Polartec

US-based Polartec is a leading manufacturer of many textile fabrics, including fleece. The company invented fleece in 1981 as we still know it today. Over the years, it has added numerous more innovations to its range. Today, therefore, Polartec offers more than 300 different fabrics to keep you warm and comfortable in a wide variety of conditions.

The birth of Polartec

Polartec began as Malden Mills, founded in 1906 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. In the late 1970s, in collaboration with Yvon Chouinard - owner of then-unknown Patagonia the company developed the synthetic fleece fabric called Polar fleece, which revolutionised the outdoor clothing industry. After a devastating fire in 1995, CEO Aaron Feuerstein chose to continue paying workers' wages and rebuild the factory. Despite financial difficulties and a double bankruptcy filing, the company was acquired by Versa Capital Management in 2007 and renamed Polartec LLC. Since then, Polartec has continued to innovate and produce a wide range of technical fabrics for various industries. They serve a wide range of leading brands in the outdoor industry. These include Berghaus, Mammut, Marmot, the North Face and Patagonia.

Mid-layer applications

As indicated, Polartec is the best-known player when it comes to fleece fabrics. The company has a huge range of different types of fleece. Many of these can also be found in the fleece jackets and hybride jackets and trousers on our website. We will now go over the best-known mid-layer applications.

Polartec Alpha

Polartec Alpha is an insulation layer initially designed for the U.S. Special Forces. These needed a superior insulation system for extreme temperature fluctuations that suited the several specific conditions during combat. The theory behind Polartec Alpha is that it breathes very well and dries very quickly, so you can keep an insulation layer of Alpha on even during strenuous activities. It lets air through just fine and dissipates heat and sweat quickly. Then, when you sit still and cool down, the fabric dries quickly and insulates you against cold. Polartec calls this form of insulation active insulation. Hence the name Polartec Active.

Polartec Classic: 100, 200 en 300

Polartec Classic fleece comes close to the original fleece fabric that rolled out of Polartec's factories in large quantities back in the 1980s. It is Polartec's basic fleece fabric. No advanced gadgets. Just high-quality fleece. The numbers 100, 200 and 300 refer to different weights of Polartec fleece, each designed for specific levels of warmth and functionality:

• Polartec Micro: very light weight and thickness. Baselayer or lightweight midlayer, ideal for active exercise or mild temperatures.
• Classic 100: light weight and thickness. Midlayer for active athletes or in mild cold. Good breathability.
• Classic 200: medium weight. Versatile midlayer for colder weather. Good balance between warmth and breathability.
• Classic 300: relatively heavy. Suitable for very cold conditions or as an outer layer in dry cold. Less breathable, but very insulating.

Polartec High Loft

High Loft is a type of fleece from Polartec, known for its exceptional warmth-to-weight ratio. It is designed to offer high thermal efficiency while being light and easy to pack.Compared to other types of fleece, High Loft is incidentally on the heavier side.

Polartec Shearling Fleece

Polartec Shearling Fleece is a type of fleece fabric that mimics the look and feel of natural shearling fleece. It combines the aesthetic appeal of this fleece with the advantages of modern fleece techniques.

Polartec Thermal Pro

Polartec Thermal Pro is thermal fleece, redesigned. Thermal Pro is an adaptable fabric suitable for various styles and applications. It is an advance on the original reverse shearling fleece with innovative knitting structures that provide breathability, warmth and durability in a variety of style options.

Applications for the base layer

Apart from applications with an insulating function, Polartec also makes materials more (but not exclusively) intended for the base layer from the 3-lagensyteem. We will cover these briefly below.

Polartec Power Dry

Polartec Power Dry is an all-weather base layer made to quickly wick moisture away from the skin to the outer layers during exercise. This lightweight, two-component knitted fabric is highly breathable and quick-drying and feels comfortable on the skin. It prevents saturation and regulates temperature with efficient moisture management technology.

Polartec Power Grid

Polartec Power Grid is a lightweight fleece base layer designed to optimise and regulate body temperature. The patented two-component grid fabric knit construction wicks away moisture and transports it to outer layers for rapid evaporation. The grid design creates open air channels to increase breathability and reduce bulk, while improving thermoregulation.

Polartec Power Stretch

Polartec Power Stretch is a flexible form-fitting 4-way stretch fabric. Designed for resilience and comfortable warmth with a low-friction, highly breathable and moisture-wicking dual surface.

Polartec Power Stretch Pro

Polartec Power Stretch Pro is a strong, flexible, stretchy, form-fitting material. The dual surface of Power Stretch Pro is designed for resilience and comfortable warmth with a low-friction, abrasion-resistant nylon stretch layer. It is a highly breathable and moisture-wicking base layer.

Polartec Power Wool

Power Wool is a technical textile designed by Polartec to combine the best of both worlds: the natural properties of merino wool and the performance of synthetic fibres, such as polyester. The inner layer is made of merino wool. The layer lies against the skin and provides natural temperature regulation, breathability and odour control. The outer layer is made of synthetic material (such as polyester). This layer provides quick-drying properties, extra durability and moisture wicking. As a result, sweat is efficiently wicked away from the skin to the outside. Power Wool is suitable for intensive activities where temperature regulation and moisture management are essential, such as skiing, trailrunning, hiking or climbing.