Item 1 of 2
Item 1 of 2
frontpagephoinix | Staff posted Jul 5, 2026 7:16 AM
Carhartt Men's Rain Defender Loose Fit Midweight 1889 Graphic Sweatshirt (New Navy)
$40
$67
40% off
+ Free S&Hat Amazon
+ Free S&Hat AmazonDeal Details
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Written by Corwin | Staff- About this Deal:
- This offer is priced close to matching this Frontpage Deal from November 2025.
- Please see the original post for additional details and give the WIKI and additional forum comments a read for helpful discussion.
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About the Poster
Editor's Notes
Written by Corwin | Staff- About this Deal:
- This offer is priced close to matching this Frontpage Deal from November 2025.
- Please see the original post for additional details and give the WIKI and additional forum comments a read for helpful discussion.
- About this Store:
- Don't have Amazon Prime? Students can get a free 6-Month Amazon Prime trial with free 2-day shipping, unlimited video streaming & more.
- If you're not a student, there's also a free 1-Month Amazon Prime trial available.
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14 Comments
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Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank robertson136
It's not even a deal. phoinix | Staff constantly posts stuff that's not on sale for their cut.
It's not even a deal. phoinix | Staff constantly posts stuff that's not on sale for their cut.
I swear most people that say cotton is best don't sweat for a living.
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I swear most people that say cotton is best don't sweat for a living.
The basic form of polyester isn't known for airflow, but once it's engineered with moisture-wicking properties or loose weaves, it can be surprisingly breathable. It's more about how the fabric is built than the material label.
Breathability allows air to circulate, preventing you from overheating by helping body heat and moisture escape. IT IS FOR THIS VERY REASON that 100% cotton sweatshirts became so popular for casual wear.
The water repellency is due to Carhart's garment surface treatment: Rain Defender®. Water beads up and rolls off. It is a durable water-repellent (DWR) finish applied to the exterior of apparel.
https://www.neatapparel
https://www.gelato.com/blog/hoodie-material
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVqRS66
The basic form of polyester isn't known for airflow, but once it's engineered with moisture-wicking properties or loose weaves, it can be surprisingly breathable. It's more about how the fabric is built than the material label.
Wrong.
Breathability allows air to circulate, preventing you from overheating by helping body heat and moisture escape. IT IS FOR THIS VERY REASON that 100% cotton sweatshirts became so popular for casual wear.
Wrong.
The water repellency is due to Carhart's garment surface treatment: Rain Defender®. Water beads up and rolls off. It is a durable water-repellent (DWR) finish applied to the exterior of apparel.
https://www.neatapparel
https://www.gelato.com/blog/hoodie-material
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVqRS66
All your links are to marketing materials lol (one is the Carhartt YouTube channel 🙃), and the Gelato one, which just talks about different fabric types but seems the most informative, even states that the Cotton-poly blends the "breathability of cotton with the durability and wrinkle resistance of polyester".
Polyester is a hydrophobic material and not breathable (it's plastic). You can simply Google this if you don't believe me. The wicking and breathing polyester fabrics that you're talking about are used in tight fitting active-wear, and they're almost always 100% synthetic. This is not that. This is a cotton/polyester blend sweatshirt with a chemical coating (Rain Defender) to wick away water, similar to a lot of winter apparel. The polyester in the blend absolutely will help as a rain and wind barrier which is effectively the opposite of breathability.
Furthermore we can simply use the resources at hand to figure this out:
If you search "breathable" on the Amazon page you will get something like this (my exact copy but yours may vary):
Fabric: 59% Cotton, 41% Polyester — moderate breathability at best
Rain Defender DWR coating: Helps repel water but restricts airflow
Medium weight: Designed for warmth, not ventilation
Loose fit: Provides some airflow, which helps slightly
Customer reviews consistently highlight warmth, comfort, and water resistance — breathability is not mentioned as a strength.
Bottom line: This sweatshirt is best suited for cool fall weather and light outdoor use. It's not ideal for high-intensity activities where breathability matters.
Let's use another resource and ask Google "is the Carhartt Men's Rain Defender Loose Fit Midweight 1889 as breathable as a cotton sweatshirt":
I'm going to reiterate this and bold it so you don't need to read many words or reference brand marketing material:
This is a sweatshirt with a cotton/polyester blend with a chemical coating intended as a weather barrier. It will not breathe like a normal cotton sweatshirt would. This is not wicking active-wear. You are conflating 2 entirely different products and misinforming people.
Here is how the performance breaks down for this specific scenario:
1. Moisture Protection
Carhartt Rain Defender: The DWR finish is crucial here. It forces the autumn mist and damp debris from wet leaves to bead up and roll off, keeping you dry.
100% Cotton: Pure cotton acts like a sponge. It will quickly absorb the ambient mist and wet leaf debris, making the sweatshirt heavy, soggy, and cold against your skin.
2. Temperature Control & Breathability
Carhartt Rain Defender: Raking is repetitive, moderate cardio that generates body heat. Because this blend is less breathable, you will warm up quickly. However, the roomy "Loose Fit" allows air to circulate underneath the hem as you move, helping to vent some of that trapped humidity.
100% Cotton: While initially more breathable, once the cotton absorbs the external mist and your internal sweat, it loses all airflow. Wet cotton fails to insulate, which will cause your core temperature to drop quickly when you stop moving or if a fall breeze picks up.
3. Durability & Movement
Carhartt Rain Defender: The tough outer face resists snagging on stray twigs or branches. The polyester blend also prevents the fabric from stretching out or sagging when exposed to moisture.
100% Cotton: Damp cotton loses its structural integrity. It will stretch out, sag at the cuffs, and easily absorb dirt and leaf stains deeply into the fibers.
The Carhart will not breathe like a normal cotton sweatshirt would. And if you are active at all, you wouldn`t want it to.
The Carhart will not breathe like a normal cotton sweatshirt would. And if you are active at all, you wouldn`t want it to.
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