Technology · Helly Hansen
HELLY TECH
A tiered platform with a marine heritage, spanning inexpensive coated rainwear up to professional offshore and ski constructions.
Quick answer
HELLY TECH is Helly Hansen's in-house waterproof system, sold in three tiers — Protection, Performance and Professional — that span everyday rainwear to professional offshore and ski shells. Helly Hansen describes the construction as waterproof, windproof and breathable using a microporous membrane, but publishes no water-column or breathability figures and names no test methods for the platform. What the tier name tells you is the intended intensity of use; what it cannot tell you is any comparable performance number, because none is published.
What the three tiers mean
Helly Hansen structures the platform as three tiers. HELLY TECH Protection is the entry level, aimed at everyday and light outdoor use. HELLY TECH Performance is the middle tier for sustained outdoor activity. HELLY TECH Professional is the top tier, used in the Odin mountain line and the brand's professional and offshore ranges — the Odin 9 Worlds 3.0 shell in this database uses it.
The tiers describe intended use and construction grade, not published performance levels: Helly Hansen assigns no millimetre or breathability figures to any tier, so two jackets in different tiers cannot be compared numerically from official data.
What is not published
No hydrostatic-head figure, no breathability figure and no named test method appears in Helly Hansen's official HELLY TECH material. The base polymer of the membrane is not named either. This is common among in-house brand technologies — but it means every numerical claim about HELLY TECH found on retail sites is third-party, not manufacturer data.
Related guides: hydrostatic head · waterproof ratings · MVTR · 2L vs 2.5L vs 3L · GORE-TEX vs other membranes
Manufacturer specification
Published figures only — nothing estimated
- Owner
- Helly Hansen
- Membrane type
- Described by Helly Hansen as an in-house system using a microporous membrane; base polymer not named. Tiers: Protection, Performance, Professional
- Construction options
- Could not be verified from the accessible official documentation
- Waterproof rating
- Not publicly specified by manufacturer
- Breathability rating
- Not publicly specified by manufacturer
- Air permeability
- Not publicly specified by manufacturer
- Typical price segment
- Varies by garment.
- Weight characteristics
- Varies by face fabric and construction rather than by membrane alone.
- Durability characteristics
- Durability depends on the textile, laminate, seams, use and care; denier alone does not establish abrasion resistance.
- DWR requirements
- Face fabrics carry a durable water repellent finish. Repellency wears off with use and needs reproofing; the membrane itself is unaffected.
- PFAS / PFC information
- Check the current season's material declaration. Many brands have moved to PFAS-free repellent finishes, and platforms differ by year and by garment.
WaterproofJacket.com assessment
Our editorial analysis, not a manufacturer claim
Main advantages
- Clear internal tiering
- Strong marine and foul-weather pedigree
- Wide price coverage
Main disadvantages
- Tier names look similar to shoppers
- Entry tiers breathe modestly
- No published figures or named test methods for any tier
Best uses
- Sailing
- Coastal weather
- Skiing
Poor uses
- Ultralight packing
- Highest-output running
Care instructions
- Follow the garment label and official care instructions. Use the specified cleaner; Gore permits a small amount of suitable liquid detergent for conventional GORE-TEX outerwear. Avoid products those instructions prohibit.
- For DWR-finished garments, clean first and reproof only if needed, following garment and treatment instructions. Do not apply DWR to persistent-beading constructions such as SHAKEDRY.
- Tumble dry warm or press with a cool iron under a cloth if the care label allows, to reactivate the finish.
Sources
Official documentation and standards we relied on