Using fibers from milkweed, a native plant encompassing more than 100 species that grows in abundance in North America, Monark Fibre produces materials that provide insulating power equivalent to downs. Advances in technology have led to hydrophobic downwhich we discuss more in-depth belowbut we still dont recommend down products for use in wet environments. Down vs. In addition, synthetic insulation has a slightly higher weight-to-warmth ratio than down, meaning it needs to be heavier to achieve the same warmth as down. The structure of down provides warmth by creating thousands of tiny air pockets. However, they by no means create an impenetrable barrier, and will not stand up to truly inclement conditions like sustained rain or snow. 3M Thinsulate is a unique insulation that works by trapping air molecules between you and the outside, providing a breathable and moisture-resistant experience, and its machine-washable. For more information or to experience the products firsthand, please visit the DuPont Sorona booth (54089-UL) and Unifi, Inc. booth (55129-UL). Down insulation is made from goose or duck plumage the lofty, fluffy stuff underneath the feathers. Thats why Nudown made the business-savvy decision to skip cruelly derived animal materials and go straight to using air. How to Choose Insulated Jackets & Layers | evo Whether youre on a snowy belay ledge, breaking trail in the backcountry or walking the dog in the middle of winter, knowing when and where each type of insulation performs best will help you decide between these two types of insulation. While Best Ultralight Sleeping Bags and Quilts of 2023, Best Cheap Down Jacket: REI Co-op 650 2.0, Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2 Hoody. Without a doubt, down holds the warmth-to-weight crown. We are pleased to partner with DuPont, the creator of some of the worlds most outstanding fibers to bring together the best of Science and the best of Nature to create the next evolution of down fabrics, said Ronie Reuben, the inventor of Thindown. Cleaning the item on occasion can help remove oils and dirt. DowDuPont Specialty Products, a division of DowDuPont (NYSE: DWDP), is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials, ingredients and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Fill power can vary from around 450 to over 900, with most high-quality down products featuring a fill power of 800 or above. Covation Biomaterials trademarks may not be used in connection with any product or service that is not a Covation Biomaterials product or service. (PRWEB) June 12, 2019 DuPont Biomaterials, Unifi, Inc. and Youngone today announced a new collection of insulation products that offers soft, dimensionally stable and sustainable options for cold-weather garments and bedding materials. And how does killing an animal protect an animal? These weatherproofing techniques resist water to a reasonable degree and are in many ways superior to non-treated shell fabrics or down. The upside to synthetic insulation is that it is much more resistant to moisture, and when it does get wet it dries faster; synthetic insulation can often dry within a daymaybe even hoursif put in the sun or on a windy day. Check your inbox. Sorona Aura insulation provides long-lasting shape and warmth for any climate, from jackets and pants to gloves and hats. Most synthetics are also completely hypoallergenic and will not cause allergies, as long as you keep them clean. Outdoor equity, climate action, places we love. Its easy to point the finger at down: were probably all familiar with the ethical concerns involved with sourcing feathers, which include ducks and geese suffering live plucking and force feeding. 10+ million models from leading OEMs, compatible with all major CAD software systems. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Down feathers are used in clothing and comforters, but for geese and ducks, the down industrys methods are anything but comfortable. It is used primarily in fiber applications, including textiles for apparel and home, office and automotive interiors, residential and commercial carpeting and automotive mats. Try again later. In short, a good synthetic can keep you warm while still allowing enough air to escape. Most synthetic fills are, at the very least, resistant to moisture. Compression sacks can pack a down sleeping bag into an incredibly small package, but you should use the much larger cotton or nylon sacks to let them expand when they are in storage. Fjallravens Expedition series is another example that boasts synthetic insulation at the shoulders for extra weather resistance and toughness. Samples of these products will be available at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market June 18-20. Sorona Aura Fabric for Breathable Insulation Sorona Aura by DuPont is a sustainably sourced insulation for outdoor clothing that provides warmth and long-lasting shape while reducing the impact on the environment. Polarguard 3D is a softer fiber that is similar to downwithout the cruelty to animals. It maintains thermal efficiency in wet and humid conditions, is more cost-effective than down, and retains warmth over timeeven after multiple uses. Duck and goose plumage arent always ethically sourced, but more and more manufacturers are starting to use fill certified by the Responsible Down Standard (RDS). Its breathable and retains warmth with less filling and weight, creating a more comfortable garment. Polyester fibers - naturally hypoallergenic. In technical synthetic outerwear, we most often see insulations between 50and 130 gsm (generally expressed as 50-gram or 50g), with most performance-oriented jackets hovering around 60 gsm. The jacket itself goes for about $250-$300, what's the quality like compared to the alternatives? Dupont Sorona is an eco-efficient performance fiber made in part from annually renewable plant-based ingredients. Company. About YOUNGONE Founded in 1974 Youngone is a leading global manufacturer of functional apparel, textiles, footwear and gear. By using this site, you agree to our, Solar Lights are Lining Highline Canal Pathway in Tempe AZ, Metal Powder Transfer System Safeguards Particle Shape for Consistent Part Quality in 3D Printing, New Peptide Characterization Services for Development and Optimization of Novel Therapeutics, New PFCT Services for Chromatographic Analysis of Pharmaceutical Preparations, New DC-DC Converters with Efficiency of up to 97%, 4 Vortex Furnaces to Arrive at ASSAN ALMINYUM in Turkey, Top Obstacles Engineers Face in Custom Coils Projects, Quick Release & Spring Loaded Pins: Fast, Convenient and Secure, Four Ways to Retrofit Your Fluid Bed System (Without Replacing It! Dries quickly, often within a day or even hours. About REPREVE Made by Unifi, Inc., REPREVE is the global leader in branded recycled performance fibers, transforming more than 16 billion plastic bottles into recycled fiber for new clothing, shoes, home goods and other consumer products. And if you do make a purchase, we encourage you to be a responsible consumer and choose products with RDS-certified down or recycled synthetic fill. After all of the discussion on down vs. synthetic insulation, there are important gear decisions to be made. Why do you cause their suffering? Some manufacturers make sleeping bags and jackets with a combination of water-resistant down and synthetic insulation. Insulation materials made with DuPont Sorona fiber also will be introduced as a revolutionary alternative to down and feather filling. Synthetic insulation has become much more sophisticated in recent years. That's the job of an insulated layer, which can be a separate garment or another layer built into the interior of your shell. Its made with polyester fibers that are arranged in different sized filaments and intertwined, mimicking downs lofty clusters. And to add to the pro-down argument, keep in mind that feathers have a much longer lifespan than synthetic insulationdown products can offer great performance and warmth for literally decades. Its super warm and light at the same time, giving you that pillowy feeling that you just wont get with synthetics. ECOLoft FLEX SR (60 percent Sorona + 35 percent REPREVE) Maximized multi-layering of REPREVE and Sorona fibers in the padding web create a lightweight, warm insulation designed for breathability and movement. In the end, synthetic still wins out. Environmental Chemistry, CRC Press, 2005, p. 503. Synthetic insulation can also be pricey, and particularly newer high-end products designed to mimic down, but its still the cheaper option. Typically made of polyester, synthetic fill is quick-drying and insulates even if wet (something down struggles to do). It is hypoallergenic and mildew-resistant and retains most of its loft and insulating properties when wet. Anyone have information on the down feather alternative called DuPont However, youll find that goose down is often still used in the highest-end products because it canreacha higher fill-power rating than duck down. Just keep in mind that products with down insulation are typically more expensive than products with synthetic fill. The quality of the down is directly related to its fill power rating. Goose and duck down fill are among the premier insulators on earth, trapping air and creating pockets of warmth around your body with very little weight. Wanted it to be something I can take into work on those cold mornings or for bushwalks, I do like the ribbed collar compared to the puffy ones, although I understand this compromises the warmth around the neck. Through important collaborations such as this, we can drive textile innovation and help revolutionize the future of our industry., These textile leaders are committed to innovation, sustainability and performance and partnering with them will enable us to offer first-of-their-kind eco-conscious and high performing insulation products, said Rick Fowler, CTO at Youngone. Continuous-filament insulations use a thicker continuous filament that is lofty, strong and durable. Down insulation has typically been sourced from geese. [4], Sorona can theoretically be produced from about 37% renewable resources as [3] DuPont won a 2003 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for their development of the fermentation process for the production of 1,3-propanediol from corn-derived glucose in recombinant Escherichia coli K-12. In the end, many consumers (ourselves included) appreciate the added transparency. If you're not sure which type of insulation to choose, don't worry. Grado Zero Espace is an Italian-based company that creates many vegan textiles, including Grado VeganTech Insulationa natural insulation composed of flowers, biopolymers, and Aerogel. Ounce for ounce, down is warmer than nearly all synthetic insulations. Fill weight sometimes can be difficult to track down as gear manufacturers are more keen to market fill power, but in the end, both are necessary to get an accurate idea of how warm a given down product is. As documented in a PETA expos, geese and ducks are often plucked alive so that their down can be stuffed inside outerwear, bedding, and other products. Further, synthetic jackets will often have a more sweatshirt-like shell (the Patagonia Nano-Air, for example), rather than the shiny, swishy nature of most down shells. YOUNGONE - a leading global manufacturer of outdoor and athletic clothing, textiles, footwear and gear - is leveraging DuPont Sorona . Its used in running shoes, sleeping pads, snow pants, and spacesuits and is extremely effective as an insulator because the holes in it are only 1/10,000th the diameter of a human hair, blocking almost all airflow. This treatment allows down to resist light moisture without compromising loft. Synthetic insulation is designed to replicate the qualities of down, and retains heat even when wet. Find and evaluate OEMs, Custom Manufacturers, Service Companies and Distributors. You can easily unsubscribe at any time. Its the insulation of choice in cold, dry conditions, or whenever reducing weight and saving space are top priorities. Synthetic Guide When it comes to staying warm in the great outdoors, some people prefer down insulation. Show me your humane slaughter footage , See how, as an animal consuming climate activist, your actions really are meaningful . There are several reasons for this: down has great insulating properties, its light and compresses very well, making it easy to roll up and stuff into tight spaces when you dont need it. In fact, it loses many of its insulating properties when it gets wet and is often slow to dry. Sorona fabrics are tested for content and performance through our Common Thread Certification Program. It maintains its loft wash after wash, so you can look good and stay warm day after day. But, most importantly, once you find the right sleeping bag or insulated jacket for you, get out in the mountains and have some fun. Further, you can rip the relatively thin shell fabric of these jackets and lose a lot of down quickly, and you can also damage the loft of your down if you leave it compressed for too long. More detailed company information can be found at http://www.youngonecorporation.com. Synthetic insulation is essentially polyester threading that is molded into long, single threads or short staples to mimic down clusters. Down is the soft layer of fine feathers from the breast of a goose or duck that is closest to their skin and grows to form quill, but does not have the hard quill shaft found in the outer feathers of birds. We've been sharing our passion for the outdoors since 1938. Anyone have information on the down feather alternative called DuPont Sorona? Its hypoallergenic, machine-washable, and tumble-dryable. The new fabric collections offered by mills are tested and certified through the DuPont Sorona Fabric . You may find yourself replacing synthetic products more often compared to down products. Both down and synthetic have pros and cons when it comes to performance, so choosing the right type of insulation for your use can turn a cold, uncomfortable outing into an enjoyable time outside. Down vs Synthetic Insulation: Which is Best? - YouTube All those expensive winter skiing, snowboarding or hiking jackets are now on sale! The Mens Cauldron Hoody and the Womens Dena Jacket are very good options for the coldest winter conditions, and both come with a relatively reasonable pricetag. Sorona fiber is a comfort stretch . ), 5 Common Liquid Injection Molding Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them), The Ultimate Guide to Steam and Water Ejectors, Additive Manufacturing / 3D Manufacturing, Health, Medical, & Dental Supplies and Equipment, Laboratory and Research Supplies and Equipment, Mining, Oil Drilling, Refining Products & Equipment, Waste Management & Waste Handling Equipment, Reduces cold spots and adds drape and stretch, Offers more sustainable insulated material than traditional down fabric, Eliminates drawbacks associated with use of traditional down filling. Weve tested a lot of outdoor gear and picked our favorites, including the best down jackets, synthetic jackets, and backpacking sleeping bags. In reality, both have pros and cons. When the days get shorter and the mercury drops, its time to reach for a winter jacket to guard against the cold. Sorona Agile Fabric for Breathable Insulation Sorona Agile by DuPont is a sustainable fabric and spandex replacement for designing high-performance exercise apparel that fits an active, eco-conscious lifestyle. Keep in mind that the quality of down (and therefore its loftiness) matters in this equation: the higher the fill power, the more the down will compress. Thankfully, programs like the Responsible Down Standard and Patagonias Traceable Down Standard certify responsibly sourced down, making it possible for the consumer to shop ethically. Duck down is less fine than goose down and thus is less expensive, but also maintains slightly less loft. At REI, we believe that a life outdoors is a life well lived. Sometimes, manufacturers will place lighter insulation in the arms and side panels of a jacket and heavier fill in the body. In terms of pure coziness, down wins out in most cases. Down and wool trap air to keep you warm, acting as thermal insulators. Sorona Common Thread: Trust, Traceability and Transparency Throughout Stay up to date on industry news and trends, product announcements and the latest innovations. If you want to know how to make extra bucks, search for: Boorfes Synthetic fill does not lose its loft when wet, continues to insulate even when soaked, and dries out quickly. Polarguard is a continuous-filament, polyester synthetic fiber that is most commonly used in sleeping bags and outerwear. Sorona answers the global call for sustainably sourced fabrics, bridging the personal and societal at a . Sorona is more than the change we need its an innovation that allows personal expression while activating a shared desire to improve our world. Synthetic insulation also dries much faster than down. If you were to wear a down jacket when hiking or cross-country-skiing, however, you would overheat rather quickly. DuPont and NIPI, makers of Thindown, Partner to Create a California Do Not Track Notice. Whatever you choose; remember that there is an abundance of synthetic, non-down insulation options that can not only meet your specific functional and aesthetic needs, but also your budget. Thindown is the worlds first and only down fabric, which offers the coveted benefits of a versatile material. The ECOLoft eco-elite insulation collection features three products: Both the REPREVE and Sorona brands are working with revolutionary products in their own class, and with this partnership, were joining forces to continue to innovate within the outdoor market and beyond, said Meredith Boyd, Senior Vice President of Global Innovations for Unifi. See The first is protect yourself from getting wet from snow and rain (and sweat), which is accomplished by wearing a waterproof/breathable shell. However, for daily use and with jackets in particular, we often opt for synthetics instead. The RDS is a global certification given to down products and indicates that the birds were treated humanely and not subjected to unnecessary harm, such as force-feeding or live-plucking. DuPont Industrial Biosciences (DuPont) and Natural Insulation Products Inc. (NIPI) today announced a collaboration to create a new category of insulation.