Outdoor Insight

P olartec recently announced the removal of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in its DWR (durable water repellent) treatments across its line of performance fabrics. By itself, this may not seem especially surprising, or new, as in recent years the Outdoor Industry has increasingly moved away from PFAS. However, what makes this announcement particularly interesting is twofold. First, it now includes the weather protection category of fabrics whose performance requirements have made converting to non- PFAS chemicals particularly challenging. is new non-PFAS treatment offers zero loss of durability or water repellency. Second, it's the latest milestone of a journey that began long before DWR even entered our acronym vocabulary. First the PFAS: In 2017, Polartec introduced the first fabric styles (fleece) using a non-PFAS DWR treatment. It wasn't talked about much, or if it was, probably referred to as PFC-Free (Perfluorinated Compounds only describe a small percentage of impacted chemicals- thus the current move to labeling these chemicals as PFAS). is modest first step was made out of pure necessity. As a maker of over 500 individual fabric styles, committing to removing 'PFAS from DWR' is easier said than done. Baselayers, midlayers, sweater weights, outerwear, and of course, fleece, all require their own unique and specific solutions to all facets of the manufacturing process. And all with their own performance expectations. However, a starting point was needed, and fleece was it. After the required trials and errors, the right non-PFAS recipe was discovered that could also deliver a similar level of performance as the former treatment. With this, 'lossless performance' became our objective and the standard on which all conversions were measured. is latest achievement not only converts the entire range of Polartec fabrics to non-PFAS DWR, it does so across its most uncompromising platform of weather protection fabrics: Polartec® Hardface®, Polartec® Power Shield®, Polartec® Power Shield® Pro, Polartec® NeoShell®, and Polartec® Windbloc®. "Trial results have exceeded even our expectations," said Mike Rose, Polartec VP of Product Development. "ere is no loss of performance from a water repellency or durability standpoint." While backcountry skiers might loudly holler their approval, fabric engineers are a little bit more reserved. Make no mistake, this is like shouting from the mountaintop. And only half of the story. For over 30 years Polartec has created premium, innovative, and sustainable fabric technologies. It's an unrivaled record of continuous innovation that has led to category-creating textiles to keep people warm, dry, cool, and safe. By engineering thermoregulation through textile construction, these benefits can be viscerally experienced by wearing garments made from Polartec fabrics, i.e., wearing is believing. However, over this same time period, there's been another force driving innovation whose benefits are not as easily noticed, but equally tangible and important: EcoEngineering™. I'll take the Performance Fabrics: hold the PFAS ADVERTISEMENT Polartec's announcement to use only non-PFAS finishes across its entire fabric range actually began as a three-decade-long exploration in EcoEngineering. Increasing the amount of recycled content across a diverse range of performance fabrics requires continuous innovation.

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