Thinner wadding can keep you warmer
03/02/2009
A mix of Tencel and polyester in wadding products can offer better insulation than polyester on its own, Lenzing has claimed.
The Austrian manufacturer of the Tencel fibre has been involved in trials of wadding combinations of 70% Tencel and 30% polyester for outdoor jackets and sleeping-bags.
Product manager Andreas Gürtler told sportstextiles.com that the combination offered greater overall comfort because of Tencel’s low resistance to water vapour, and high thermal resistance.
The fibre allows water vapour to leave the body without turning into condensation in the insulation layer, while still offering at least as much, and possibly more, thermal insulation as all-polyester wadding.
A prominent sports clothing brand has developed a prototype jacket to test the idea and, Mr Gürtler said, has been impressed by the results of lab tests so far.
He added: “This idea offers added comfort, with all the sustainability advantages of Tencel (which comes from cellulose with wood pulp as its source). But because Tencel is lighter, it means manufacturers can reduce the bulkiness of their products and make thinner jackets or sleeping-bags, but with the same level of insulation.”
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