Sun protection fabric brand makes European move
09/04/2010
Suntect brand fabrics from Minnesota-based (although Australian-inspired) sun-protection clothing specialist Coolibar are now directly available in Europe to consumers and retailers.
Coolibar has appointed a Lugano-based company called Proteksol as its European distributor for a series of fabrics that offer an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of 50+ for the lifetime of any garment constructed from them.
The products include ZnO Suntect, which has millions of particles of zinc oxide, the main active ingredient in higher-end sunscreens, embedded into every fibre. The particles cannot wash or wear out.
Another is lite Suntect, a lightweight, breathable and durable fine-weave fabric, which this time blocks ultraviolet rays with titanium dioxide as permanent component of the microfibres it’s spun from. Coolibar claims this fabric has a soft, cotton-like touch, but that as it’s made from100% nylon fibres, it will dry three times faster than regular cotton.
The company’s knit Suntect product is similar, but has a touch of elastane in its composition for comfort, stretch and shape retention.
For its part the dri Suntect fabric is composed of polyester microfibres that offer a high level of moisture management, in addition to UV protection from titanium dioxide blockers.
Finally aqua Suntect is described as “water-friendly” and ideal for lightweight swimwear, not least because it is available in a wide range of vivid colours. As well as UV protection, it offers resistance to salt water and to chlorine and has four-way stretch capability.
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