It’s been several decades since a major athletic brand introduced clothing that had better wicking capabilities for improved moisture management.
Although they were widely marketed as “cooling,” those garments were really just good at one thing: wicking.
That development set the stage for other advances like wet “snap” towels that use the principles of evaporative cooling but they only work when they are wet — which is fine if you’re mowing the lawn or out for a run, but isn’t very practical for office attire, casual wear or most activities in daily life.
Some products achieve a cooling sensation with chemical sprays or coatings that wash out and diminish over time, which is also harmful to the environment. However, cooling fabric innovator brrr° is advancing the category by using natural cooling minerals, active wicking and rapid drying technologies that create a “Triple Chill Effect” that instantly and continuously draws heat and moisture away from the skin.
Every brrr° fabric is independently lab tested and scientifically proven to outperform other products.
Mary-Cathryn Kolb, founder and CEO of brrr°, says: “We stand behind the science and brrr° is proven to help keep you cooler and more comfortable wherever life takes you — work, working out, hanging out with your family, or meeting friends for dinner.”
A more sustainable choice
As brrr° technology is permanently embedded in the structure of the yarn, it won’t ever fade or wash out like the chemical sprays and coatings used by some other companies.
There are also versions of brrr° made with recycled material that divert post-consumer products from landfills and reduce the need for virgin material and brrr° fabrics made with sustainably grown materials such as hemp and bamboo.
The company has a library of hundreds of fabrics and can create custom blends or fabrics for clients to meet their specifications.
brrr° holds GRS certification in accordance with Global Recycled Standards, which shows customers and consumers that companies are committed to meeting internationally recognised sustainability standards and practices. brrr° also follows OEKO-TEX standards for sustainability and safety.
In addition to its appeal during the hot months of the year, brrr° is gaining popularity in base layer clothing and activewear for year-round comfort and dryness because it supports the body’s natural thermoregulation, such as hoodies by Duck Camp and Strafe and a featherweight performance pullover by Criquet.
Kolb continues: “brrr° can help keep you more comfortable all year long. And when your body can regulate its own temperature more effectively, you don’t need to use as much air conditioning and heating.”
Comfort is king
In our post-pandemic world, the number one thing consumers want in their clothing is comfort and 70% say they plan to dress more casually from now on, according to a survey by NPD and research by The Wall Street Journal.
Numerous retailers have made repeat purchases of brrr° as they expand the cooling fabric to more of their products. brrr° is now used in a wide variety of garments made by major brands including BRADY by Tom Brady, Adidas, Greyson, Southern Tide, Vineyard Vines, and numerous brands in Europe such as Jack Wolfskin, Triumph, and Martini.
Beyond apparel, brrr° is also used in bedding by Sheex, baseball hats by 47 Brand, compression sleeves for people who have lymphedema, sports medicine support boots for horses and more.
A leader in cooling fabric innovation
In the decade since brrr° was founded, the Atlanta, US-based company has become a leader in cooling textile technology innovation. brrr° holds several patents and is constantly investing in R&D to develop the next generation of cooling textiles.
The company recently created a performance cooling product called brrr° Pro that uses micro cooling minerals to amplify the cooling sensation, plus hyper wicking and performance drying.
In independent lab testing, brrr° Pro Polyester scored 0.194 in Q-MAX cool-touch testing, which was 81% better than another brand of cooling fabric and 53% better than a comparable performance polyester. It also outperformed in wicking and drying tests.
“brrr° Pro intensifies the cooling sensation because there is more surface area for our micro cooling minerals to scavenge heat and draw moisture away from the skin,” Kolb adds.
Why isn’t there a cooling standard?
As consumers seek better performance from their clothing, there is a pressing need for a universal standard to define the “cooling” category and move toward common testing methods to support cooling fabric claims — similarly to the way UPF sun protection is measured.
brrr° relies on scientific independent lab tests by globally respected third party labs to prove the cooling, wicking and drying properties of each of its fabrics using widely recognised standards by FTTS and the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC).
Adopting universal standards to measure the coolness of fabric would also reduce confusion among consumers and entice people to try new products. This could encourage more retailers to offer apparel made with cooling fabrics and propel new growth in the category.
To learn more about innovative brrr° cooling fabric technology, please visit brrr.com.
Read the full WTiN 2023 Material Innovation Report here.
