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Brand · Germany

VAUDE

A German family-owned brand whose Ceplex membranes carry published, method-named water-column figures — rare transparency at its price point.

Founded 1974Last verified 2026-10-19

Background

Founded in 1974 by Albrecht von Dewitz and based in Tettnang, Germany. Brand origin is not proof that all garments are made in Germany.

Brand facts

Published company information

Country of origin
Germany
Founded
1974
Price range
Entry to mid
Jacket families
Escape, Simony, Monviso
Warranty
EU legal warranty claims run against the seller (two years, EU context). A separate voluntary five-year durability guarantee from VAUDE Sport GmbH & Co. KG applies only to selected products identified by the GARAN label; check the linked conditions before assuming coverage.
Repair programme
Repair requests are assessed via the purchasing retailer (or VAUDE support for vaude.com purchases); the dealer communicates cost and the published workload estimate is at least 4–6 weeks. A postal re-impregnation service is offered in Germany only.
Sustainability
Runs an explicit environmental programme (Green Shape labelling per product). Environmental claims should be read per exact article number and official wording, not generalised across the range.

WaterproofJacket.com assessment

Our editorial view of the brand

Strengths

  • Publishes per-product water-column figures with the test method named (JIS L 1092 B) — 10,000 mm on Escape Light, 20,000 mm on Simony V
  • Distinct documented intended uses per model: hiking/travel, mountain tours, ski touring
  • Official repair assessment route via retailers, plus a Germany-only postal re-impregnation service

Weaknesses

  • Product pages can contradict themselves — the Simony V is titled '2-Layer' but specified as 2.5-layer
  • The five-year durability guarantee applies only to selected GARAN-labelled products, not the range
  • Wash instructions differ within one product family (30°C gentle on one Escape Light page, wool programme on another)

Frequently asked questions

What is Ceplex?

VAUDE's own waterproof-breathable membrane/coating family. Ceplex Active carries a published water column of at least 10,000 mm (JIS L 1092 B) on the Escape Light; Ceplex Pro is specified at 20,000 mm on the Simony V. Figures are per product, not platform-wide.

Does VAUDE still use Sympatex?

VAUDE's official care material names Sympatex among its performance technologies, but we found no current rain-jacket model mapped to Sympatex on the product pages reviewed. Treat current models as Ceplex unless the exact product page says otherwise.

Sources