Sourcing Journal Recognizes ‘Next Level’ Cooling Performance From brrr°
As our climate gets hotter, is there a way to fool Mother Nature through technological advancements in textiles that can help keep us cooler?
Absolutely, says Arthur Friedman, a lead writer at influential trade publication Sourcing Journal.
Product developments by brrr° and others help make the apparel wearer – from outdoor enthusiasts to spectators – cooler or warmer while also improving their performance, Friedman wrote. Products that battle odor, moisture, and durability are also getting more attention.
The Sourcing Journal article recognized the way brrr°’s patented cooling technology combines natural minerals, active wicking, and rapid drying to create a trademarked “Triple Chill Effect” that instantly and continuously draws heat and moisture away from the body.
Friedman also noted that brrr° nylon and polyester fabrics consistently outperformed numerous other comparable products in independent laboratory tests that measured Qmax (cool to the touch), wicking and dry time.
“The patented process behind brrr° cooling technology has just been put to the test by independent labs that show it consistently outperforms other products available to consumers and can keep people cooler and more comfortable in everyday activities,” Friedman wrote.
These “next level” advancements are going to help people cope with a warmer climate, he said.
To learn more about how to integrate brrr° cooling technology into your product lines, you can reach us here.
Business Insider: Southern Tide brrr° Shirts Are ‘Perfect’
Professional men face a dilemma when temperatures soar: wear something formal and be sweaty and uncomfortable, or go for casual comfort that doesn’t project a polished image.
The two shouldn’t be mutually exclusive.
Dress shirts are getting a promotion with a new line of Southern Tide Intercoastal Performance Shirts that feature brrr° natural cooling minerals, active wicking and rapid drying.
Those technologies work together to create a “Triple Chill Effect” that instantly and continuously draws heat and moisture away from the skin to keep men cooler, comfortable and more confident at work.
Business Insider’s Danny Bakst recently ranked the Southern Tide brrr° shirts among the best tried-and-tested performance dress shirts that will help men beat the summer heat.
“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,” Bakst wrote. “The shirt is exceptionally stretchy, and is perfect for the transition from the office to happy hour.”
The Southern Tide shirts are a great choice for business casual settings, and they elevate Southern Tide’s reputation as a maturing brand that provides clothing for men that spans everything from weekend activities such as backyard barbecues to professional office settings, Bakst said.
Previously, men were resigned to several months of “yellow armpit stains, uncomfortably damp backs, and musty commutes,” Business Insider said. Now, performance cooling shirts marry functionality and comfort with a professional look.
“In the past, the only solution to this problem was having back-up undershirts hidden under your desk and a few spare deodorants in your file cabinet,” Bakst wrote. “But in a stroke of genius, many brands have utilized the fabrics and materials designed to wick away sweat in athletic gear and applied it to clothing more appropriate for a work setting.”
That pretty much nails it, Bakst. It’s exactly what we did with the Southern Tide Intercoastal Performance Shirts, as well as the polos and cotton/polyester blend weekend shorts.
Learn more about how brrr°’s Triple Chill Effect technology can improve the fabrics you wear at work and at play. You can reach us here.
Forbes Recognizes the Science of brrr° Cooling Technology
Cool doesn’t just happen by accident.
There is rigorous research and development, trial and error, and countless trips back to the drawing board in order to make the breakthroughs that lead to innovative new products.
After nailing some early wins, some companies get complacent. Not us.
At brrr°, we test and iterate. And then we test and iterate some more.
Innovation is central to everything we do, and retailers and manufacturers are counting on our claims of cooling fabrics to make their own brands stronger and create important differentiators at the point of sale with our cool-to-the-touch features.
Forbes writer Jeff Kart recognized our scientific rigor in a recent article: “Test data from an independent lab that shows brrr°'s technology can keep people cooler and more comfortable in everyday activities.”
Each year, we spend significant amounts of money on independent lab tests by globally respected testing companies to prove that the cooling, wicking and drying capabilities of our fabrics outperform other brands.
brrr° nylon is more than twice as cool feeling as other brands on the market. brrr° nylon received a Qmax score of 0.217, compared with 0.103 for another brand, according to independent tests by an internationally recognized testing facility conducted according to the FTTS-FA-019 standard.
brrr° nylon wicks away moisture in as little as 1 minute, compared with 8 minutes and 31 minutes for other brands.
It also dries faster than other brands — 7 minutes and 4 minutes quicker than two other competing products.
You can see the complete test results here, along with fabric descriptions and details on the tests that were performed.
Innovation is part of our DNA as a fast-growing innovator of cooling fabric, and it’s what propelled us to create our “Triple Chill Effect” technology.
We have patented methods for integrating natural cooling minerals, active wicking, and rapid drying to instantly and continuously draw heat and moisture away from the skin, and we’re working hard on next-generation products that will build upon the advances we’ve already made.
Let’s talk about how we can make your fabric lineup even better with the cooling powers of brrr°. You can reach us here.
Chilling Out With Georgia Trend Magazine
Cool has become hot. Really hot.
Major retailers such as Southern Tide, GAP, Greyson and Mizzen+Main are rushing to add cooling technology to their apparel lines, and they’re looking to Atlanta-based textile innovator brrr° for the answers, says Mary Ann DeMuth, an editor at Georgia Trend magazine.
“National brands are jumping at the chance to make their products chill out,” DeMuth wrote in the March 2019 article.
brrr° combines the powers of natural cooling minerals, active wicking and rapid drying to create a “Triple Chill Effect” that is immediate and continuous. By drawing heat and moisture away from the skin, brrr° helps keep people cooler and more comfortable as they go about their everyday lives.
brrr° Founder and CEO Mary-Cathryn Kolb was fortunate to be accepted in the launchpad2X program, an Atlanta-based community that fosters the growth of female entrepreneurs through mentoring and networking events, DeMuth observed.
Kolb also found support from Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center incubator and the Venture Atlanta conference that connects investors with technology companies. Kolb was the opening presenter at the 2019 conference, after being featured in the Startup Showcase the previous year.
“Atlanta is a welcoming community for startups,” Kolb said in the Georgia Trend article. “I’ve had such pleasure to be able to grow with such like-minded people.”
Next up for brrr° are new product developments in cooling denim, cooling car seat materials and next-generation technologies that greatly enhance the cooling powers of brrr°.
Find out how you can make your fabrics better with brrr°. Reach out to us here.
Superior Cooling Capabilities of brrr° Fabrics Confirmed
Article by: Innovation in Textiles
New test data by independent global labs proves that brrr° cooling technology consistently outperforms other products available to consumers and can keep you cooler and more comfortable in everyday activities.
brrr°’s patented cooling technology combines natural minerals, active wicking and rapid drying to create a Triple Chill Effect that instantly and continuously draws heat and moisture away from the body, the company explains.
brrr° nylon and polyester fabrics outperformed numerous other comparable products in independent laboratory tests that measure Qmax (cool to the touch), wicking and dry time. For example, brrr° nylon has a Qmax score of 0.217, which is more than twice as cool as the 0.103 score of a competing brand. brrr° polyester dried 34% faster than another brand.
“These independent tests once again confirm brrr°’s superior capabilities in removing heat and moisture so people can feel comfortable and confident in whatever they do,” said Apurba Banerjee, Chief Scientist at brrr°, who oversaw the testing.
The testing was conducted in the first half of 2019 by an independent, internationally recognized testing facility in accordance with standards set forth by two globally recognized groups: the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) and the Committee for Conformity Assessment of Accreditation and Certification of Functional and Technical Textiles (FTTS).
brrr° spends a significant portion of its operating budget to validate and authenticate the cooling, wicking and drying properties of its fabrics. Because brrr°’s cooling technology is embedded in the structure of the yarn of the fabric, it won’t ever diminish over time with repeated washings, according to the manufacturer. Major retailers including Gillz, Southern Tide, CAT apparel, Bigfoot Sock, Mizzen+Main, Jos. A. Bank and Men’s Wearhouse use brrr° cooling performance technology.
See it on Innovation in Textiles Website Here
Forbes Feature: "Startup brrr° Keeps Clothes Cool With Textile Tech"
Although clothes made from brrr° yarn may look good, the cool factor is in the company's Triple Chill Effect, according to a company rep.
The newest news from the Atlanta, Georgia, startup is test data from an independent lab that shows brrr°'s technology can keep people cooler and more comfortable in everyday activities. As The Fonz would say, "Aaaay!"
For readers who don't get the reference, suffice it to say that brrr° uses a patented technology that combines natural minerals, active wicking, and rapid drying, according to the company, that instantly and continuously draws heat and moisture away from your body.
Ahhh.
The tests, conducted by an independent, internationally recognized testing facility, showed that brrr°'s nylon and polyester fabrics consistently outperformed a number of comparable products in lab tests that measure something called Qmax (cool to the touch), wicking and dry time.
This must be some magical coating that wears away in time though, right?
Brrr° says its technology is embedded in the structure of the yarn of the fabric, so it won't diminish over time with repeated washings.
What's the green factor, other than climate change?
A company rep says: "We can use recycled polyester (mostly from beverage bottles) or recycled nylon (mostly from fishing nets, industrial waste, fabric scraps, etc.) and integrate our patented cooling fabric technology into those recycled materials that get turned into yarn."
If you've never heard of brrr°, you may still be familiar with clothing that uses it, which is sold by retailers including Gillz, Southern Tide, CAT apparel, Bigfoot Sock Co., Mizzen+Main, Jos. A. Bank and Men’s Wearhouse. Brrr° is an "ingredient brand" that licenses its tech to retailers so they can integrate it into their manufacturing process, and cut and sew the clothes and other items themselves.
"Our mill partners have the factories/equipment to break down the recycled product into pellets, and then we blend and extrude those pellets with brrr° cooling minerals to create the yarn that gets made into fabric," the rep adds. "Many retailers have been asking for recycled content in performance fabric in recent months, so this is a relatively new offering for us and we expect it will grow quickly as we bring it to market."
The company has been around since 2014 and is led by Founder and CEO Mary-Cathryn Kolb, who previously held senior positions at Spanx, Seven Jeans, TOMS Shoes and Von Dutch.
Business Insider Says Southern Tide brrr° Cooling Shirts are Among the Best
Good call! A recent Insiders Picks column by the editors and writers at Business Insider included the stylish Southern Tide brrr° Intercoastal Performance Sport Shirt on its list of 9 tried-and-true performance shirts that will help men stay cool and dry during the summer heat.
The shirts are a reliable go-to option for business casual settings, wrote Danny Bakst, a writer for Business Insider who helped compile the list.
“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,” Bakst wrote. “The shirt is exceptionally stretchy, and is perfect for the transition from the office to happy hour.”
We couldn’t agree more. The Southern Tide shirts are made with 91% nylon and 9% spandex to support active lifestyles, and they feature brrr°’s natural cooling minerals blend along with active wicking and rapid drying to keep you cool and confident all day long. The Southern Tide collection is also available at Dillard’s.
Trendsetters: brrr°, Chilling Out by Mary Ann DeMuth
At Atlanta-based brrr°, cool has become really hot. That’s because the textile technology company has figured out how to create yarn and fabric that can reduce skin temperature by two to three degrees, and national brands are jumping at the chance to make their products chill out.
The technology incorporates what brrr° calls the triple-chill effect, a combination of cooling minerals embedded in the yarn, accompanied by moisture-wicking and rapid-drying properties. Cotton, nylon and polyester blends; rayon; and spandex are among the types of yarn and fabric brrr° licenses to companies such as baseball cap distributor The Game, Greenville, S.C.-based Southern Tide clothing, The Gap, Jos. A. Bank, Men’s Wearhouse and DOWNLITE bedding.
Mary-Cathryn Kolb, a veteran of Tom’s Shoes and Spanx, launched brrr° in 2014 after pursuing the idea of clothes that could help people feel cooler – not warmer – and learning all she could about what it takes to be a successful startup.
“I always knew that I would start my own company one day,” she says. “I’d been looking for that window of opportunity to claim something as mine. That allowed me to be a great student of the companies I worked for, from operations, logistics, culture and management. I was able to conclude that you have to have the full package to be successful.”
She compiled a business plan and started raising capital, then quickly established a board of directors and began hiring her team of 11. Kolb determined that Taiwan, where she says leading-edge textile technology is born, would be the ideal location for manufacturing what she hoped would be an industry disruptor. She says it was critical for all these elements to come together fast and in parallel.
Kolb was fortunate to link up with launchpad2X, an Atlanta-based program that fosters the growth of female entrepreneurs. She also found support from Georgia Tech’s business incubator, the Advanced Technology Development Center, and Venture Atlanta, an annual conference that connects investors with technology companies.
“Atlanta is a welcoming community for startups,” she says. “I’ve had such pleasure to be able to grow with such like-minded people.”
In addition to fabric and yarn already being made into bedding, caps, men’s dress shirts and women’s clothing, brrr° this year will launch denim and a faux leather that will be tested in Ford minivans in China. Kolb says the company recently filed patents on its next technology, which she describes as “the Uber of textiles,” referring to the industry disruption she expects from the new products.
“brrr° is incredibly fortunate to have a great product that is selling in the market,” she says. “Our current customers have doubled orders [for this year]. All of this is happening because we have an incredible team. We all care about what we’re doing, we believe in the product and we’re having a good time.”
Source: https://www.georgiatrend.com/2019/03/01/trendsetters-brrr/
brrr° Chosen to Present at Venture Atlanta 2018
Venture Atlanta is the Southeast’s leading tech investor event,
with more than $2.6 billion in funding awarded to date.
brrr° has been chosen out of more than 1,000 applicants to be one of the 34 rising star technology companies in the Southeast that will present on stage at Venture Atlanta 2018.
The 11th annual Venture Atlanta, the Southeast’s premier event for connecting technology innovators and investment capital, will be held October 16-17 in downtown Atlanta. With more than 140 funds represented and 900 technology entrepreneurs expected to attend, this year’s Venture Atlanta is on track to be the largest yet.
brrr° will share the stage with other technology innovators as well as expert speakers including keynotes delivered by former NetSuite CEO Zach Nelson and former FireEye and McAfee CEO Dave DeWalt.
“We are thrilled to be chosen to present at Venture Atlanta as we introduce investors to brrr°’s growth story as a disruptive innovator in smart fabric technology,” said Mary-Cathryn Kolb, Founder and CEO of brrr°.
brrr° has developed cooling fabric technology that combines natural minerals with active wicking and rapid drying to create a “Triple Chill Effect” that draws heat away from the skin and won’t ever fade or wash out. Its patent-pending technology is tested by globally recognized independent labs and outperforms other leading brands.
Atlanta-based brrr° was chosen to be one of 34 presenting companies from a large pool of applicants to represent the region’s most innovative technology businesses, which builds upon brrr°’s inclusion in the “Startup Showcase” at the Venture Atlanta 2017 conference.
“For eleven years, Venture Atlanta has been connecting the Southeast’s best and brightest innovators with top-tier investors,” said Allyson Eman, executive director of Venture Atlanta. “This year, we’re thrilled to be showcasing the strongest and largest roster yet of both early and venture-stage companies. These companies reflect the incredible pool of talented people, and continued opportunities for growth and innovation.”
During the two-day Venture Atlanta event, presenting companies and conference attendees will engage with regional and national venture capitalists, investors and other key players in the current technology landscape.
The conference results in funding, national investor exposure and invaluable relationship building with successful technology executives. Tech Square Labs will return as the event’s premier sponsor, and the conference kicks off with Techstars Atlanta 2018 Demo Day in partnership with Cox Enterprises.
About Venture Atlanta
Venture Atlanta connects the Southeast’s most promising tech companies and entrepreneurs with top-tier local and national venture capitalists, bankers, angel investors and others who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. Now in its 11th year, Venture Atlanta is an annual nonprofit event that is a collaboration between three leading Georgia business organizations: Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). For more information, please visit www.ventureatlanta.org.
About brrr°
brrr° was founded in 2014 to develop technologically advanced fabrics with superior cooling performance to improve the items we touch in our everyday lives. brrr° enhances the comfort of business clothing, casual clothing, athletic apparel, denim, uniforms, sheets, and 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.
brrr° CEO Mary-Cathryn Kolb Named Small Business Person of the Year by the Atlanta Business Chronicle
We are honored and humbled to share the exciting news that brrr° Founder and CEO Mary-Cathryn Kolb was named Small Business Person of the Year by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Kolb was chosen as the winner in the Emerging Entrepreneur category, which recognizes the leaders of fast-growing businesses that are three to seven years old. The award was announced today at an event at the Atlanta Botanical Garden that was attended by business leaders and entrepreneurs from across the metro Atlanta area.
The other finalists in the Emerging Entrepreneur category were Annie Eaton, CEO of augmented reality technology services firm Futurus, and Joseph Corona, President of interior general contracting firm Cornerstone Contracting Group, Inc.
“It is such a privilege to be recognized for the hard work we’ve put into growing brrr° into a leader of cooling fabric technology,” Kolb said. “To stand alongside such inspiring leaders like Annie and Joseph is a tremendous honor, and we thank the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s editors and the panel of judges for their vote of confidence in our strategy.”
