Almost every big sportswear brand will have a technical fabric they’ve trademarked, from things such as Nike DriFit to Under Armour Storm. All of these technologies can be applied to the fabrics you can get milled with 7Active. Here are some of the technical fabrics properties explained…
- Wicking Fabric – a wicking fabric, quite simply, wicks aware moisture. In the same way a candle wick draws wax up the fibres to create a flammable surface, the fibres in the technical fabric pull the moisture produced up through the thread to then evaporate. The thread had a capillary element to it which, in a similar way to your own body, is small tubes that pull the liquid through the core of the thread, below is an ingenious rap loved by the 7Active office that explains it far better than I could…
2. Hydrophobic fabric. This technical fabric has become especially popular over the past few years, with brands such as Under Armour and North Face leading the way. Simply put, this coating doesn’t repel water, it just doesn’t attract it. The appearance of water on the fabric has the ‘water on a ducks back’ look to it, with it simply attracting to itself and leaving the surface of the fabric. I’ve linked you to Under Armours ‘Storm’ Range which indicates the kind of products hydrophobic fabrics can be used for and their premiums.
3. UV Protecting fabric. Another technical fabric we often produce is UV protection, during the milling process of the polyester used, a benzene ring is added that absorbs UV Light. Most dense 100% polyester fabrics will have a UV protection to a certain degree, but to make is a truly technical fabric additives will need to be used. UPF ratings below are categorised by the percentage of UV rays the fabric blocks, before categorising the fabric will be tested by SGS on behalf of 7Active.
| UPF Rating | Protection Category | % UV radiation Blocked |
|---|---|---|
| UPF 15 - 24 | Good | 93.3 - 95.9 |
| UPF 25 - 39 | Very Good | 96.0 - 97.4 |
| UPF 40 - 50+ | Excellent | 97.5 - 98+ |
4. Compression fabric. There are dozens of purposes for this technical fabric, from muscle tension relief to stabilising joints. Whilst they have no real proven effect of sports performance they can help individuals; with this technical fabric can provide impact protection, keep athletes cool or warm depending on structure and improve oxygenation to working muscles. Compression can be used across a variety of sports, with two extreme ends of the spectrum benefitting from one fabric. Speedskaters use compression suits to improve their aerodynamic levels, have wicking properties to the fabric and ultimately stay warm, whereas volleyball players can wear full compression suits to block UV rays, keep cool and wick away sweat from the body to prevent chaffing.
