Home → Blog → Resources → What Is Cooling Fabric? Use High-Tech Fabrics To Cool You Down
If you’re an athlete who wants to enhance performance through temperature management or a high-flying professional who needs to stay cool under pressure, you need to think carefully about what you’re wearing. And you probably want to be thinking about cooling fabrics.
Designed to regulate your body temperature, reduce sweating, and enhance comfort, cooling fabrics are an excellent solution. They cover everything from natural fibers that perform incredibly well in warmer conditions to groundbreaking additive technologies like Polygiene® StayCool. As consumers become increasingly aware of the power of performance textiles, more and more clothing brands are considering cooling technology and incorporating it into designs.
In this guide to cooling fabrics, we explore what fabrics and technologies are available, how they work, and how they benefit users.
Cooling fabrics are textiles designed to lower your temperature in warmer conditions, ensuring you don’t get too hot. They achieve this in several ways. We’ll explore these in greater depth later in the article – but, for now, it’s enough to say that they most commonly do so by facilitating improved heat dissipation and moisture evaporation. There are three main types of cooling fabric material:
While some cooling textiles are specifically designed and engineered for the purpose (these are often synthetics), other textiles are just naturally good at keeping users cool (merino wool, for instance). In these cases, the natural fibers also tend to work effectively in cold temperatures and help users stay warm. However, cooling fabrics usually share a common set of characteristics.
Generally, the following qualities tend to set them apart.
Natural cooling fabrics include textiles like bamboo, linen, high-quality cotton, and lightweight merino wool. These natural fibers are effective cooling solutions because they are breathable and lightweight. Some, such as bamboo, contain micro-gaps that enhance ventilation. While others, most notably merino wool, are excellent at wicking moisture away from the body. For this reason, natural fabrics are a popular choice among users looking for apparel that helps them regulate their temperature.
The most popular synthetic materials with cooling properties are polyester blends that are engineered to emphasize the qualities mentioned above. They typically focus on improving moisture-wicking and quick-dry capabilities, and are regularly used by sports and athletics brands that want to enhance performance by helping users stay cool and comfortable during their chosen activity.
Additive cooling solutions are the most recent and effective cooling technology to hit the textile industry. As the name suggests, they are added or integrated into textiles at the point of manufacture. This ensures they can be added to almost any type of fiber, giving manufacturers greater flexibility. Though these solutions work in different ways, Polygiene® StayCool features moisture-activated cooling technology that responds to sweat by dropping the textile temperature several degrees. At the same time, it enhances moisture-wicking performance for even better cooling.
Integrating cooling technology into clothing and other textile-based products benefits users in several crucial ways:
Textiles that regulate temperature effectively do so in several ways. Solutions that combine multiple modes of action usually achieve the best cooling results.
Moisture-wicking is the process by which fibers move moisture away from the skin to allow for more effective evaporation. As evaporation requires heat energy, it cools the body. The core principle behind moisture-wicking is capillary action. This describes the movement of liquid through small spaces in a fabric without the help of any external forces. It enables the moisture to run away from the body to the outside layer of the fabric without being absorbed by the fibers. Synthetic fabrics often offer the best moisture-wicking performance, though merino wool is also extremely effective. Cotton tends to be the worst moisture-wicking fiber, as its fibers soak up a significant amount of moisture.
Breathability is also important when trying to stay cool, as good air flow helps speed up evaporation and lower your body temperature. Linen is renowned for its breathability and its loosely woven fibers ensure it is frequently used for clothes in warmer climates. Bamboo is also a great choice if you want a textile that provides excellent ventilation.
As well as excellent moisture-wicking properties for fast-dry performance, Polygiene® StayCool features an innovative moisture-activated thermo-reactive polymer matrix that cools the fabric between 2 – 3°C (4.3 – 5.4°F). This results in a refreshing sensation on contact with the skin and ensures users stay comfortable when body temperature starts to rise.
Polygiene® StayCool is a significant leap forward in cooling fabric technology. As an additive technology, brands integrate it into textile-based products during manufacturing. The solution binds to textile fibers and, with its thermo-reactive polymer matrix, responds to contact with moisture. It is compatible with various materials, including cotton, synthetic fibers, and recycled textiles, making it particularly suited for sportswear, everyday clothing, bedding, and workwear. It maintains its cooling effect for extended periods and boasts proven wash durability, guaranteeing continued freshness without compromising fabric integrity.
Manufacturers can employ Polygiene® StayCool in almost any textile-based application. Some of the core use cases include:
Athletic clothing incorporating cooling fabrics helps regulate body temperature, reduce sweating, and enhance performance. Brands utilize technologies like Polygiene® StayCool to keep athletes comfortable during intense workouts. This is particularly important in sports where heat significantly impacts a participant’s ability to perform, such as cycling.
Cooling fabric material technology is used in sheets, pillowcases, and mattress covers to enhance sleep quality. Bedding treated with Polygiene® StayCool helps regulate sleeping temperature to improve comfort and give users the best possible chance of a good night’s rest.
Polygiene® StayCool is also ideal for uniforms and professional attire worn in warm environments and climates. It guarantees greater comfort for employees who work physically strenuous jobs or in hotter temperatures.
However, it’s not just activewear and professional attire that benefits from Polygiene® StayCool. Manufacturers can apply the solution to everyday garments that are likely to be worn in warmer weather, too. Whether it’s a t-shirt, dress, or casual top, Polygiene® StayCool takes summer comfort to the next level.
Polygiene® StayCool is changing the way we think about cooling fabric technologies. While certain natural fibers have always been used to help keep wearers cool, Polygiene® StayCool enhances their ability to do so. At the same time, it enables manufacturers to integrate cooling qualities into textiles that aren’t naturally breathable or moisture-wicking.
Its innovative moisture-activated technology and cool-to-the-touch feel demonstrate the power of the next generation of additive solutions. Polygiene® StayCool also ensures users benefit from superior product performance while enabling manufacturers to distinguish their textiles from the competition. At Polygiene, we’re extremely excited to see the solution in action and applied to a wide range of textile products.
Learn more about Polygiene® StayCool.
