Mostly known for its high-tech cold weather fabrics, Polartec has launched a new warm-weather technology called Delta, marking the company’s first entrance into the four-season market.
According to Polartec, Delta is a raised texture fabric, which is designed to manage heat. However, unlike treated or chemical-based cooling shirts, which can feel cold to the touch, Delta possesses what the company calls “metabolic cooling” versus the “sensory cooling”, which doesn’t feel wet or cold against the skin.
In the past, cyclists have turned to cotton, polyester or synthetic garments in warmer climates, but found them lacking because they either soaked through or weren’t breathable.
However, Polartec says that Delta sits in the sweet spot between cotton and polyester, shifting what it means to perform in warm weather. Furthermore, the fabric maximizes the effectiveness of the body’s natural sweat response, by carrying sweat and holding it next to skin where it most closely replicates the human body’s natural cooling processes – while still allowing the fabric to dry quickly.
In addition, Delta knits together hydrophobic and hydrophilic fibers, which results in the significant reduction in friction against the skin when you move.
While the fabric is still quite new, a few smaller cycling apparel brands have jumped on board already, including Kitsbow and Velcio with some of its base-layers.
Polartec is currently one of the title sponsors of the Alberto Contador Foundation’s RH + / Polartec Junior and Under 23 Teams, so its a safe bet that Delta will be featured in a number of bigger cycling apparel brands in the not too distance future.
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