Polartec, the premium provider of innovative and sustainable textile solutions, has been honoured with two more awards: a 2019 Editors’ Choice Award from Backpacker and an Eco Sport Award from France. Both accolades were in recognition of Polartec® Power Air™, the first fabric technology engineered to reduce fibre shedding.
The Eco Sport Award was set up by the French Government to acknowledge companies that have engineered innovations that benefit the environment. The Backpacker Green Award – part of the Editor’s Choice Awards – is one of the outdoor industry’s most coveted prizes acknowledging best new gear and essentials for outdoor enthusiasts. Given annually they recognise outstanding innovation in design, materials and performance.
Eric Yung, Director of Sales, Polartec receiving France’s Eco Sport Award.
Polartec Power Air encapsulates lofted fibres within a multilayer, continuous yarn fabric construction. It is a revolutionary new platform offering advanced thermal efficiency that is proven to shed five times less than other premium ‘mid-layer’ weight fabrics.
Insulation that effectively regulates core body temperature has traditionally been achieved via lofted or high-pile knit structures that hold warm air. Although Polartec is a leader in making resilient materials, it has recognised that any exposed fibre is susceptible to shedding as a function of normal wear.
As the first fabric construction to encase air with a continuous yarn, Polartec Power Air is a foundational technology platform that will eventually provide shedding reduction to all existing apparel categories (including insulation, lightweight next to skin, and extreme weather protection). The innovation has also gained recognition from the World Textile Information Network when it won its first accolade, the Future Textile Award, for Best Innovation: Sustainable Textiles.
“By using the efficiency of encapsulated air to shelter lofted fibres, Polartec Power Air will drastically improve how fabrics perform over their lifetime with respect to versatility, comfort, and sustainability,” says Gary Smith, Polartec CEO. “We’re only beginning to realise the potential for this new type of fabric construction.”
Pierre Gogin, Chairman of the UNION’s Sustainable Development Commission Sport & Cycle said: “Brands in the sportswear market have a direct interest in the preservation of the environment and so their activities are often looking at preserving the environment and lowering the footprint as much as possible.”
“Backpacker gear reviews set the benchmark by which all others are measured,” says Backpacker Editor-in-Chief Dennis Lewon. “That’s because no other magazine or website conducts field testing as rigorously or impartially as the crew led by our Gear Editor, Eli Bernstein. Our core testers each have years of backcountry experience and expertise. Our transparent process has earned an unrivalled level of trust from readers, retailers, and manufacturers. The result? Best-in-class reviews that lead consumers to best-in-class gear.”
Additionally, Polartec recently announced its Polartec Eco-Engineering™ commitment to using 100 percent biodegradable and recycled materials across its entire product line through a partnership with Unifi and CiCLO. This new standard for sustainable textiles will include the creation of the world’s first fully recycled and biodegradable fleece, other knits, insulation fills and breathable waterproof fabrics.