Behind the Material: PrimaLoft
This week in our series about interesting and technical fabrics, we learn about PrimaLoft. It's a material most closer compared to Down but with one important improvement: being water-resistant. With upcoming collaborations like the Napapijri x Vans collection utilising PrimaLoft in their footwear, it's worth while taking a look at the often over-looked outdoor material.
PrimaLoft’s story begins in 1983, when the U.S. Army Research Laboratory approached the company to create a synthetic alternative to goose down that could be used in sleeping bags and clothes. Fats forward to today, Primaloft is currently the leading brand in synthetic insulation. It is designed to mimic all the great properties of down, but to also go one step further and provide superb protection even in wet weather. PrimaLoft fibers are treated so that they don’t retain any water, which is why they are able to keep you dry no matter how hard it pours. This synthetic insulation mimics the warmth-providing properties of down, with fabric that has millions of air pockets that actually trap and preserve your body heat.
There are 3 different categories of PrimaLoft insulation, and all of them have several subcategories. These are PrimaLoft Gold Insulation, PrimaLoft Silver Insulation and PrimaLoft Black Insulation. A common characteristic that all of these types share is that they are incredibly lightweight. A brand you might have seen utilising Primaloft is adidas. They feature the material extensively in the outdoor Terrex range, and created a special recycled version of PrimaLoft with their Parley intuitive that recycles plastic taken out of the ocean. The German-sportswear brand even went as far as to add it their Predator football boots to keep your feet warm, while remaining lightweight on the field.
Primaloft is extremely packable, which makes products with the fabric insulation easy to store even in small places. It makes them very suitable for layering. All of their insulation materials are also very breathable, and allow the moisture vapor to pass through. This means that even if you get sweaty, the insulation will protect you from getting cold. PrimaLoft also prides itself on the warmth to weight ratio of its insulations. That means, their materials retain body heat perfectly, without being bulky.
