How to Choose Suitable Warm Clothing for Autumn and Winter?
The static warmth of down is unparalleled, however, for dynamic activities, cotton clothing is the best choice. Down excels in stationary and dry cold environments, but cotton clothing provides better support for continuous movement. Although down boasts top-notch insulation capabilities, in wet conditions or when soaked, its warmth diminishes sharply, potentially leading to a sudden drop in body temperature, which can be life-threatening in severe cases. In contrast, cotton clothing is better suited to handle moist environments. The top synthetic insulating materials on the market, such as Primaloft, G-Loft, 3M Thinsulate, THERMOLITE, and Climashield, maintain good insulation even in damp conditions.
The seven globally recognized top synthetic insulation materials are:
1. Primaloft (P Cotton)
Primaloft is the most renowned synthetic insulation material in the world, known as "P Cotton." Initially developed for the U.S. military, it aims to have warming properties close to down, while also being water-resistant, making it suitable for harsh outdoor environments. Primaloft's main products are Gold, Silver, and Black, with increasing warmth. The RAB Men's Xenair Light warm collar jacket uses Primaloft Gold Active+ insulation layer, designed with Pertex Quantum Air fabric and advanced breathable lining, ensuring comfort and body temperature regulation even with fluctuating conditions.
2. 3M THINSULATE (Thinsulate Cotton)
THERMOLITE (T Cotton)
3M THINSULATE, known as "Thinsulate Cotton," is widely used domestically. Represented by Thinsulate high-efficiency insulation, its features are somewhat conventional but very competitively priced and high value for money. Sanfu Outdoor has launched warm jackets using 3M Thinsulate Cotton, which maintain the fiber's water absorption at less than 1% of its weight in damp environments, thus ensuring excellent warmth at all times.
Warm THERMOLITE, also known as T Cotton, is an innovative product by Invista. It mimics the structure of polar bear fur, creating hollow fibers containing more air in each fiber. This air layer effectively blocks cold air invasion while eliminating moisture. Fabrics made from THERMOLITE fibers dry twice as fast as regular silk and cotton fabrics. This material is very suitable as raw material for outdoor gear like climbing clothes, ski jackets, and sleeping bags.
A classic in the outdoor sports world—the karrimororbitbaf jacket, uses THERMOLITE EcoMade as the filling material. With its double-opening zipper and elastic cuffs and hat design, it maintains excellent warmth and breathability whether in motion or at rest.
Arc'teryx Coreloft cotton, made by combining long and short fiber structures, possesses unparalleled skin-friendliness. Its texture is as soft and smooth as silk, the cotton is lightweight and quick-drying, with water-repellent and excellent warmth properties.