Amplifying the Cooling Effects of brrr°
brrr comprises the Triple Chill Effect to cool, wick and dry
Busy, active lifestyles coupled with the ongoing climate crisis that continues to dominate the headlines, is driving the demand for innovative cooling solutions in all aspects of our daily lives. And, as textiles are omnipresent, they naturally make a great vehicle for administering such solutions.
Feeling cool and comfortable in whatever activity we’re doing heightens our overall wellbeing and performance. So, with this in mind, the company brrr° set out to explore how textiles can be enhanced to meet this need.
Founded in 2014 by Mary-Cathryn Kolb, a retail industry expert who has worked for apparel brands such as Spanx and Von Dutch, brrr° developed a proprietary cooling fabric technology that can be integrated into any existing fabric to bring immediate and continuous cooling. To do so, a secret blend of natural minerals are embedded into the yarn itself to become a permanent part of the fabric that, unlike coatings or sprays, doesn’t wash out over time.
Explaining the process in more detail, Mary Jane Credeur, a spokesperson for brrr°, says: “We begin by adding our secret blend of minerals into the nylon or polyester pellets, which are extruded as yarn that is then turned into fabric. Our cooling minerals are permanent and part of the structure of the yarn. Under a microscope you can actually see the little mineral speckles.”
The cooling feature is combined with wicking and rapid drying technology to form what brrr° calls the Triple Chill Effect. For instance, brrr° nylon and brrr° polyester are described as ‘cool to the touch’ with more chill than comparable competitors, while the wicking technology moves moisture away from the skin, for ‘non-stop comfort’, and the quick drying capability rapidly releases moisture into the air, cooling the fabric and providing a ‘fresh and crisp’ experience.
To realise the potential of the technology, brrr° has several ‘go-to’ mill partners in Taiwan who are considered a part of its R&D team. All brrr° products are tested by independent labs to prove the effectiveness. For instance, tests conducted last year by Intertek Testing Services found that brrr° nylon and polyester fabrics consistently outperformed numerous other comparable products in lab tests that measure Qmax (cool to the touch feeling), wicking and dry time.
“For years, a lot of the apparel manufacturers claimed that their products were cooling but they were just wicking, they didn’t actually draw away heat per se. Some products you have to get wet before they cool, and that’s not very practical. The science behind it, that’s our pedigree. It’s not just a gimmick that’s going to wear out over time like sprays or coatings do,” says Credeur.
The technology has been used in Southern Tide casual clothing
END USES
An obvious application for the technology would be activewear and outdoor wear, where users are prone to working up a sweat, but Credeur says the end uses span various elements of a consumer’s wardrobe and lifestyle. And, as an ingredient brand, brrr° has garnered interest from various retailers and manufacturers looking to integrate the cooling fabric technology into their collections.
Credeur says: “A lot of our launches have been casual polo shirts, so not just outdoor wear, but also casual weekend wear, office wear, dress shirts, linings of suits, and undergarments – we’re in talks with a few co-branded partners. Plus, we have a new line launching with CAT Workwear from Caterpillar – an outdoor, rugged apparel line.”
Home textiles are another key end use, particularly bed sheets. “There tends to be more demand around things you actually touch and interact with,” says Credeur. “Sheets are an obvious one, as memory foam mattresses make you sweat a little bit more. Women who are menopausal or pre-menopausal tend to appreciate that a lot. We think that someday we’ll get some demand from sofa material coverings and fabric for upholstery. And we have been in talks with auto manufacturers for car seat materials.”
The company has also integrated its cooling fabric technology into denim, with successful results. It states on AATCC’s fashion blog that independent lab tests show that brrr° denim feels 38% cooler to the touch than comparable traditional denim, dries up to 47% faster and wicks 2.5 times better.
And aside from this, brrr° has taken steps in the energy harvesting field, having received a patent using piezoelectrics technology. “Somewhere down the road you may be able to stick a device in your back pocket and charge it from your clothing,” says Credeur, who adds that the company hasn’t actioned the patent just yet but considers it a ‘cool technology to explore’.
Retailer JoS. A. Bank uses brrr suit liners
ENVIRONMENTAL EDGE
Micro minerals of any kind are bound to raise questions over their safety to human health and the environment, but Credeur assures that the minerals used by brrr° are safe. “Our proprietary mineral blend is not reactive and absorbed by skin at all,” says Credeur. “It’s an organic material but it’s combined with a man-made one, blending into this master batch as it gets produced. Its behaviour is no different to any other polyester or nylon or base material.”
The technology has also found itself being used in recycled fabrics, as the textile industry continues to boost its sustainability profile. “We do have GRS [Global Recycle Standard] certified suppliers of recycled yarns,” says Credeur. “We buy yarn that has recycled material in it and integrate brrr° technology into it as part of the manufacturing process. There’s a lot of talk and interest in recycled material and, with some brands that are very forward thinking, they tend to be hungrier for that technology. They’re also willing to pay more as it’s a premium product. Some brands are not quite there yet, and you have to respect that as well. It’s what the customer wants and what the market wants, especially the younger generations who tend to be curious about where their products come from.”
NEXT STEPS
Credeur reveals that brrr° is planning to enhance the technology to increase the surface area of the minerals effectively and amplify the cooling effects. “We’re exploring some new dispersion technologies, how we blend the minerals, and how we integrate the minerals with the actual yarn in the first place,” she says. “If you can increase the surface area, you can directly improve the effect of the cooling minerals.”
New products based on this technology will be rolled out this year, in line with the company’s fifth anniversary. “We’re really starting to get traction with a couple of national and international retailers,” says Credeur. “Down the road there will be additional hiring and additional fundraising to grow.”
This is particularly important as Credeur says there are educational hurdles to overcome with brrr° technology to explain to retailers and consumers how and why it’s better than previous generation technologies that claimed to be cooling but were ‘really just wicking’.
“The challenge is being able to capture the attention and articulate the benefits quickly in a way that people can understand how it’s different and why it’s different, and how the science works,” she says.
Credeur adds: “It’s about getting our name out there. People want clothing that does something more for them – they want comfort, they want it to wick and to dry quickly. We see ourselves as part of the solution – the planet is not getting any cooler.”
To find out more about brrr° Triple Chill Effect technology, visit https://brrr.com/
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Source: WTIN
Innovate or die: Make R&D a priority even when budgets are tight
Atlanta Business Chronicle Leadership Trust By Mary-Cathryn Kolb , Founder CEO at brrrº
The early years of most startups are lean and mean, with modest funding that probably came from friends, family, angel investors or good old bootstrapping.
Budgets are extremely tight, which means the office furniture is probably more shabby than chic. Everyone wears multiple hats and works long hours, and there is an obsession with stretching every single dollar as far as possible. That means printing on both sides of the paper and sending product samples with postage stamps instead of overnight express.
However you choose to scrimp and save, there is one budget line item that you should protect and grow no matter what: research and development. R&D should be one of your largest expenses because it is the lifeblood of a young company.
The innovation that comes from a robust R&D program gives you a competitive edge and helps improve the products and services that first inspired you to start your business. Simply put, R&D can make or break a startup.
If you cut back on R&D, you risk losing your competitive edge. Or worse, you could become irrelevant in a hyper-crowded marketplace. I learned that the hard way in my early years as an entrepreneur.
After successfully launching my company and receiving lots of press coverage and orders from major retailers, we got sucked into the siren song of the fashion world and started focusing too much on trending colors, hemlines and garment styles.
One day I had this lightning-bolt realization that we were putting our mission of developing better cooling fabric technology in the back seat and letting fashion take the front seat. I decided to do the unthinkable: I turned down orders from major retailers. I cut other budgets so I could shift more money back to R&D. I pivoted back to focusing on innovation.
In my experience, focusing on what makes your company innovative rather than keeping up with the latest trends is a great way to increase your intellectual property. In a more innovation-focused atmosphere, you’ll likely find — as I did — that your team is more creative and better able to come up with improved techniques. That can have a ripple effect, improving your relationship with your partners and vendors who can act as strong advocates for your brand.
People thought I was nuts, but it was absolutely the right thing to do — and sales numbers prove it. But none of this would have been possible if we had stayed the course and let ourselves stray further from what we originally set out to do. You have to recognize those lightning-bolt moments as huge opportunities to steer your company in the right direction.
People often ask me to share advice about starting a company, and there are so many important things to say about leadership, raising capital and having grit.
But one of the most valuable pieces of wisdom I can share is that you have to protect your R&D budget no matter what. Make it a sacred cow, and increase it steadily over time. To be successful, it’s as simple as this: Innovate or die.
CNBC Upstart 100 Recognizes brrr° as an Innovative Leader
By Mary-Cathryn Kolb, Founder & CEO of brrr°
Each year, a panel of editors and business leaders at CNBC select 100 of the most influential startup companies in the nation.
The judges consider whether these young companies are shaking up established industries or finding creative ways to solve vexing problems, and hundreds of companies apply each year.
Past winners of the CNBC Upstart 100 ranking include women’s intimate apparel company ThirdLove, electric toothbrush maker quip and ATTN:, a digital entertainment news platform backed by Ryan Seacrest.
This year, we are incredibly humbled and honored that brrr° was chosen for the CNBC Upstart 100.
I started brrr° with a vision to improve the fabrics we wear and touch in our everyday lives with advanced cooling, wicking and drying technologies. We are restless and relentless as we invest heavily in research and development to hunt for new ways to make cooling fabric even better.
And we are certain that consumers are hungry for more. The textile industry is making major strides in cooling fabric technology innovations, and that segment of the fabric industry has a projected compound annual growth rate of more than 11% through 2025.
A Leap Forward for Cooling Fabric
Several decades ago, the apparel industry started to improve fabric by adding features like spandex for stretch and incorporating wicking technology into the yarn.
The wicking feature drew away moisture, which promoted the evaporation of sweat. Some retailers equated wicking with cooling and started to call their clothing “cool” — even though it didn’t actually draw away heat or feel cool to the touch.
But it sounded good in advertisements for things like cooling shirts and consumers seemed to like it, so the industry became complacent and “moisture wicking” was widely adopted by companies that make athletic apparel, casual clothes, and even some business and office wear.
Things pretty much stalled after that.
Most fabrics didn’t get a whole lot of attention or innovation until a handful of years ago when consumers began to demand more from their clothing, bedding, furniture coverings and other fabrics.
It was high time for fabric to take a major leap forward in performance and comfort.
Could performance fabric actually improve our focus, concentration, and confidence at work and at play?
Could advanced textiles draw heat and moisture away from our skin?
Could fabric actually keep us cooler?
Why, yes. Yes, it can.
The Struggle for Thermoregulation is Real
Our bodies work hard to regulate our temperature and keep it as close to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit as possible.
When we are too cold, our muscles shiver to create warmth. When we are too hot, we sweat and the evaporation of that sweat draws away heat to cool us off.
This struggle for thermoregulation is constant, and when we’re on the wrong end of it, we can quickly become exhausted and lose focus.
Our clothes often exacerbate the situation, trapping heat and moisture. That can make us feel self-conscious, distracted and lethargic — and hinders our performance.
In a survey by CareerBuilder, nearly a quarter of workers in the U.S. said a workplace that’s too hot makes it difficult to concentrate and negatively impacts their productivity.
For athletes, fatigue and distraction can hurt performance just as much as actual muscle pain and physical exhaustion, according to Sports Illustrated.
An increasingly hot planet isn’t helping. Earth has been rapidly warming for several decades, and July was the hottest month on record.
Cooling fabric technology can help our bodies do a better job at thermoregulation.
By drawing heat and moisture away from our skin, fabric that stays cool in the heat can help keep our core temperature closer to the ideal 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
Natural Cooling Minerals
Earlier in my career, when I was an executive at SPANX, I became intrigued by the tiny little fibers that could stretch, lift and support our bodies so effectively.
I began to wonder: what if those little fibers could do even more for us? What if they could actually help keep us cooler and more comfortable?
I left the corporate world in late 2014 to start learning everything I could about cooling fabric technology, and soon the idea for brrr° took shape.
Scientists and researchers have known for years that certain natural minerals can create a cooling sensation. These blends of salts and other minerals are very efficient at conducting heat, which enhances the natural thermoregulation that our bodies are constantly doing.
We developed and tested numerous recipes for cooling minerals before landing on the ideal combination — a proprietary blend of brrr° cooling minerals that work together to instantly and continuously draw heat away from the skin.
Those secret mineral blends are embedded right into nylon or polyester yarns that are later made into fabric, which means the brrr° cooling minerals are a permanent part of the structure of the textile and won’t ever fade or wash out over time. That’s a big difference compared with some other companies that achieve a cooling sensation with sprays and coatings, which are temporary and eventually diminish after repeated washings.
brrr° cooling minerals are a major innovation in cooling fabric technology, and independent lab testing proves it.
One way to test whether fabrics are “cool to the touch” is with Qmax testing, which is an internationally recognized and respected test used by the textile industry.
brrr° cooling nylon is more than twice as cool as other brands in Qmax testing, while brrr° cooling polyester also handily outperforms competitors.
The Triple Chill Effect
brrr° cooling minerals are just one leg of the stool for creating the most cooling fabric.
When our proprietary blend of cooling minerals is combined with other innovations such as active wicking and drying technologies, these three cooling elements work together and amplify each other’s cooling capabilities in a more powerful way.
Together, brrr°’s natural cooling minerals, active wicking, and rapid drying technologies create a “Triple Chill Effect” that consistently outperforms other brands in independent tests by globally recognized labs.
For example, in a standard test used by the fabric industry, brrr° nylon wicks 30 minutes faster than some other products, and the dry rate for brrr° nylon and polyester fabrics is several minutes faster than some other brands.
You can see the full results of independent lab tests on brrr° fabrics here, and here’s a short video that shows how the brrr° Triple Chill Effect makes fabrics cool.
brrr° licenses its cooling fabric technology to other retailers and manufacturers as a premium ingredient brand, and it has quickly been adopted by Jos. A Bank and Men’s Wearhouse to make cooling shirts for the office. Southern Tide uses brrr° to make cooling shirts, cooling shorts and other casual apparel. Mizzen+Main, Greyson golf apparel, NinetyEight6 tennis apparel, Coral Coast Clothing, and CAT Workwear also make their clothing even better with brrr°.
Business Insider Says It’s ‘Perfect’
The cooling capabilities of brrr° have also been winning accolades from major business media publications.
Business Insider recently tested the Southern Tide Intercoastal Performance Sport Shirt featuring brrr° alongside eight other cooling shirts and raved about the comfort and crispness of brrr°.
“I tested this shirt on one of the first warm days of the year, and beyond reducing sweat, the fabric really helped keep me cool throughout the day,” wrote Danny Bakst of Insider Picks for Business Insider. “The shirt is exceptionally stretchy, and is perfect for the transition from the office to happy hour.”
Forbes writer Jeff Kart recognized our scientific rigor in a recent article, saying: “Test data from an independent lab that shows brrr°’s technology can keep people cooler and more comfortable in everyday activities.”
Delta Sky Magazine lauded the way things made with brrr° are “specially designed to beat the heat.”
Where We Go From Here
But we’re not resting on our laurels. brrr°’s pursuit of new advances in cooling fabric technology is just as unrelenting as it was on our first day in business.
We invest heavily in research and development, and at any given time we have dozens of new products or techniques going through rigorous testing to determine whether they deserve a spot in our library of 500 fabrics and products.
Some of the things we are excited about include advanced methods for cooling mineral dispersion, and the potential for amplifying the effects of certain materials by increasing the surface area of the minerals in the yarn.
Those are just a couple ways brrr° is working hard to shake up the textile industry with better cooling fabric technology, as the judges of the CNBC Upstart 100 ranking recognized.
Whatever the future of cooling fabric technology brings, brrr° will be front and center as a tireless and relentless innovator.
brrr° Founder & CEO Mary-Cathryn Kolb Selected for EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ Class of 2019
ATLANTA — November 6, 2019 – EY announced today that Mary-Cathryn Kolb, Founder and CEO of cooling fabric innovator brrr°, was chosen as one of the 13 women founders selected for the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ North America Class of 2019. The program, which is in its 12th year, identifies ambitious women entrepreneurs who are leading thriving organizations and provides the access, advisors and resources needed to scale their companies to their full potential and ultimately become leading market innovators. Program engagement offers participants executive education and introductions to the vast EY global entrepreneurial ecosystem as well as the Entrepreneurial Winning Women community worldwide.
“This opportunity to develop stronger leadership and operational skills alongside this incredibly talented group of women is an impactful experience that will make brrr° more effective and competitive,” Kolb said. “Implementing the insights, ideas and tools shared among this network of visionary entrepreneurs will help brrr° become more strategic, nimble and resourceful. I am so grateful to be part of this program, and part of the global EY family.”
This year’s class of women-led high-growth companies across the US and Canada span a variety of industries, with a particularly strong showing in the technology sector, including three innovating in FinTech. More than one-third of the companies are tech-focused, with offerings ranging from innovative and money-saving payment solutions for SMEs to patented textile technology designed to cool the wearer in minutes. Additional sectors include diverse and inclusive beauty products, clean energy financing, nutrition-driven food production and innovative health and wellness products. The judging panel for the Class of 2019 consisted of Beth Ferreira, General Partner of FirstMark Capital; David Liu, Co-founder of XO Group, Inc. (formerly The Knot, Inc.); Nicole Smith, Founder and CEO of Flytographer; and Naomi Whittel, Founder & CEO of Naomi Whittel Brands.
“Acceptance into the Entrepreneurial Winning Women program is a testament to these founders’ drive, grit and vision,” said Lisa Schiffman, EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Global Program Lead and a Director with Ernst & Young LLP. “EY is delighted to once again have the opportunity to offer critical resources, guidance and community so these women founders can more readily scale their businesses beyond what they may have initially thought possible.”
The North America program targets women business owners who are founding CEOs of any US or Canadian privately held company less than 10 years old. Company revenues typically range from at least $2 million to as much as $30 million annually.
This year’s class convened for the first time at a two-day orientation in New York City this September. The entrepreneurs took part in educational sessions including pitch coaching, TRACOM Social Styles® and building a public profile. On an ongoing basis, Entrepreneurial Winning Women take part in additional workshops, conferences and training sessions; become part of the EY global community of more than 500 Entrepreneurial Winning Women on every continent; and forge connections to a vast community of EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ alumni throughout the world.
“As advisors to the ambitious, we feel privileged to be a part of these founders’ business journeys,” said Lee Henderson, EY Americas Growth Markets Leader. “The program underscores EY’s continued commitment to foster the success of women entrepreneurs and reinforce their positive impact on the global economy.”
The Class of 2019 will be officially recognized during the Strategic Growth Forum® US November 13-17, 2019, in Palm Springs, California. Founded and produced by EY, the Forum is the country’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies, bringing together more than 2,000 of the nation’s top executives, entrepreneurs, advisors, investors and other business leaders.
About brrr°
brrr° was founded in 2014 to develop technologically advanced fabrics with superior cooling performance to promote comfort in the items we touch in our everyday lives. brrr° enhances the cooling capabilities of business clothing, casual clothing, athletic apparel, denim, uniforms, sheets and many other textiles. The privately held Atlanta-based company is led by Founder and CEO Mary-Cathryn Kolb, who previously held senior positions at Spanx, Seven Jeans, TOMS Shoes and Von Dutch. For more information, please visit www.brrr.com.
Media contact for brrr°:
Mary Jane Credeur | The Credeur Group
mj@credeurgroup.com | 404.317.2718
About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.
EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation is available via ey.com/privacy. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.
This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients.
About EY Growth Markets
EY Growth Markets professionals connected across the globe are trusted business advisors to CEOs, owners and entrepreneurs leading private and family enterprises, including those managing increasing flows of private capital worldwide. We have a long legacy advising these ambitious leaders in realizing their ambitions, faster. With private entities making up more than 90% of EY clients, our professionals appreciate the owner mindset and possess the know-how needed to think differently about delivering business results, practically and sustainably. ey.com/private
Exploring the Future of Cool at the Functional Fabric Fair in NYC
Performance fabrics are making major advances with better wicking technology, more stretch and greater breathability to keep us comfortable as we go about our everyday lives.
We think fabrics should also do more to keep us cooler.
That’s why brrr° developed a patented blend of natural cooling minerals that are embedded right into the polymer matrix of the yarn. The minerals work together with active wicking and rapid drying technologies to create a “Triple Chill Effect."
brrr°’s cooling sensation is immediate and continuous, and unlike other fabrics that are sprayed or coated to create a cooling effect, brrr° technology is a permanent the yarn so it won’t ever fade or disappear with repeated washings.
Product development executives, textile scientists and retail buyers explored the wide variety of brrr° cooling fabrics that were showcased at the Functional Fabric Fair by Performance Days trade show in New York City on July 22 and 23.
brrr°’s library includes hundreds of woven and knit fabrics, and the technology can be integrated into virtually any existing fabric used by manufacturers and retailers.
The cooling, wicking and drying capabilities of brrr° consistently outperform other brands on the market, and each fabric is rigorously tested by globally recognized independent labs to prove its effectiveness. You can see test results here.
“Consumers expect more from their clothes and the fabrics they touch throughout the day,” said Julie Brown, Vice President of Sales at brrr°. “Drawing heat and moisture away from the skin will keep people cooler and more comfortable so they can feel their best.”
brrr° cooling fabric technology is already being used or will be featured in upcoming product launches by Southern Tide, GAP, Jos. A. Bank, Men’s Wearhouse, Mizzen+Main, Coral Coast Clothing, Greyson, GILLZ, The Gameheadwear and CAT apparel to name a few.
Let’s talk about how we can improve your fabrics with the cooling powers of brrr°. You can reach us here.
Say Goodbye to Hot, Sweaty Denim With brrr° Cooling Technology
When Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis patented their riveted denim work pants a century and a half ago, comfort wasn't exactly top of mind for the rugged garments that were designed for durability in harsh manual labor conditions such as mining.
Denim’s tightly packed yarns and rough fibers trapped heat and sweat, but that didn't matter very much as long as the metal rivets prevented the seams and stress points from tearing.
Fast forward 150 years and consumers can’t get enough denim — demand for skinny jeans, denim skirts, denim jackets and dozens of other products continues to grow faster than many other categories.
Denim has also become more common in the workplace. Coca-Cola’s James Quincey famously wore jeans to the office on his first day as CEO to send a subtle message to employees that it was a new era for the world’s largest soft drink company.
But it's time for denim to get an upgrade.
brrr° developed patented methods for integrating natural cooling minerals into a nylon and polyester sheath core that's surrounded by a layer of naturally-derived regenerated cellulosic fibers. It feels like cotton and creates a cooling sensation along with active wicking and rapid drying, while a touch of spandex provides stretch and comfort.
brrr° Chief Scientist Apurba Banerjee wrote about cooling denim innovation in this article published by the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists.
She also discussed some important parameters that must be followed during manufacturing and production in order to optimize the cooling effects of brrr° technology. (Spoiler alert: hydrophobic silicone softeners inhibit wicking)
The results from independent lab tests are clear: brrr° denim feels 38% cooler to the touch than comparable traditional denim, it dries up to 47% faster and wicks 2.5 times better.
To find out more about how brrr° cooling denim works, or to learn about the hundreds of other cooling fabrics in our library, you can reach us here.
To read on the AATCC website, click here.
Why ‘Cool to the Touch’ Matters at Point of Sale
When we began brrr° with a vision of creating cooling fabrics, we knew it would be important for consumers to be able to quickly and noticeably tell that our products are truly different.
brrr° fabrics feel cool to the touch, thanks to a patented blend of natural cooling that are embedded right into the yarn of the fabric so it’s permanent and won’t ever fade.
It’s a big differentiator at the point of sale, where people can touch clothing and other products made with brrr° and feel a noticeable difference in how that fabric feels compared with another similar item made with traditional fabric.
This cooling effect is measured with a Qmax test (FTTS-FA-019) that was developed in accordance to international standards by the Committee for Conformity Assessment of Accreditation and Certification of Functional and Technical Textiles (FTTS).
In recent tests by an independent, internationally recognized testing laboratory, brrr° nylon had a Qmax score of 0.217, which is more than twice as cool as the 0.103 score of a competing brand.
brrr° polyester scored 0.144, which was at least 14% better than the next-closest competitor and a whopping 35% better than the lowest-performing competitor.
Beyond feeling cool when you touch it, brrr° combines the power of natural cooling minerals with active wicking and rapid drying to create a “Triple Chill Effect” that instantly and permanently draws heat and moisture away from your skin. brrr° helps you stay cooler, drier, more comfortable and more confident so you can do your best work and be your best self.
We’re so confident in brrr°’s superior cooling powers and our extensive testing with independent labs to validate results that we put it in our tagline: Proven to keep you cooler.
You can see the complete test results here: https://brrr.com/proven/
brrr° Chief Scientist Banerjee Gives Glimpse Into the Future of Cool
How much can our clothes really do to improve our bodies regulate temperature and get rid of excess heat? Quite a lot, actually.
New technologies such as cooling mineral blends, active wicking, and rapid drying can be used together to create powerful cooling effects that draw heat and moisture away from our skin to keep us cool and fresh.
brrr° Chief Scientist Apurba Banerjee shared insights into the future of these and other technologies at the REThink materials conference hosted by ITA Americans last week and emphasized the importance of testing products to prove effectiveness before making cooling claims.
Some fascinating things that scientists are exploring next include trying to replicate the biological functions of Saharan silver ants, which have tiny hairs that reflect sunlight and keep them cool, and other sustainable products like recycled polymers that have cooling properties, Banerjee said.
Here's a link to the video of her presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Atc9Vf0RwIk
brrr°’s Banerjee Speaks at ITA’s ReThink Conference
brrr° Chief Scientist Apurba Banerjee will make a presentation about modern functional fabrics at the Innovate Textile & Apparel ReThink Conference this week in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Banerjee’s talk is titled “What is Cool? Here’s What You Need to Know About Today’s Functional Textiles.”
In it, she will talk about how “cooling” technology hasn’t changed much in two decades as many companies still rely on just wicking, and how that stagnation mentality is coming to an end as innovators including brrr° make deep investments in R&D.
Although the industry has made big advances in understanding the science behind performance textiles, there is still a cloud of misinformation and unproven claims that confuse manufacturers and consumers alike.
Banerjee breaks down the science behind human thermoregulation, busts common myths about cooling textiles and offers a better definition for cooling performance.
She also talks about advances in cooling technologies, bolstered by competitive analysis of current cooling products and offers a peek into new technologies that are revolutionizing the future of cool
brrrº Banerjee Receives Future Leaders Award at Conference
We are so proud of Chief Scientist, Apurba Banerjee for receiving the Future Leaders Award from the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists.
The award recognizes young professionals who are making noteworthy contributions to the field, and recipients are chosen by peers in AATCC interest groups.
Apurba was presented with the award at the AATCC International Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. She also delivered a presentation about "The Future of Cool" at the conference.
Apurba has been working on advances in cooling technology at brrrº since 2017 and has been a member of AATCC since 2012. You can read more about her award here.
Congratulations Apurba!
