EN IEC 63203-204-1:2021

Wearable electronic devices and technologies - Part 204-1: Electronic textile - Test method for assessing washing durability of leisurewear and sportswear e-textile systems

IEC 63203-204-1:2021 specifies a household washing durability test method for leisurewear and sportswear e-textile systems. This document includes testing procedures for leisurewear and sportswear products with electrically conductive components and sensors to collect the data of the user. This document does not cover safety or heat-generation test methods. Products containing other components than those listed in this clause are not covered by this document.

Tragbare elektronische Geräte und Technologien - Teil 204-1: Elektronische Textilien - Prüfverfahren zur Beurteilung der Waschbeständigkeit von E-Textiliensystemen der Freizeit- und Sportbekleidung

Technologies et dispositifs électroniques prêts-à-porter - Partie 204-1 : Textile électronique - Méthode d'essai pour l’évaluation de la durabilité au lavage des systèmes e-textiles des vêtements de sport et de loisirs

L'IEC 63203-204-1:2021 spécifie une méthode d'essai de la durabilité au lavage des systèmes e-textiles des vêtements de sport et de loisirs utilisable dans le cadre domestique. Le présent document contient des modes opératoires d’essai pour les vêtements de sport et de loisirs qui comportent des composants électriquement conducteurs et des capteurs destinés à recueillir des données de l’utilisateur. Le présent document ne traite pas des méthodes d'essai portant sur la sécurité ou la production de chaleur. Les produits qui comportent des composants autres que ceux énumérés dans cet article ne sont pas couverts par le présent document.

Nosljive elektronske naprave in tehnologije - 204-1. del: Elektronski tekstil - Preskusna metoda za ocenjevanje pralne vzdržljivosti za e-tekstilne sisteme za prostočasna in športna oblačila (IEC 63203-204-1:2021)

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 24-Jun-2021
• ICS: 59.080.01 - Textiles in general
• ICS: 59.080.80 - Smart textiles
• Technical Committee: CLC/SR 124 - Wearable Electronic Devices and Technologies
• Drafting Committee: IEC/TC 124 - Wearable electronic devices and technologies
• Current Stage: 6060 - Document made available - Publishing
• Start Date: 25-Jun-2021
• Completion Date: 25-Jun-2021
• Ref Project: SIST EN IEC 63203-204-1:2021 - Wearable electronic devices and technologies - Part 204-1: Electronic textile - Test method for assessing washing durability of leisurewear and sportswear e-textile systems (IEC 63203-204-1:2021)

Relations

• Replaced By: EN IEC 63203-204-1:2023 - Wearable electronic devices and technologies - Part 204-1: Electronic textile - Test method for assessing washing durability of e-textile products
• Effective Date: 01-Mar-2022

Overview

EN IEC 63203-204-1:2021 - Wearable electronic devices and technologies - Part 204-1: Electronic textile - Test method for assessing washing durability of leisurewear and sportswear e-textile systems - defines a household washability test method for e-textile systems used in leisurewear and sportswear. The standard covers test preparation, washing and drying procedures, operational checks, and electrical resistance checks for products with electrically conductive components and sensors. It does not cover safety or heat-generation tests.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope: Applies to e-textile systems integrated into leisurewear and sportswear (conductive textiles, sensors, interconnects). Excludes accessories (e.g., watches, glasses) and components outside the listed types.
• Preconditioning: Specimens must be conditioned for at least 24 hours in a standard atmosphere per ISO 139 (20.0 ± 2.0 °C; 65.0 ± 5.0 % RH).
• Functional checks: Verify operation before and after wash cycles according to the manufacturer user manual; report any malfunctions.
• Detachable components: Remove detachable units (e.g., batteries, connection modules) prior to washing; embedded components remain on the garment.
• Washing procedures: Follow ISO 6330 domestic washing and drying procedures. Default machine type is ISO 6330 Type A; default washing procedure is 4H; default drying is procedure A (line dry). Hand-washing conditions may be used where appropriate to reduce damage.
• Electrical measurements: Measure linear electrical resistance and mark measurement areas following EN 16812:2016 so consistent measurements can be taken after each wash cycle. Resistance checks detect disconnections or degradations in conductive tracks (Annex A provides measurement study guidance).
• Test reporting: Document test conditions, washing cycles, functional status before/after, resistance measurements and any observed failures.

Applications and users

Who uses this standard:

• Manufacturers and designers of e-textile leisurewear and sportswear (product development, design validation)
• Textile and electronics test laboratories performing washability and durability testing
• Quality assurance and compliance teams verifying product claims for washable wearable electronics
• R&D teams assessing conductive track durability and sensor reliability under repeated laundering
• Retailers and buyers requiring objective wash durability evidence for smart garments

Practical benefits:

• Provides a reproducible washability test to validate lifecycle performance of wearable electronics
• Helps reduce field failures by identifying weak interconnects and design issues early
• Supports product labeling and marketing claims about washability and durability

Related standards

• ISO 139 - Textiles - Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing
• ISO 6330 - Textiles - Domestic washing and drying procedures for textile testing
• EN 16812:2016 - Electrically conductive textiles - Determination of linear electrical resistance

Keywords: EN IEC 63203-204-1:2021, e-textile, washing durability, wearable electronic devices, washability test, conductive textile, sportswear, leisurewear, ISO 6330, EN 16812.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-oktober-2021
Nosljive elektronske naprave in tehnologije - 204-1. del: Elektronski tekstil -
Preskusna metoda za ocenjevanje pralne vzdržljivosti za e-tekstilne sisteme za
prostočasna in športna oblačila (IEC 63203-204-1:2021)
Wearable electronic devices and technologies - Part 204-1: Electronic textile - Test
method for assessing washing durability of leisurewear and sportswear e-textile systems
(IEC 63203-204-1:2021)
Tragbare elektronische Geräte und Technologien - Teil 204-1: Elektronische Textilien -
Prüfverfahren zur Beurteilung der Waschbeständigkeit von E-Textiliensystemen der
Freizeit- und Sportbekleidung (IEC 63203-204-1:2021)
Technologies et dispositifs électroniques prêts-à-porter - Partie 204-1 : Textile
électronique - Méthode d'essai pour l’évaluation de la durabilité au lavage des systèmes
e-textiles des vêtements de sport et de loisirs (IEC 63203-204-1:2021)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN IEC 63203-204-1:2021
ICS:
59.080.80 Inteligentne tekstilije Smart textiles
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN IEC 63203-204-1

NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
June 2021
ICS 59.080.01; 59.080.80
English Version
Wearable electronic devices and technologies - Part 204-1:
Electronic textile - Test method for assessing washing durability
of leisurewear and sportswear e-textile systems
(IEC 63203-204-1:2021)
Technologies et dispositifs électroniques prêts-à-porter - Tragbare elektronische Geräte und Technologien -
Partie 204-1 : Textile électronique - Méthode d'essai pour Teil 204-1: Elektronische Textilien - Prüfverfahren zur
l'évaluation de la durabilité au lavage des systèmes e- Beurteilung der Waschbeständigkeit von E-
textiles des vêtements de sport et de loisirs Textiliensystemen der Freizeit- und Sportbekleidung
(IEC 63203-204-1:2021) (IEC 63203-204-1:2021)
This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2021-06-15. CENELEC members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC
Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre or to any CENELEC member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the
same status as the official versions.
CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey and the United Kingdom.

European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2021 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members.
Ref. No. EN IEC 63203-204-1:2021 E

European foreword
The text of document 124/139/FDIS, future edition 1 of IEC 63203-204-1, prepared by IEC/TC 124
"Wearable electronic devices and technologies" was submitted to the IEC-CENELEC parallel vote and
approved by CENELEC as EN IEC 63203-204-1:2021.
The following dates are fixed:
• latest date by which the document has to be implemented at national (dop) 2022-03-15
level by publication of an identical national standard or by endorsement
• latest date by which the national standards conflicting with the (dow) 2024-06-15
document have to be withdrawn
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CENELEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Endorsement notice
The text of the International Standard IEC 63203-204-1:2021 was approved by CENELEC as a
European Standard without any modification.
Annex ZA
(normative)
Normative references to international publications
with their corresponding European publications
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments)
applies.
NOTE 1  Where an International Publication has been modified by common modifications, indicated by (mod),
the relevant EN/HD applies.
NOTE 2  Up-to-date information on the latest versions of the European Standards listed in this annex is available
here: www.cenelec.eu.
Publication Year Title EN/HD Year
ISO 139 - Textiles - Standard atmospheres for EN ISO 139 -
conditioning and testing
ISO 6330 - Textiles - Domestic washing and drying EN ISO 6330 -
procedures for textile testing
- - Textiles and textile products - Electrically EN 16812 2016
conductive textiles - Determination of the
linear electrical resistance of conductive
tracks
IEC 63203-204-1 ®
Edition 1.0 2021-05
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
colour
inside
Wearable electronic devices and technologies –

Part 204-1: Electronic textile – Test method for assessing washing durability of

leisurewear and sportswear e-textile systems

Technologies et dispositifs électroniques prêts-à-porter –

Partie 204-1: Textile électronique – Méthode d'essai pour l’évaluation de la

durabilité au lavage des systèmes e-textiles des vêtements de sport et de loisirs

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 59.080.01; 59.080.80 ISBN 978-2-8322-9779-7

– 2 – IEC 63203-204-1:2021 © IEC 2021
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 3
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 Test method – General . 6
4.1 Checklist before washability test . 6
4.2 Washability test conditions . 6
4.3 Check of operation before/after washing test . 6
5 Test procedure . 6
5.1 Pretreatment . 6
5.2 Washing. 6
5.3 Test after washing and drying . 7
6 Test report . 7
Annex A (informative) Result of studies – Resistance measurement . 8
A.1 Test procedure . 8
A.2 Test results . 8

Figure 1 – Flow chart of test procedure . 7
Figure A.1 – Test results of resistance measurement after laundry test . 9

Table A.1 – Test conditions and results . 8

IEC 63203-204-1:2021 © IEC 2021 – 3 –
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
WEARABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND TECHNOLOGIES –

Part 204-1: Electronic textile – Test method for assessing washing
durability of leisurewear and sportswear e-textile systems

FOREWORD
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