Cooling Trifecta
Article from TextileWorld.com by Rachael S. Davis.
Atlanta-based brrr° was founded by entrepreneur Mary-Cathryn Kolb, a sales veteran with several major brands. While working at Spanx Inc., Kolb developed an interest in textile technologies. “At Spanx, I became very intrigued with how we can make something so powerful, but invisible,” Kolb said. “And my curiosity for that led me down the path of textile technology.” Kolb identified a need in the industry for an authentic cooling technology, and after working with scientists in Taiwan to bring her ideas to life, brrr° was born.
The patented technology centers on what brrr° has branded the Triple Chill Effect. Unlike some cooling fabrics that focus on wicking alone to provide cooling, brrr° combines a special fiber core for increased wicking ability and proprietary fabric structures for maximized airflow with a “secret sauce” comprised of natural minerals that have the ability to cool the skin on contact and the ability to continuously cool.
The brrr° minerals begin life in a powder form, which is melted, extruded and chopped into pellets so they may be combined with thermoplastic polymers during melt spinning. The amount of brrr° additive used depends on the final fabric composition, desired amount of cooling as well as other fiber properties and the intended end use.
According to Kolb, more than two years of product testing has led the company to claim that the cooling effect — brrr° can reduce skin temperature by up to 3°F over 20 minutes of normal wear as measured using the Hohenstein Watson Cooling Test #16.1.14.0024 — is proven cooling.
“We have the word proven in our tag line, and that’s because of the extensive years of testing that we have behind our technology,” Kolb said. “We were able to find the right partners and spent a good two years doing competitive analysis. We feel very confident and stand behind the word proven.”
When tested using the industry-standard Qmax Cooling Test FTTS-FA-019, the scores for brrr° fabrics are anywhere from 30 to 85-percent better than those for virgin nylon, polyester or cotton.
Kolb realized the technology was applicable across a wide range of end-uses, but also understood that the company could not manufacture fabrics for every application. It was then decided that a licensing model made sense. “We cannot be the best in every category, best in class, best in design for example,” Kolb said. “But we can be the best in class in technology and license the technology to best in class product leaders who can make their products even better with brrr°.”
Two options are available to manufacturers. They may purchase brrr° yarns and become a certified user of brrr° yarns. Currently, polyester and nylon filament yarns are available, although other polymers may be used, and the company is looking into incorporating brrr° during other spinning methods to expand the family of yarns that are available.
Or, manufacturers may buy fabrics featuring brrr° from the company, and the company offers product development assistance through its Taiwan-based manufacturing facility.
Brands are taking notice. brrr° has programs in place with several well-known brands including The Gap Inc., Jos. A. Banks, Men’s Wearhouse, Argent and Downlite.
brrr° currently is found in bedding, athleisure wear, golf apparel, automotive products, denim and formalwear. But one market that has not yet opened up is medical. Kolb sees enormous possibilities for the cooling technology in medical products. “I believe there is such proactive care by having brrr° in the medical space and that’s something I’d like to uncover,” Kolb said.
“My idea when I started the company was to create a technology that could be applicable to all of the fabrics in our lives, and so to see the vertical of automotive taking off, to see bedding taking off, it’s really illustrating that vision and it’s exciting!”
Do You Want to Know the Secret for Better Sleep?
According to the National Sleep Foundation, getting overheated and sweaty at night can lead to tossing and turning that interrupts sleep cycles, leaving you groggy and exhausted in the morning.
It can also prevent you from getting the recommended eight hours per night, which can lead to lower productivity and grumpiness.
A lack of sleep can also hurt your health, making you more susceptible to illness and fatigue.
Sleep is how our bodies heal and rejuvenate.
One key to a better night of deep, refreshing sleep is to regulate core body temperature, according to the National Sleep Foundation. It has even been determined that some forms of insomnia are associated with being too hot.
Using the wrong bedding can be a key contributor to problems with temperature regulation. The right sheets, pillowcase, and comforter can dramatically impact your sleep experience.
“Performance bedding” is a new technology that helps moderate body temperature with fabrics that regulate heat and moisture. An interesting product in this category is brrr° High-Performance Cooling Sheets from Downlite using natural cooling minerals embedded in the fabric that actually draw heat away from your skin to keep you cool, dry and comfortable.
The sheets also have active wicking to move moisture away from your body and they dry rapidly to deliver a fresh and crisp experience. brrr°’s technology is built into the architecture of the fabric, so it doesn’t fade or wash out.
brrr° High-Performance Cooling Sheets by Downlite will help you achieve better quality, restorative sleep, so you wake up refreshed and ready to tackle the day ahead. You can buy them here: https://www.downlitebedding.com/brands/brrr%C2%B0.html
Say hello to a better night of sleep.
Product Annoucement: brrrº High Performance Bedding with Downlite
Smart Fabric Startup Brrrº Raises A Million to Keep You Cool All Over
Brrrº, the textile technology startup that produces a uniquely cooling fabric, has closed on an additional $1 million in funding to continue their rapid expansion into a store near you. This additional capital comes in as the Atlanta-based company plans to launch products with Gap Inc., Joseph A. Banks, Downlite and more.
The startup has developed a yarn with a “Triple Chill Effect” — it’s made from natural cooling minerals, a special fiber core that promotes moisture wicking and a proprietary fabric pattern that increases airflow. They say their fabric reduces skin temperature by up to 3 degrees Fahrenheit in 20 minutes.
“The whole purpose of brrrº is to bring performance fabric into everyday use cases,” says co-founder Mary-Cathryn Kolb, a long-time clothing retail exec. Prior to brrrº Kolb was most recently at Director of Sales at Spanx, and before that, the first hire at TOMS Shoes.
“We see performance fabrics on a sports field, but the ability to need that performance in everyday use cases is a market that needs our attention,” explains Kolb.
Over the past year they have focused on a number of those everyday use cases. In clothing, she highlights developments in denim and men’s shirting.
“We look at product categories that have a high penetration to consumer usage,” Kolb says. “When you take denim, for example, that’s just a staple in everybody’s closet.”
“To be able to have a jean that you can live in, that’s breathable, that doesn’t get swampy as you go about your day and that can keep you dry and cool, is a real home run.”
Other products go beyond clothes. The team is tackling bedding — sheets, comforters, pillowcases — in an effort to give consumers a better night’s sleep.
“To be able to have sheets help you sleep better by dropping your skin by one or two degrees, enhances the customer experience,” Kolb says. She likens it to the familiar feeling of switching to the cool side of the pillow.
An additional category they tackled was automobile textiles. Hot car seats and seatbelt are a real problem for automobile manufacturers in the summer months or in hot climates. brrrº’s technology could solve that.
Kolb says that their revenue model has shifted since the company’s early days. They started off by designing their own clothing products to test the market and show the viability of the fabric. In 2016 they had two collections in department stores.
Now, they license with brands such as Gap to sell them fabric made with brrrº’s cooling fibers. That’s currently their biggest revenue stream, according to Kolb.
However, she’s optimistic about another revenue stream they’ve recently begun exploring: direct-to-manufacturer. That allows them to sell their yarn directly to mills all over the world and take a fee from the finished garment.
The company has now has raised a total of $3 million in outside funding and plans to hire to augment its team of 10. Kolb says they’ve projected $10 million in gross revenue for 2018 based on product delivery for spring 2019.
“We’re launching with some brands we’re really excited about. We’re debuting our denim this year with one of the most recognized denim manufacturers in the world,” Kolb says.
“It’s really exciting to see those fruits of our labor.”
Find the original article here: Hypepotamus
Look How Far Sports Fabrics Have Come
Series: Sports Fabric, Part 2: Evolution
Nearly a century ago, sports and athletics took off. No longer a niche interest of a small slice of the population, sports became a more common interest among middle- and upper-class participants who could also afford to spend money on clothing and equipment.
They quickly found the fabrics to be lacking.
Women were relegated to long cotton or wool skirts for exercise, and a few bold women wore “knickers” that were like half-pants that buttoned just below the knee. Men wore baggy pants, socks, and sweaters.
Imagine going to yoga class in a wool skirt or playing a pick-up game of basketball in heavy cotton jerseys. Fabrics of the 1920s were very heavy, trapped heat and sweat and didn’t allow for much airflow.
Today, athletic fabrics and athleisure clothing have been transformed by technology, with new materials and advanced manufacturing methods that allow fabrics to wick away sweat, boost airflow and even cool our skin.
Fabric innovators and manufacturers have also made great progress in tailoring fabrics to specific activities, such as:
- Sports fabrics. These tend to be much lighter and have greater wicking, which allows people to move more freely and perform better.
- Yoga and athleisure clothes. These typically have more stretch, and fashion-forward design that transitions from the gym to running errands or everyday life.
- Long-distance running apparel. There are usually fewer seams to reduce chafing, and more pockets to store energy gel, earbuds, and other race essentials.
- Winter sports. These clothes tend to have lightweight insulation and are designed to be worn in layers for the athlete to add or remove clothes depending on their exertion.
Moisture wicking is a common feature across all sports fabrics because it helps regulate body temperature and increases comfort. These fabrics work by moving sweat away from the body to the fabric’s outer layer where it can evaporate faster. That’s a big leap from a century ago when cotton and wool trapped heat and wetness against the skin.
brrrº goes beyond moisture wicking. We integrate better airflow patterns and natural cooling minerals embedded right in the yarn to create a “Triple Chill Effect” that is instant permanent. brrr°’s cooling effects won’t ever fade or wash out because, unlike some brands that spray or coat their fabrics, our technology is in the fabric itself.
Find out how brrr° can keep you cool and comfortable so you can perform your best. You can reach us here.
Why Athleisure is Here to Stay
Series: Sport Fabric, Part 1: The Staying Power of Athleisure
Athleisure took the apparel industry by storm in 2010, and some critics said the casual clothing style was probably a passing fad. They couldn’t have been more wrong.
Athleisure is now a lifestyle brand and an entire category of its own. It’s the new casual and has gone both more upscale and more downscale -- from $200 performance sports bras to distressed sweatpants.
Beyond the gym and weekend errand running, athleisure clothes can even be spotted
at the office with stretchy slacks made of the same material as yoga pants, or bras that transition from daytime wear to spin class.
Athleisure clothes have broadened beyond tracksuits and sweatpants to now include leggings, joggers, shirts, sports bras, tops and tennis dresses.
Women are wearing nicer-looking yoga pants and leggings to the office underneath dresses and tunics -- and then keeping those same pants on for a hot yoga class after work.
Men are buying compression pants to wear under athletic shorts for additional warmth or support, and some are ditching baggy sweatpants in favor of more flattering and form-fitting running pants or basketball pants. Some men have swapped out traditional cotton undershirts for compression shirts that wick away sweat better and keep them cool and dry.
In addition to comfort and aesthetics, many consumers choose athleisure clothes for their technologically advanced fibers that wick away sweat, improve airflow and breathability, reduce odor and protect from harmful UV rays.
To be sure, athleisure clothes haven’t replaced activewear and sportswear, which tend to be tighter fitting and offer more support for intense exercise and movement.
They have influenced design, and many sports brands have migrated toward a more multi-purpose look that can transition from gym to grocery store to brunch with a friend.
We love seeing this trend evolve, and we’re proud to be an influencer of the next generation of athleisure wear.
Better with brrrº
brrrº’s technology can be incorporated in both athleisure and sportswear and has unique lab-tested cooling properties that make clothes perform better. With natural cooling minerals embedded right in the yarn, plus proprietary wicking and airflow technology, brrr° fabrics create a Triple Chill Effect that keeps you cool when life brings the heat.
“brrrº” It’s Cold in Here, It Must be our Fabric in the Atmosphere
Grab a jacket, we are going into the Triple Chill Effect, the power behind brrrº’s technology.
The science behind brrrº's permanent cooling is three-fold called the Triple Chill Effect. The permanently cooling technology is a multifold effect consisting of patented natural cooling minerals that are extruded in the core of the fibers. The minerals undergo a reversible endothermic reaction, triggered by body heat.
This cooling is enhanced by the passage of air through the fabric and the air flow is enhanced due to the patented fabric weave and knit structure. The larger pore size in the fabric facilitates and amplifies the cooling effect via air permeability.
The fiber cross-sections allow for better wicking leading to good thermal effusivity. The moisture-wicking capability and quick dry nature of the fabric pulls away the sweat and accelerates the cooling provided by the fabric. brrrº fabrics are proven to not only cool instantaneously but also permanently over time. This cool will never wash away.
The Triple Chill Effect is proven that it works for you all day, every day. Our fabrics go through rigorous testing by global textile labs, we have scientifically proven that brrr° keeps you cooler. Click this link now:https://brrr.com/proven/
Do You Want to Sleep like Royalty?
With brrrº’s seamless king size sheets being released this Spring you can sleep like royalty. We are the first fabric cooling company to make seamless California king size sheets that keep you cool and refreshed throughout the night.
Seamless cooling bedding means endless comfort during the most restorative part of the day- our sleep time. Comfort performance bedding helps people enjoy a sounder sleep. In our cooling sheets, our Triple Chill Effect is in action with our natural cooling minerals, superior wicking, and enhanced airflow to create an instant and permanent cool that will never wash out!
brrrº designed these sheets due to one of our bedding clients, Downlite having interest in seamless California king bed sheets. Due to this interest, we indulged in trying to develop the product for them. brrrº spent multiple months developing a unique knitting process in order to bring this idea to life.
Seamless California king sheets mean more comfort, more durability with fewer chances of the seam bursting resulting in a longer-lasting product. Downlite brrr° sheets keep people cooler and more comfortable while they sleep. Minimizing night sweats and overheating allows people to sleep harder, thus helping them wake up feeling more rested and alert, according to numerous sleep studies by the National Institutes of Health and other sleep professionals.
Sleep is a necessity and can affect every aspect of your life. We as humans are more productive with a good night’s sleep. With brrrº’s seamless cooling sheets, you will get that rest you need to have more energy, think more clearly, and work more efficiently.
Texworld 2018 Recap
New York City is known to be the city that never sleeps and that is reflected in brrrº’s trip to the TexWorld conference. On the first day, brrrº was pleased with how many people were truly interested in our technology. Once the crowds came and felt our fabrics, especially some of our new innovative fabrics they were really hooked.
The response to brrrº was incredible; everyone had a positive response to our technology. They understood brrrº and our technology, as well as asked questions about it to further their knowledge. They were definitely more curious once they felt the coolness of our fabric. The best response was from a CEO of a clothing line company shrieking at a lady, “this really works!”
Our material scientist, Apurba said her favorite part of the show was “interacting with both big and small businesses in a single show. It is a rare case when an EXPO can provide a holistic experience. We attracted everyone from wholesale buyers, product developers, to entrepreneurs and fashion designers.”
With the show’s atmosphere reflecting New York City, it was full of busy and professional individuals. It was definitely worth our time being there. The positive response from our audience was unbelievable. The trust people showed in our proven technology was special. Here’s to our first conference show and many more!
