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Triple-layer merino jackets to increase performance

31 Dec '11

2 min read

Icebreaker is breaking new ground by fusing nature and technology to create water-resistant jackets made from the world's best merino wool.

The New Zealand-based company has two innovations in water-resistant merino outer layers for Fall/Winter 2012: Realfleece Nano jackets, and merino-insulated soft shell jackets.

Both lines feature Icebreaker's popular Realfleece fabric, nature's alternative to a synthetic fleece. The pure merino in Realfleece has been brushed to create a fabric that is lightweight yet exceptionally warm, soft and luxurious.

The new Realfleece Nano jackets are the Kodiak Zip and Kodiak Hood for men, and the Arctic Zip and Arctic Hood for women. Conventional water-resistant fabrics use chemical coatings that reduce breathability, causing clamminess and overheating, but Realfleece Nano jackets contain tiny nano particles that attach themselves to the merino fibre - leaving tiny pockets of air to maintain breathability.

While most fabrics have a large surface area for water droplets and dirt particles to cling to, nano particles have a ridged surface that reduces contact area and increases resistance to abrasions. Water, oil and mud simply run off, and any remaining dirt can be easily rinsed off with water.

The technology used in Realfleece Nano is accredited by bluesign, an independent global standard for low-pollutant textiles, environmentally-friendly production and responsible management of resources.

Icebreaker's second technological innovation, the merino-insulated soft shell jacket, uses triple-layer construction to create garments that are warm, windproof, water-resistant and machine-washable.

The Teton Zip and the Teton Hood for men and the Kenai Zip and the Kenai Hood for women have pure merino Realfleece fabric next to the skin, a windproof polyurethane layer in the middle, and a water-resistant polyester layer on the outside.

Rob Achten, Icebreaker Creative Director and Vice President of Product, says Realfleece Nano and merino-insulated soft shell jackets were designed in response to customer demand for stylish, water-resistant merino jackets. “Lightweight insulation is a major trend this winter,” he says.

“We're combining the best of merino with added technology for even greater protection against what nature throws at you.”

Launched in 1994, Icebreaker was the first company in the world to develop a merino wool layering system for the outdoors. It was also the first outdoor apparel company in the world to source merino directly from growers, a system it began in 1997.

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