Styrofoam Brand XPS Insulation - DuPont There is no good reason to continue buying down (or freeze next winter), and now you know why! Youngone, a global manufacturer of outdoor and athletic clothing, textiles, footwear, is leveraging DuPont Sorona renewably sourced fibre and Unifi Repreve recycled content to debut three new insulation products that offer soft, dimensionally stable and sustainable options for cold-weather garments and bedding materials . The Mens Cauldron Hoody and the Womens Dena Jacket are very good options for the coldest winter conditions, and both come with a relatively reasonable pricetag. Wanted to invest in a down jacket for the winter and saw the MA-1 Echo Flight Jacket. 3M Thinsulate is a unique insulation that works by trapping air molecules between you and the outside, providing a breathable and moisture-resistant experience, and its machine-washable. Down vs. Nature's best insulation, down creates high-loft clusters that keep air and body heat from escaping. It is hypoallergenic and mildew-resistant and retains most of its loft and insulating properties when wet. You can stuff a lightweight down jacketto about the size of a water bottle, and much more tightly than a comparable synthetic. The typical range is around 450 to 900, with 900 being the warmest and lightest but also the priciest. They tend to have a stiffer feel and are less compressible than short-staple insulations, but they stay in place so are less likely to create cold spots. Anyone have information on the down feather alternative called DuPont If you were to wear a down jacket when hiking or cross-country-skiing, however, you would overheat rather quickly. Just keep in mind that products with down insulation are typically more expensive than products with synthetic fill. MicroCloud achieves an affordable price point without harming birds, and the filling provides greater health benefits than down does. Less down equals a lighter product. The cost of down continues to risesupply is low and demand is highand its just not easy to get that super-soft goose plumage in the quantities that outdoor gear manufacturers need. Find materials, components, equipment, MRO supplies and more. However, youll find that goose down is often still used in the highest-end products because it canreacha higher fill-power rating than duck down. It offers all the benefits of down in a thin versatile material reducing cold spots and seepage associated with traditional quilted down and can be used in across apparel and footwear applications for the ultimate warmth and comfort. You dont get quite as high of a warmth-to-weight ratio as down, but synthetic jackets resist moisture, can breathe better, and are more Patagonias Nano-Air took the active insulation market by storm, designed to be a synthetic jacket that truly can be worn all day through a variety of conditions and activities. When it comes to the sustainability debate, neither down nor synthetic escape without blame. Synthetic insulation can also be pricey, and particularly newer high-end products designed to mimic down, but its still the cheaper option. In short, a good synthetic can keep you warm while still allowing enough air to escape. Whatever you choose; remember that there is an abundance of synthetic, non-down insulation options that can not only meet your specific functional and aesthetic needs, but also your budget. Down is such an effective insulator because it traps your body heat and keeps it there. Without a doubt, synthetic insulation is cheaper than down. thank you for this info It is calculated by how many cubic inches one ounce of down can fill in a testing device. This is an interesting topic: Down plumage is inherently durable, but down products tend to leak over time and therefore slowly lose warmth (if you see a feather protruding, massage it back in rather thanpulling it out). For even more categories, check out our ski gear reviews and hiking gear reviews, both of which cover almost everything you need to get outdoors this year. The material is waterproof, buoyant, and extremely lightweight, and it repels water. In order to shorten lead times, control quality and provide customers the best possible insulation options, Youngone has vertically integrated the manufacturing of components on site with garment manufacturing. And if you do make a purchase, we encourage you to be a responsible consumer and choose products with RDS-certified down or recycled synthetic fill. we and the birds Privacy Policy / CA Consumer Privacy / Terms of Use, Visiting from another country? Down soaks up water, clumps together, and loses its loft, thereby losing its insulating properties. Most synthetic fills are, at the very least, resistant to moisture. For sleeping bags in particular, its not a bad idea to use a simple silk liner to prevent your body oils from being in constant contact with the fibers throughout the night. Its the insulation of choice in cold, dry conditions, or whenever reducing weight and saving space are top priorities. Required fields are marked *. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Our fave down fill products: Indygena Women's Ayaba Leggero Coat They are, however, a bit less durable than continuous filament and the insulation can move around to create cold spots. Sorona is a co-polymer of 1,3-propanediol(obtained by fermentation) and petroleum-derived terephthalic acid(TPA) or dimethyl terephthalate(DMT). Which Winter Jacket is Right for You? Down VS. Synthetic Conversely, synthetic products have a limited lifespan from the start, but most can take a beating much better than down. Other people prefer synthetic insulation. Most sleeping bags are exclusively down or synthetic, but not all jacketsfall neatly into one category or the other: Keep an eye out for down/synthetic hybrids. Earn a $100 REI gift card after your first purchase outside of REI within 60 days from account opening. The higher the percentage of down, the better the warmth-to-weight ratio will be, and the higher the cost. Covation Biomaterials trademarks may not be used in connection with any product or service that is not a Covation Biomaterials product or service. Since the early 1900s, DuPont Sorona has been revolutionizing the world of fibers and polymers.