Real world materials in this specific range of properties comprise some natural materials (leather or cork), thermoplastics, thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) and thermosets or rubbers (Figure ). Thermoplastics with elastic moduli higher than 50 MPa predominantly comprise poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and various ionomers (polymers with a share of ionic groups in the backbone). A classic use of PVC is cable sheathing, where a stiff and fracture-resistant shell or coating is needed to protect the underlying cable from being exposed to potentially harsh or damaging environments. The stretchability of soft PVC is mostly limited to ε b = 300%, which is where tough hydrogels could pose a distinct advantage as their failure strains often exceeds ε b = 500% (Figure ). This could be of interest for coating technologies in marine conditions or those, where the presence of aggressive solvents or oil would render ordinary coatings brittle due to the gradual removal of plasticizers.