Wool is as hot as down, and Polartec is going for a hybrid product combined with synthetic fibers to get the best of both worlds, somewhat like Primaloft and Columbia Sportswear a year ago with their natural/synthetic down blends or, a few years earlier, like Toyota with its hybrid gasoline/electrical engine.
Polartec is launching Polartec Wool, a new collection of fabrics designed to enhance the natural properties of wool with the addition of synthetic fibers, using patented, plated bi-component knit constructions for superior comfort.
Polartec uses merino wool in its compounds. The company claims that, unlike other wool/synthetic blends on the market, its product have a highly engineered plated construction that places the wool and synthetic yarns in the right positions to achieve superior performance. Based on Polartec's original synthetic grid fleece technology, they offer multiple properties: They are highly breathable, odor-resistant, temperature-regulating, hydrophobic and durable. They retain their original shape and dry quickly, says Polartec.
The first range of Polartec Power Wool fabrics is available in primary next-to-skin, form-fitting stretch, and patented grid constructions. The first companies that have adopted Polartec's new compound in their autumn/winter 2015/16 collections include 66º North, Athleta, Beretta, Brooks-Range, Cabela's, Crazy Idea, Eider, Gornik, Ibex, Kitsbow, Mammut, Millet, Mission Workshop, Mountain Force, QOR, Roeckl, Ternua, Teton Bros, Trangoworld, Under Armour and Westcomb.
