This is a very common question we get asked a lot.
Luckily it’s a pretty simple answer, but it does require some context.
At a glance:
- All of Element Ring Co’s pure carbon fiber rings are waterproof. But we can’t speak for every other carbon fiber ring on the market.
- Ultimately, whether or not a carbon fiber ring is waterproof comes down to several factors. Where is the carbon fiber sourced, how is it handled, and what other materials are paired with it.
Waterproof vs. Water Resistant
There's a pretty big difference between something being waterproof and water resistant
Waterproof
Waterproof means the object is literally impermeable to water. The object is fully water tight and cannot be damaged by water alone.
Water Resistant
In contrast, Water Resistant simply means the object is less likely to be damaged by water. However, it may still be damaged over prolonged exposure to water.
A great example of a water resistant object you likely use each day is your phone. Many modern phones advertise various water resistance ratings. Most of the time you can feel fine about getting a splash on it at the sink. But that doesn't mean to toss your phone in a pool.
Carbon Fiber and Waterproofing
Generally speaking, Carbon Fiber is a very water resistant material.
in a nutshell, carbon fiber is made up of thousands of individual carbon strands. The strands are impregnated with a binding agent, then woven together, and hardened.
These carbon strands themselves are unlikely to be bothered by water, but it's a different story for the binder.
Most commonly, an epoxy of some kind is used to bind the carbon fiber weave together. Generally speaking, epoxy should be water resistant at the least.
Ultimately it comes down to the type of epoxy in the carbon fiber. What is the quality of that epoxy? What is the epoxy overall composed of?
That being said, our carbon fiber uses a very high quality epoxy blend.
Our Carbon Fiber Rings Are Waterproof
As for others, you’ll have to do some extra digging to ensure its waterproofness. But generally speaking, any pure carbon fiber ring worth its salt should at the very least be water resistant.
Other Materials Can Complicate Things
Carbon Fiber is known for its strength and durability, and we often leverage that to strengthen weaker materials in our rings. Materials like wood or resin.
The question then, is how waterproof are those materials?
In our case, we do not propose that our wood + carbon fiber rings are Waterproof.
While our pure carbon fiber rings are indeed waterproof, our wood + carbon fiber rings are very much Water Resistant.
While the carbon fiber in these rings will certainly hold up to water, the wood is a different story. We do treat and stabilize all of our wood, making it much more durable than regular untreated wood. But prolonged exposure to water can still eventually harm the wood over time.
This can ultimately vary from material to material. When available, you should always check whether an individual ring is waterproof or not.
Our experience with Carbon Fiber Rings and Water
We’ve been building rings with carbon fiber since 2012. In fact, carbon fiber was the very first material we began to work with! Our carbon fiber rings hold up very well to water. Our carbon fiber rings have been worn in pools, hot tubs, lakes, you name it, and never had a problem.
Carbon fiber rings from other brands may not hold up as well, but our quality speaks for itself.
Check out our carbon fiber ring collection for a large selection of waterproof carbon fiber rings. Just remember, only our pure carbon fiber rings are fully waterproof.
