TEXTILES
Polartec Introduces Upgrade to Its Insulation
Call it Polartec 2.0.
Polartec, the textile company known for its synthetic fleece, recently introduced its new Polartec Power Fill insulation, which has been used as an alternative to more conventional materials that keep people warm. Polartec said its new Polartec Power Fill provides more heat and is less bulky than other insulation materials, including synthetics and down.
Polartec Power Fill is manufactured from proprietary hollow fibers, which are durable, soft and whose material reduces environmental impact, said Gary Smith, Polartec’s chief executive officer. “Finding sustainable solutions is a core objective of our science of fabric. We’re proud to have ‘cracked the code’ required to produce premium-quality insulation from 100 percent PCR materials.”
The first company to use Polartec Power Fill was Triple Aught Design, headquartered in San Francisco. Triple Aught used the insulation in its puffy jackets for cold weather.
Other companies scheduled to use Power Fill include Italian ski-clothing label Crazy Idea, South Korean outdoor company Blackyak, Ukrainian military uniform maker P1G-Tac and Santa Cruz, Calif.–headquartered bicycling-wear company Giro.
Polartec is based in Andover, Mass. In 1981, it invented modern, synthetic fleece. Its products include lightweight wicking and cooling fabrics that have been used in workwear, military uniforms and the contract upholstery market.
