Primaloft® litter is designed to be warm when wet or dry and will absorb less water than analog fillers. If we compare Primaloft® with down, then in terms of softness and comfort, it is in no way inferior to it. At the same time, Primaloft® has fewer technical limitations when used in wet conditions.
PrimaLoft® One
Primaloft One is one of the best insulating (insulating) materials.
Ultra-fine fibers are specially processed using patented technologies and then woven together to form an incredibly soft, lightweight and waterproof insulation.
PrimaLoft absorbs 3 times less water, 14% warmer when dry and 24% warmer when wet compared to other materials.
The human body has a normal temperature of 36.6 degrees Celsius, but often cold weather conditions cause a decrease in normal body temperature! PrimaLoft insulates your body to keep you warm and comfortable even in extreme cold conditions.
PrimaLoft® Sport
PrimaLoft® Sport is a high quality insulation.
The technology behind PrimaLoft® Sport combines ultrafine and variable diameter fibers to achieve specific performance. Specially treated ultra-fine fibers provide a waterproof structure, while variable diameter fibers help shape the material.
If you are spending your weekend outdoors, PrimaLoft Sport will make you feel like you are at home, even if it gets wet.
PrimaLoft® Silver Insulation
High performance synthetic insulation with all the qualities to withstand the elements.
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Material characteristics
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High thermal-to-weight ratio: to keep warm, |
 WATER RESISTANT |
Initially absorbs less moisture, keeping it dry and warm. |
 Vapor-permeable |
Permeates water vapor, protecting against cold and dampness. |
 EASILY FOLDING |
Folds easily for storage in tight spaces and for stacking. |
 LIGHT |
Keeps you warm without excess weight. |
 INCREDIBLY SOFT |
Unrivaled softness for a pleasant feel and attractive look. |
PRIMALOFT® GOLD INSULATION DOWN BLEND
PRIMALOFT® GOLD is an extremely warm synthetic insulation, the main advantage of which is its ability to keep warm even when wet.
FILL POWER 750 - high quality, lightweight, goose down. Provides excellent heat retention. But, as you know, in humid conditions, fluff loses its ability to retain heat. It is precisely this significant drawback, which scares many people, is eliminated by synthetic fibers. PRIMALOFT fibers are distributed as evenly as possible in the new insulation. They are not located separately. They are part of the fluff. Due to this, the down receives maximum protection from moisture and retains its traditional qualities - lightness and softness. 
PRIMALOFT® GOLD INSULATION DOWN BLEND dries 4 times faster and picks up moisture 10 times slower than pure down. 
Primaloft is a new synthetic material with excellent thermal insulation properties. Lightweight and warm, it is strong, resistant to compression, breathable and does not absorb moisture.
Primaloft One is used as insulation for urban and outdoor clothing.
Primaloft Sport is used in the manufacture of clothing designed for extreme conditions.
PrimaLoft Yarn® yarns are an optimal blend of PrimaLoft® fibers and soft lambswool. This combination makes this thread ideal for outdoor products, for which maximum functionality and comfort are important. PrimaLoft Yarn® fibers are half the diameter of regular cashmere fibers. This gives the threads a special softness. PrimaLoft Yarn® absorbs moisture 2x faster than sheep wool (NCSU Vertical Absorption Test Method)! PrimaLoft Yarn® dries 30% faster than sheep wool (dry speed measured according to ASTM D1776)! The hydrophobic properties of PrimaLoft® fiber, combined with the hydrophilic properties of wool, form a “force field” that draws moisture from the skin surface and pushes it onto the fabric surface. As a result, we have the perfect moisture wicking system to keep you dry and comfortable.
The "Primaloft®" synthetic insulation was developed for the US Army, which was looking for a replacement for down for sleeping bags and military clothing. As a result of research work that lasted for three years, the "Primaloft®" trademark was registered by Albany International. Research has shown that the new material has hygiene properties that are superior to traditional down.
When creating "Primaloft®", the structure of the microfibers of goose down was carefully studied and copied, which determined the thermal properties of the new fiber. The thermal resistance factor for down is 2.18 and for Primaloft® it is 2.15. Most other synthetic fibers are twenty times thicker and less heat-retaining than Primaloft®. Other well-known synthetic materials do not even come close to such indicators.
Filler "Primaloft" allows moisture to evaporate. Its microscopic air layers are too small for moisture to penetrate, but large enough to release evaporation from the inside.
The filler recovers its volume better than other materials, even after repeated washing and drying. It can be strongly compressed, after which this material fully returns to its original volume.
A small volume of "Primaloft®" is sufficient for human heat storage.
Based on materials from www.prestigeokna.ru/
Synthetic insulation was developed by Albany International by order of the US Army as a quality replacement for down for workwear, etc. To date, PrimaLoft insulation has reliably conquered the market not only for army clothing, but also for the outdoor market.
First of all, PrimaLoft © insulation is lightweight and durable, and also has excellent thermal insulation properties. In addition, PrimaLoft has excellent air permeability, and its hygienic properties are far superior to those of ordinary goose down. These excellent results are due to the thermal properties of the new PrimaLoft microfibers, whose structure was copied from goose down microfibers. Thus, the thermal resistance of goose down is 2.18, and for PrimaLoft insulation - 2.15, which indicates better thermal insulation of synthetic insulation compared to down. So far, none of the widely used synthetic insulation has come close to such indicators.
Insulation PrimaLoft is excellent as a filler for outerwear or sleeping bags, as it is lightweight and has a volume comparable to that of down. Compared to goose down, PrimaLoft insulation is water-repellent and hypoallergenic.
Researchers at Albany International have also achieved excellent breathability through microscopic air spacers. On the surface of PrimaLoft microfibers, due to their very small size, air molecules accumulate, which provide high thermal insulation properties of the insulation with a relatively thin insulating layer. Thanks to these large-diameter hollow fibers, the so-called "Loft" is preserved during prolonged use, washing, pressing and drying.
The outdoor industry uses two types of PrimaLoft insulation:
- PrimaLoft © One;
- PrimaLoft® Sport.
PrimaLoft © One
Insulation PrimaLoft © One is most often used as insulation, both for urban clothing and for outdoor activities. In the production of PrimaLoft © One insulation, ultra-thin microfibers are used, which allow maintaining the thermal insulation properties of the insulation with a low weight and volume. The thermal insulation properties of PrimaLoft © One in dry form are 0.92 clo / oz / yd2, and in wet form - 0.9 clo / oz / yd2 (the thermal insulation index is the higher, the higher is the thermal insulation characteristic of the material). It is PrimaLoft © One that retains the greatest thermal insulation and practically does not lose it when wet. It is windproof and dries faster than goose down.
PrimaLoft © One application:
- Outerwear
- Gloves
- Accessories
- Sleeping bags
- Overalls
- Shoes
PrimaLoft® Sport
Insulation PrimaLoft® Sport is used for the production of clothing and products for extreme conditions, as this type of insulation is thinner and lighter. The thermal insulation properties of PrimaLoft © Sport in dry form are 0.79 clo / oz / yd2, and in wet form - 0.72 clo / oz / yd2 (the thermal insulation index is the higher, the higher is the thermal insulation characteristic of the material).
PrimaLoft® Sport Applications:
- Outerwear
- Hats
- Sleeping bags
- Military clothing
Instructions for caring for products with PrimaLoft © insulation:
Follow these care instructions for garments made with PrimaLoft insulation. Machine wash and cold rinse on delicate cycle. Tumble dry at medium temperature on a gentle spin cycle. Dry cleaning, bleaching, ironing or steaming is prohibited.
Over the past few years, the outdoor clothing market has experienced a real boom in the emergence of new insulation technologies. In the fall of 2013, the first products from Polartec Alpha went on sale, in the winter of 2013-2014, clothes from The North Face company with Primaloft Thermoball insulation appeared in stores, and the Columbia and Arcteryx companies released jackets that combine down and synthetic insulation. At the same time, attempts to create clothes and accessories with electric heating and the use of materials that accumulate the heat of the human body do not end.
The reason for this lies not only in the attempts of manufacturers to increase the functionality of their products. The emergence of new insulation technologies based on microfiber synthetic insulation is associated with a noticeable rise in the price of raw goose down over the past five years. According to the American magazine Outside, a pound of raw white goose down cost $ 10 in 2009, and about $ 50 in 2014.
Hence the demand for the latest insulation technologies, which could compete on equal terms with down products, from developers and manufacturers of clothing and equipment for outdoor activities. Moreover, this demand in the near future will only grow, which implies the expansion of collections based primarily on synthetic insulation from most manufacturers. We will get acquainted with the properties of the newest of them.
Unlike other manufacturers of insulation and technological fabrics, Polartec approached the price crisis for downy raw materials fully armed. The latest Polartec Alpha material was developed for military special forces in accordance with the requirements of the United States Department of Defense's Special Operations Forces (SOF), long before its announcement to the civilian market in 2012. The first products using it appeared in September 2013 from Rab, The North Face, Mountain Equipment, Montane and 66 North.
SOF's requirements were for a lightweight, quick-drying, highly breathable garment material that provides high thermal insulation and acceptable wind protection. Polartec Alpha took the lead in field and laboratory tests.
When creating Alpha, the developers started from the main, in their opinion, lack of already existing heaters. So, for example, down and a significant part of microfiber synthetic insulation, imitating its structure, are able to penetrate outside through the seams and fibers of the fabric. And this circumstance requires the manufacturer to use materials with a very dense weaving of fibers in order to avoid migration of the insulation inside the product and its penetration outside. Such dense fabrics, unfortunately, are heavy and do not facilitate the rapid removal of sweat and excess heat from the body. All this can lead to overheating during active loads and, as a result, the risk of the insulation getting wet from sweat.
Therefore, the stake was made on the development of a comprehensive solution - a kind of "sandwich" made of a durable outer layer, modified insulation based on Polartec® Power Shield® High Loft and the lining material that wicks away moisture as well as possible. Like Power Shield® High Loft, Alpha insulation is a durable long-fiber fleece, with the only difference that it is not laminated to the outer surface of the product, but is the filling of the fabric "sandwich". Such measures of developers have led to the fact that the product dries much faster, about twice as fast as its closest competitors, and has a low weight.
Complementing this is Polartec's very flexible approach to manufacturers - they can choose their own face fabric, from ultra-light materials like Pertex to Softshell. All this determined the main area of application of the Polartec Alpha material - jackets used as an intermediate or outer layer of clothing. The compromise in this solution was the heat / weight ratio. According to most testers and outdoor publications in this Alpha is still inferior to fluff and the latest development from Primaloft - Thermoball.
The newest synthetic insulation from Primaloft, which very accurately copies the structure of the fluff. Outwardly, the novelty resembles a rolled cotton ball, which served as the name - Thermoball. Until this development, all synthetic insulation was a mixture of hollow fibers that looked little like down in appearance and only partially repeated its properties.
In the release of the new technology, The North Face announced that the new insulation will generally match the properties of Primaloft One, but will be 15% warmer per unit weight, corresponding to fluff with a Fill Power of 600. This means the ability to regenerate fluff. volume after compression and hold between the fibers an equivalent amount of air, which serves as a heat insulator. The North Face currently owns the exclusive use of Thermoball in its products until 2015, as the company has been actively involved in its development.
As in the case of Primaloft One, the developers have placed special emphasis on maintaining the thermal insulation properties of Thermoball when wet, which has been confirmed by numerous tests in the field. The tester Sean McCoy, editor of gearjunkie.com, was particularly distinguished by thoroughly wetting his ThermoBall Full Zip Jacket and going for a walk in it at a temperature of just below freezing. The new material has passed the test with brilliance, surprising even such a sophisticated user. The editors of Outside magazine also received high marks, calling ThermoBall “the most heat-insulating synthetic insulation they have ever tested”.
Despite the clear progress in the field of improving synthetic insulation, even Primaloft Inc. does not want to give up the use of down. However, all experts are well aware of its main disadvantages - low thermal insulation when wet and slow drying, to which the aforementioned disadvantage is added - a high price for the manufacturer, and, as a result, for the end user. Primaloft Down Blend was created to overcome these shortcomings.
The essence of the technology boils down to mixing natural fluff and artificial fibers Primaloft Ultra-Fine, which are close to it in their ability to restore their volume after compression and retain the maximum amount of air between the fibers. In addition to this, the down is treated with a water-repellent composition. These measures made it possible to reduce the cost of hybrid insulation without loss of quality, to provide acceptable thermal insulation properties of the wet mixture, and also to increase the speed of its drying in comparison with ordinary fluff by 4 times!
PrimaLoft ® Performance Down is available in two versions:
- - PrimaLoft Gold Insulations Down Blend - Goose Down 70% (Feather Down 90/10) - Synthetic Fibers 30%. 1.23 ClO dry versus 1.18 CLO wet.
- - PrimaLoft Silver Insulations Down Blend - Duck Down 60% (Down Feather 85/15) - Synthetic Fibers 40%. 1.14 ClO dry versus 1.07 CLO wet.
Thus, the new combined insulation corresponds in its thermal insulation properties to high-quality down with an index of FP 750 and FP 600, respectively. At the same time, thanks to the inclusion of synthetics and moisture-repellent impregnation of the down, it continues to work even in a wet state with virtually no loss.
"Infrared" insulation "PrimaLoft Kodenshi
Perhaps the most exotic way of warming clothes from all presented. Attempts to select or create from scratch the right material that could accumulate the heat of the human body, and then slowly return it back like a stone warmed up in the sun, have been made by manufacturers many times. So far, not a single company has achieved unequivocal success, although development is carried out both by industry giants - The North Face, and less well-known brands, such as the American manufacturer of clothing and accessories for alpine skiing Powderhorn.
The closest thing to implementing this idea came specialists from Picture Organic, a French manufacturer of eco-friendly clothing for skiers and snowboarders, with BioCeramic technology - ceramic particles contained in a membrane material accumulate heat and slowly radiate it to the user of the equipment. However, by the manufacturer itself, this development is positioned not as an element of insulation, but as a technology that improves muscle tone.
Lamination of the membrane with ceramic particles is actively used by the young manufacturer of premium ski clothing Mountain Force. Their exclusive development Ceramic Membrane has high thermal insulation properties, which allows you to provide additional comfort on a frosty slope without the need for an additional layer of insulation, which increases not only the weight of the product, but also its volume.
By the way, ceramics have been used by Primaloft for several years. Their Primaloft Ceramic and PrimaLoft Kodenshi insulation are made with ceramic microfibers to help reflect heat back to the body. Such insulation is much more effective. Its main consumer is Goldwin. However, now you can find products of other brands using PrimaLoft Kodenshi. Among them Black Diamond and Reusch use insulation in ski gloves and mittens.
At the ISPO 2014 exhibition, 3M insulation was presented, imitating natural down. 3M Thinsulate Featherless synthetic insulation should be a hypoallergenic alternative to natural fluff. It mimics the appearance and thermal insulation properties of natural down. 3M Thinsulate Featherless is as light as natural down, breathes freely and guarantees good protection from the cold.
In addition, it retains heat even when wet; corresponds to Fill Power 600, has greater elasticity at the same weight as natural down.
At the moment, it is not yet known which of the leading outdoor manufacturers decided to use the new insulation for their products, but for sure it will be in great demand among manufacturers of sleeping bags and insulated clothing.
Clothing with heating elements
The use of electric heating elements in equipment cannot be called 100% new. Heated insoles from the Sidas or Therm-ic companies have long and firmly entered the everyday life of many skiers and snowboarders. However, such technologies have been successfully applied in clothing relatively recently.
The first major company to launch such a product was Columbia with its Thermal Electric line of apparel and footwear launched in 2011. The essence of the technology boiled down to the use of batteries and carbon fiber heating from them, woven into the fabric of the product.
Alas, this collection did not have much success in the sports industry - the company's shortcomings, as well as the rather high price, affected Columbia Thermal Electric jackets and parkas at prices ranging from $ 750 to $ 1200 and, alas, were not suitable for sports use. Sales in Russia were hampered by a completely embarrassing situation - the entire line of clothing in 2012 was recalled by the supplier as a result of a detected defect in the heating elements.
In 2012, the Cayenne gloves, with Therm-ic heating elements and accumulators, were introduced by Black Diamond. Unfortunately, this development suffered the same fate as the Columbia products - the unreliable operation of electronics led to the temporary disappearance from the company's catalogs.
Outdoor Research is known primarily as a manufacturer of high quality accessories (gloves, hats, etc.) and clothing for outdoor activities in the mountains. And it is not surprising that in their collection in the winter of 2014 a line of two models of Lucent Heated Glove and Stormtracker Glove and one model of Lucent Heated Mitts mittens equipped with heating elements appeared. The accumulators are located in the cuffs, they also have a button for switching heating modes. In the maximum mode, the batteries are charged for 2.5 hours, in the minimum mode - up to 8 hours of operation. As is the case with Columbia products, thermocouples are woven into the material of the gloves and warm the entire palm, not just the fingers. With this technology, it is possible to wash gloves with disconnected batteries. Charging from an outlet.
It is still premature to talk about the success of this undertaking, but unlike its predecessors, OR started with such exotic products much more confidently. This is evidenced by the fact that a lifetime warranty is provided for the entire line of gloves.
So far, the prospects for such technologies in clothing are rather vague, but with the development of electronics, we will certainly see much more successful examples of their application.
The abbreviation PCM stands for the innovation of Swiss textile specialists Schoeller. The schoeller®-PCM ™ technology contains countless tiny microcapsules filled with so-called Phase Change Materials, i.e. a substance with a variable state of aggregation, such as water. This is a technology of thermal adaptation, its essence is that the contents of microcapsules change their state of aggregation at certain temperatures, accumulating heat in a liquid state and dissipating it, passing into a solid phase. If the body or the ambient temperature rises, the capsules accumulate excess heat. If the temperature drops again, they transfer the stored heat to the body again.
A bit of theory
The amount of heat energy produced by a person depends on the individual characteristics of a person, well-being, and even on how well he ate and slept. The role of insulated clothing is to conserve this very energy.
Thermal insulation is the process of reducing heat transfer between the body and the environment. It is not for nothing that in English, heaters are always defined by the word Insulation - insulation.
The lowest thermal conductivity is in a vacuum environment, and the most affordable heat insulator with low thermal conductivity is dry air. Precisely dry, since moisture is a good conductor. The more air molecules the insulation holds in one cubic centimeter, the better its thermal insulation properties.
The air is always in motion - warm tends to go up, cold air goes down, this factor must also be taken into account when developing insulated clothing.
Thus, the main task of clothing insulation is to keep the air warmed by our body inside, and not to let the cold outside.
Important values that allow you to describe the quality of the insulation:
But, despite the technical progress, the best insulation is still down... Most often, goose down is used in the manufacture of down jackets - it is more durable than duck down, and also cheaper than eider down. Highly purified goose down has high Fill Power values and is optimal in terms of price-quality ratio.
There are a large number of insulation materials that are used as filler for winter jackets and other products. Goose down is endowed with the best characteristics, but its cost is very high, and from the point of view of care, it is quite finicky. Only one artificial material, Primaloft, can be compared with such a natural insulation. Only it has a fiber structure very similar to down, has almost identical characteristics in heat retention and moisture resistance. And how to wash Primaloft, so as not to spoil the inherent characteristics?
Primaloft is the only man-made fiber that is very similar in its basic characteristics to goose down, a special permanent treatment against moisture is not washed off throughout the entire use of the product. This allows you to clean jackets and other products with such a filler by means of regular washing, both by hand and in an automatic machine.
In order to qualitatively clean products with this type of filler, you should know some rules:
- Like any synthetic fibers, washing is carried out at a temperature not exceeding 40 degrees.
- The use of powdered detergents is discouraged.
- The use of bleaches is strictly prohibited.
- Places with heavy dirt are pre-washed, while it is not necessary to use a stain remover. It is enough to treat the sleeves, collars, the area around the pockets with laundry soap.
- It is better to wash with liquid detergents, they are better washed out of the fibers and do not clog the holes between them.
- When washing by hand, you cannot twist the products, you are allowed to simply drive off the water with your hands and let the excess moisture drain off on your own.
Allowed preliminary soaking of the product, it is carried out in warm water with the addition of laundry soap.
Preparatory process
Before washing, you need to do some preparatory work. This is necessary so that the product is not damaged or deformed.
To do this, it is advisable to remove or wrap all the fittings that do not adhere tightly to the product.
The cleaning process should preferably be carried out after the manufacturer's recommendation label has been studied. There it is clearly indicated at what temperature to wash, what products to use, how to remove stains.
Before washing, be sure to check the pockets, take out all the contents from them.
Zippers and buttons are carefully fastened, it is advisable to unfasten the buttons on the contrary.
Handwash
For manual cleaning, you need a large container of water; the bathroom is best suited for this purpose. The cleansing process is carried out as follows:
- Dissolve the required amount of detergent in warm water, place the product.
- Heavy soiling is additionally treated with laundry soap; for very strong soils, you can use a soft brush.
- Leave the product in water for a while.
- Take out the thing and let the water drain a little.
- Drain off excess water.
- Rinse in several waters.
- Allow water to drain, but do not twist
Cleaning in the washing machine
The washing machine will cope with the task faster and better. Cleaning a product with Primaloft as a filler consists of the following stages:
- The prepared product with the removed stains is loaded into the drum.
- Expose a delicate wash cycle at a temperature not exceeding 40 degrees.
- Spin rates should be about 600 revolutions.
- Liquid detergent is poured into the powder compartment.
- They start the car.
Then, for some time, you can go about your business, when it comes to rinsing it is better to be present. It is advisable to set an additional rinse and add conditioner to the water at the second. This little trick will help get rid of electrification, maintain volume, and allow the product to dry faster.
Drying
We figured out how to wash Primaloft, but how to dry it in order to preserve the presentable appearance of the product? Like other synthetic insulation, Primaloft can get lost if you just hang it on a clothesline, colored sheathing can fade in direct sunlight, white can turn yellow.
In order for the product to retain all its parameters, it is advisable to dry it in a horizontal position, away from direct sunlight and heating appliances, including from electric heaters. Prismatic Primaloft will quickly release moisture, while there will be no creases and folds on the product.
Washing of Primaloft is identical with the cleaning procedures of any man-made fiber. If you follow the instructions exactly, the product will delight you with an excellent appearance for a long time and retain its warming properties.