Motorex Protex spray

Motorex Protex promises to quickly provide a lasting, water-repelling barrier when sprayed on fabrics, without compromising breathability. It works but doesn't deliver the lasting performance the blurb implies, and is expensive compared with better alternatives.

Motorex says this water/oil repellent spray is safe on various fabrics, including leather, textiles and microfibres such as Gore-Tex, and won't block the pores or compromise breathablity.

It's quite potent stuff and seems to have more kick than typical of aerosols... make sure you've got plenty of ventilation. I left the workshop door wide open. Curing times are just minutes – under five for a frame bag, some gloves and a hat, and around 15 for some booties and a trailer sack. That's practical enough for protection on a commute or quick errand.

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In my experience, Protex adds a very palpable layer of weatherproofing, but it's short-lived. It makes water bead up and then roll off before it gets chance to seep inside, but in moderately heavy rain the effect begins to taper off after around 50 minutes.

By 90 minutes I found various treated things were very soggy, but thankfully (as subsequent outings in dry, warm conditions proved) not impaired at all for breathability. This is not the case for things treated with more permanent, wash-in treatments such as Nikwax TX.

Arguably the real acid test was the booties – an FLR mountain bike pair which are fabulous when it's cold and dry, but let rain or snow leach through the stitching. That results in very soggy feet after a couple of hours.

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The FLR booties feature a relatively thick Codura nylon with a water-resistant membrane beneath, and Protex extended their resistance by 90 minutes.

I have also used it to waterproof some loafers and true to claims, it did darken the hide slightly, but not drastically. Talking of leather, products such as Crankalicious Leather Lacquer – though that's fairly spendy at £12 for 300ml – are far more durable.

Value

£16.99 for the Protex spray (500ml) is expensive against formulas such as Nikwax Tech Wash, which is £4.99 for 300ml and lasts far longer, but there are similar products at similar prices – Storm Eco Proofer is £8.95 for 225ml, for instance, while Revivex DWR Pump Spray is an identical £16.99 for 500ml.

Given its low durability though, the value seems poor either way.

Overall

To some extent the Protex spray does what it promises, but it's hardly a magic bullet. The water-repelling qualities are effective but very short-lived, and at the price, Motorex Protex is difficult to recommend.

Verdict

Conveniently adds short-term water resistance to fabrics, but it's expensive and doesn't last