGeneration changeBackground
Gore faced pressure to reduce reliance on fluoropolymer materials while maintaining the weather protection and breathability expected from the Gore-Tex name.
Action taken
The company began replacing ePTFE membranes with expanded polyethylene membranes in consumer fabrics.
Aftermath
The new membrane is intended to provide comparable performance, but the transition is associated with higher cost and more frequent washing requirements.
2017
Commitment to phase out certain PFC-related substancesStrategyBackground
Environmental and health concerns surrounding persistent fluorinated substances affected the treatment chemistry and production context of consumer outdoor fabrics.
Action taken
Gore pledged to eliminate PFC-related substances such as PFOA from its consumer products by 2023 and marketed alternative water-repellent treatments.
Aftermath
The move reduced certain substances of concern in relevant consumer-product treatments, while the traditional membrane platform remained based on PTFE until the later ePE transition.
Recent events
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