Materials

The items you can find on our website are made of a wide range of different materials. On this page, we try to explain exactly what each material is. After all, we can well imagine that this is not always clear when reading certain product texts or product features. The materials on this page are categorised into three different groups. First of all, there are the synthetic materials. These materials are also called artificial fibres. They are materials that are man-made. Usually based on petroleum. Then there are the natural materials. These are materials derived from plants, animals or minerals from nature. Finally, you have the group of semi-synthetic materials. These are natural materials that are processed with chemicals.

Acrylic

- synthetic -

See the material polyacrylic.

Aramid

- synthetic -

Aramid - an amalgamation of the words aromatic polyamides - is a group of highly abrasion-resistant and heat-resistant synthetic fibres. They are mainly used for clothing for firefighting, aerospace or military purposes, but occasionally also find their way into the outdoor industry.

Down

- natural (animal) -

By down, we mean the soft fluffy underlayer of ducks or geese. In our blog all about down, we tell you much more about it. Including the properties of this material. Apart from some exceptions, down is only used as insulation in clothing and sleeping bags.

Elastane

- synthetic -

Elastane is a very elastic and strong synthetic textile fibre made of polyurethane. When you stretch a product with elastane in it, it will then return to its original shape. The material is therefore widely used in clothing that needs to be elastic. In English (but sometimes also in Dutch) you will come across elastane under the name Spandex or under the brand names Dorlastan or Lycra. Elastane, together with other materials, is used mainly in thermal clothing, softshells and leggings.

Hemp

- natural (plant-based) -

Hemp is a natural textile fibre made from the stalks of the hemp plant. Hemp retains little air and therefore feels fresh and cool. Thanks to hemp's anti-bacterial properties, it's also odor neutralizing. Hemp is also naturally UV-resistant. All these properties mean that we see it used mainly in summer shirts and trousers. However, combined with other materials, it can also be found in warmer clothing.

Hemp is one of the most sustainable clothing materials. This is because the hemp plant requires relatively little water. It also has few natural enemies, so pesticide control is often not necessary. Hemp also grows quickly, so weeds have little chance and do not need to be controlled. All this in turn ensures that the hemp used by the outdoor industry is often (but certainly not always) of organic origin.

Kapok

- natural (plant-based) -

Kapok is a natural hollow fibre with excellent moisture-regulating and insulating properties. The fibre comes from the fruit pods of the kapok tree. Kapok is not (yet) widely used in the outdoor industry. However, we do occasionally come across it as an insulating material in, for example, insulating jackets or sleeping bags.

Cotton

- natural (plant-based) -

Cotton is a natural product that comes from the cotton plant.Cotton fibres - the seed fluff of the cotton plant - are spun into threads that are then used to make soft, breathable textiles.Cotton is very firm, is moisture-absorbent and breathable, making it pleasant to the skin.It is also easy to clean. However, cotton also does not dry as quickly, so it is not the first choice in the outdoor world in all situations.

Basically, cotton is very sustainable. It is biodegradable and easily recyclable.In addition, little CO2 is released during production.However, cotton production requires a lot of land.A lot of water is also used in production and a lot of fertilisers, pesticides and chemicals are used during cultivation.

Synthetic leather

- synthetic -

Synthetic leather - also called imitation leather, Faux leather or vegan leather - imitates the properties of real leather. Synthetic leather is not made from animal skin, but from various synthetic materials, such as PVC and polyurethane.

Leather

- natural (animal-based) -

Leather is a material made from the skin of animals, mostly cattle, but other animals such as sheep, goats, deer, pigs and exotic animals can also be used. Leather is a very strong material and - if properly maintained - it has a long lifespan. Leather naturally breathes very well. Combined with leather's flexibility, this makes it very comfortable to wear. As mentioned, leather comes from animals which makes it important to check carefully whether it comes from ethically responsible producers. As more non-animal forms of leather have been continuously added in recent years and serve an increasing share of the leather market, the term animal leather is also regularly used to refer to leather originating from animal skins.

Lycra

- synthetic -

Lycra is a brand name for the material elastane. Lycra is so widely presented as a separate material that we decided to include it in this overview.

Lyocell

- semi-synthetic -

Lyocell is a type of fibre produced from cellulose, an organic material derived mainly from wood pulp. Lyocell fibres are soft, strong and have high absorbency. They are also known for their comfortable and breathable properties, making them particularly suitable for hot weather. Austrian company Lenzing is a well-known producer of lyocell and offers it on the market under the brand name Tencel. Lyocell is considered the sustainable variant of viscose. In fact, a lot fewer chemicals are used in its production.

Neoprene

- synthetic -

Neoprene, also known as polychloroprene, is a synthetic rubber. Neoprene is not waterproof, but it has very good insulating properties. Neoprene is best known as the main material for diving suits and wetsuits. We also encounter neoprene in some winter gloves.

Nylon

- synthetic -

Nylon is a brand name of DuPont. The terms polyamide and nylon are often used as if they mean the same thing, but this is not quite correct. In fact, nylon is a specific form of polyamide. However, in most cases it does refer to nylon when we talk about polyamide. The fact that the terms are often mixed up is therefore not very surprising. As a matter of fact, we merrily participate in this too. If there is nylon in a specific product, we refer to it as polyamide.

polyacrylic

- synthetic -

Polyacrylic (often called just acrylic) is a strong and soft synthetic fibre that is widely used as an alternative to or together with wool. Compared to wool, polyacrylic has a number of favourable properties. It is lighter, stronger, shrinks less, does not stretch, does not itch and is cheaper. However, polyacrylic breathes a lot less. So you will get hot and sweat faster. In addition, polyacrylic can also get fluffy. As a synthetic material, it is also less durable than materials such as wool. Polyacrylic is used as one of the materials in gloves and socks.

Polyamide

- synthetic -

Polyamide, sometimes abbreviated to PA, is a synthetic fibre widely used in the clothing and outdoor industries. Polyamide has good breathability, is strong and hard-wearing, dries quickly, is wrinkle-free and lightweight. Polyamide does not absorb moisture, but transports it outside. We find polyamide very often as the protective material of the membrane in hardshell clothing and of insulation material in (down) insulation jackets and sleeping bags. It is also widely used as the base material of tent fabric in lightweight tents. However, the applications of polyamide in the clothing and outdoor industries are endless. It would go too far to list them all here.

Polyamide is made from petroleum and is therefore not biodegradable. Fortunately, polyamide can be easily recycled. Many of our brands are also increasingly switching to recycled polyamide. Because polyamide is very hard-wearing, its products generally last much longer than products made of natural fabrics.

Polyester

- synthetic -

Polyester is the most widely used synthetic fibre in the clothing industry. There are good reasons for this. It breathes extremely well, it hardly wrinkles, is hardwearing, is very colourfast and can withstand a wash (it does not shrink easily). Polyester also mixes well with other fabrics such as wool and cotton, allowing the advantages of both fabrics to be exploited. Like polyamide, polyester does not absorb moisture, but transports it outside. Of course, we find polyester not only in clothing, but also in many other segments of the outdoor industry. Think, for example, of tents, sleeping bags, sleeping mats or hiking shoes.

Another similarity with polyamide, is that polyester is made from petroleum and is therefore not biodegradable. It can, however, be recycled well. As you can see, the similarities with polyamide are huge. However, there are differences. For instance, polyamide is even slightly stronger than polyester, but it is also slightly more sensitive to heat and thus needs to be washed at lower temperatures. Also, polyamide is slightly more expensive than polyester.

Polyethylene

- synthetic -

Polyethylene is a plastic material belonging to the group of polyolefins. The material is also known as PE or HDPE plastic (high density polyethylene). Polyethylene, which is easily recyclable, is used by Gore-Tex in an expanded form for its new ePE membranes. PE does not belong to the PFC/PFAS family. Polyethylene is particularly encountered as membranes. in waterproof products.

Polylactide

- synthetic -

Polylactide, abbreviated PLA and also known as polylactic acid, is a thermoplastic polymer made from lactic acid. Polylactide is produced from renewable vegetable raw materials, such as sugar cane, sugar beet, cassava and maize starch. PLA is in principle biodegradable. We write ‘in principle’ here because it requires specific conditions that can often only be guaranteed by specialist companies. Polylactide, for example, will not dissolve in water or decompose if discarded in nature. PLA can be very well recycled. In the outdoor industry, we sometimes encounter polylactide in insulating jacket fillings. Often combined with other materials.

Polypropylene

- synthetic -

Polypropylene, abbreviated PP, is a polymer used for many different applications, including in the outdoor industry. Polypropylene is strong, hard-wearing and colourfast, does not absorb moisture and dries very quickly (even more so than polyester). In addition, it is non-static and antibacterial. However, polypropylene is more sensitive to UV radiation than most other synthetic fibres. As a result of these properties, we therefore see polypropylene used mainly in thermal clothing and socks.

Polytetrafluoroethylene

- synthetic -

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) - better known by the brand name Teflon - is a chemical compound discovered in 1938 by the company DuPont. PTFE belongs to the PFAS family and has many applications. Think of the non-stick coating in frying pans or making clothes water-repellent and waterproof. In an expanded form, polytetrafluoroethylene (ePFTE) is used by Gore-Tex as the main material for many of its membranes. Polytetrafluoroethylene is therefore mainly found in waterproof products in the outdoor industry.

Polyurethane

- synthetic -

Polyurethane (PU) is a family of polymers widely used in the outdoor and apparel industries. It can be used in many different forms. For example, in the form of foam (PUR foam), as a synthetic fibre or as a hard or rubbery plastic. As you have already read on this page, elastane is made from it. As are some forms of artificial leather. Polyurethane can also be used to make waterproof breathable membranes, as Dermizax does. We also come across polyurethane as a coating on rainwear or tents.

Spandex

- synthetic -

Spandex is an different name for the material elastane.

Tencel

- semi-synthetic -

See the material lyocell.

Viscose

- semi-synthetic -

Viscose is a fabric made from natural wood fibres such as cellulose in wood pulp, bamboo or cotton. This is done through a chemical process, which makes viscose a semi-natural (semi-synthetic) fibre. Viscose otherwise has the same properties as lyocell, which it otherwise shares many similarities with. The difference between the two materials is mainly in the production process. Lyocell is considered the more environmentally friendly of the two.

Wool

- natural (animal-based) -

Wool is a natural fibre derived from the fur of animals. High-quality wool offers warmth while remaining breathable. Although most wool comes from sheep, there are also wool varieties from goats, alpacas, yaks and other animals. Although there are many types of wool, we can attribute some common properties to wool. For instance, wool has excellent insulating properties, retaining heat well. It creates a layer of air that helps to retain body heat even in cold and humid conditions. Wool also has excellent breathability. It can also absorb up to 30% of its own weight in moisture without feeling wet. Wool is very strong and retains its shape and structure even after prolonged wear. This is due to its natural elasticity, which means it always returns to its original shape after use. Moreover, wool is fire-resistant and water- and dirt-repellent.

One disadvantage of wool is that it is a bit harder to wash. For instance, it shrinks quite quickly. In addition, some people also find wool itchy. Especially when it involves thicker wool fibres. Not all wools have this property. Merino wool, for example. Read more about this widely used type of wool in our blog on the properties of merino wool.

Another common term in the world of wool is pure new wool. This is a protected textile quality label and cannot simply be ‘stuck’ on a product by manufacturers. Only the directly processed, first shearling from healthy living sheep may be called pure new wool. Unlike ordinary wool, these wool fibres have a natural lustre. In addition, pure new wool must also be free of chemicals, contain no synthetic components and have not been dyed.

Silk

- natural (animal-based) -

Silk is a natural fibre derived from the silkworm. The fabric is smooth, strong and has a fine sheen. It is also quite elastic. Silk is also anti-bacterial and isothermal. The latter means that it feels cold in hot weather and warm in cold weather. As silk thread is the finest of all natural fibres, it requires careful handling when washing.

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