Sports and leisure

Concept III highlights permeable, wind- and waterproof laminate

1 February 2015

At the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, held in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, on 21-24 January 2015, Concept III of Red Bank, New Jersey, USA, exhibited a new laminate for outdoor, leisure and sportswear.

Yarn blends emit infra-red radiation to boost althletic performance

1 February 2015

Hologenix LLC of Santa Monica, California, USA, is introducing four new types of yarn based on its proprietary technology (Celliant) that uses minerals embedded in a fibre to convert heat into infra-r

Compression technology creates novel wool insulation

1 March 2014

An insulation made using a patent-pending compression technology applied to wool made its debut at the Outdoor Retailer (OR) Winter Market show in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA (held on 22-25 January 2014

GreenFields enters the North American market

1 February 2014

GreenFields has announced its entry into the North American market.

Synthetic alternative to down now uses recycled fibres

1 February 2014

A high-loft, lightweight, synthetic alternative to down as a thermal insulation material that is made using 50% recycled fibres was launched during the ISPO exhibition in Munich, Germany (held on 26-2

Active moisture and heat transfer based on natural materials

1 February 2014

Cocona Inc of Boulder, Colorado, USA, has rebranded its range of active carbon particles that are embedded in fibres, principally to accelerate moisture and heat transfer in the microclimate between t

Wear-resistant synthetic turf that can be fully recycled

1 February 2014

A completely recyclable synthetic turf designed for football (soccer) pitches is now available from GreenFields.

3M offers an alternative to down for insulation, even when wet

1 February 2014

Introduced as an alternative to natural down, 3M of St Paul, Minnesota, USA, unveiled its Thinsulate Featherless Insulation on stand 37053 at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market show in Salt Lake City,

Blend of down and synthetic microfibres for sportswear

1 January 2014

A high-performance blend of down and synthetic polyester (PES) microfibres is to be launched at the sports equipment exhibition, ISPO, to be held on 26-29 January 2014 in Munich, Germany.

Spread-tow reinforcement for lightweight bicycle

1 October 2013

Kemo Bikes of Zug, Switzerland, introduced a range of road bicycles at the Eurobike exhibition (held in Friedrichshafen, Germany, on 28-31 August 2013) that includes a top-of-the-line model designed a

Glove gives golfers real-time feedback

1 October 2013

A German company specializing in information technology (IT) systems for analysing sports performance has developed a golf glove that contains sensors designed to help the wearer improve their swing.

Antimicrobial treatment for down

1 September 2013

An antimicrobial treatment specifically developed for protecting down used in outdoor apparel is now available from Allied Feather & Down of Los Angeles, California, USA.

Cooling without chemicals

1 September 2013

A USA-based company has won accreditation for a range of textiles that provide a cooling effect without the application of any chemical treatments.

Fabrics based on merino wool

1 September 2013

A US company has introduced two ranges of fabric based on merino wool for use in sportswear.

Functional knitwear from Schoeller

1 August 2013

Schoeller of Sevelen, Switzerland, has revealed its latest ranges of functional knitwear for a variety of sports and leisure pursuits.

Treatment reduces friction between skin and fabric

1 August 2013

HeiQ of Bad Zurzach, Switzerland, is to introduce a topical treatment for fabrics that reduces their friction against the wearer's skin without adversely altering other important properties--such as h

Huntsman treatment makes athletes more comfortable

1 August 2013

A formulation that is designed to reduce the friction between the skin and a fabric, particularly a sportswear fabric, has been introduced by Singapore-based Huntsman Textile Effects.

Shock-absorbers for feet

1 August 2013

A range of low-density, durable, shock-absorbing materials has been developed for footwear by D3O of Portslade, UK, a specialist in impact-protection.

Inflatable thermal insulation

1 August 2013

During Techtextil (held in Frankfurt, Germany, on 11-13 June 2013), Techarme Textiles of Jhonli, Taiwan, displayed a coated textile used to make inflatable products that exploit the air in them to pro

Non-wetting fabric that can drain sweat

1 June 2013

Bioengineers in the USA have made fabrics that can suck water from one side to the other and then move it away along threads to expel it.

Base-layer garment to keep athletes warm and comfortable

1 January 2013

A base-layer garment designed for athletes undertaking strenuous exercise combines the moisture-wicking properties of polyester (PES) with the support and movement of elastane (spandex).

Lineo to supply flax reinforcement for road-racing bicycle

1 January 2013

Lineo of St Martin du Tilleul, France, is to supply flax fibres to the international bicycle manufacturer Merida for use in its latest model for road racing, the Scultura SL.

Understanding sweat and odours in textiles

1 October 2012

Test methods that quantitatively determine the interaction of textiles with the odours associated with sweat are under development in Germany.

Compression socks shorten recovery times for athletes' muscles

1 September 2012

Wearing compression socks does not significantly improve the performance of athletes, but can reduce the recovery times for their muscles, a pilot study has concluded.

Non-slip insoles for runners also help keep feet dry

1 August 2012

Replacement insoles for running shoes made by a Japanbased division of New Balance of Boston, Massachusetts, USA, will in future benefit from the inclusion of a strong nanofibre (Nanofront) of polyest

Additives for synthetic grass

1 August 2012

A USA-based manufacturer of additives for synthetic fibres has introduced a range of masterbatches intended for making long-lasting artificial turf.

Natural fibre-reinforced composites for surfboards

1 July 2012

An Australian company has begun making stringerless surfboards using natural fibres to reinforce the composites instead of the more usual carbon or glass.

Textiles aid rehabilitation of muscles following sports injuries

1 July 2012

A wearable exercise product that focuses on the rehabilitation, reconditioning and strengthening of the wearer's muscles has been introduced by a UK-based company that believes it has identified a nic

Hybrid knitting yarn available for sportswear and workwear

1 April 2012

A hybrid knitting yarn that combines the benefits of synthetic and wool fibres is the result of a research project in Germany.

Nanofibres used to make the palms of cycling gloves with good grip

1 April 2012

A Japanese manufacturer of sports apparel has chosen to use a polyester nanofibre for the palms of its latest gloves for motorcyclists and bicyclists.

Heat-reflective technology helps to keep synthetic turf cool

1 March 2012

TenCate Grass is to add heat-reflective (HR) pigments to all of its synthetic grass fibres (XP Blade) sold to the US market.

Lightweight, breathable zip-fastener

1 March 2012

A seamless zip-fastener that can be applied directly to a breathable membrane-based fabric made its debut at the ISPO exhibition in Munich, Germany (29 January to 1 February 2012).

Shoe insoles to reduce injuries

1 March 2012

An impact-protection textile based on silicone has found a new application as thin lightweight insoles for shoes, according to the technology's developer, Dow Corning of Midland, Michigan, USA.

Garment technology--the hidden star of the London Games

1 February 2012

Niki Tait looks at the impact that the latest design and technology is having on the biggest brands of high-technology sports clothing, including some examples of garments that will be prominent du

Airbags take to the mountains

1 December 2011

Skiers, snowboarders and those taking outings in the mountains can now protect themselves from avalanches with the Ride Removable Airbag System (RAS) airbag available from Mammut of Seon, Switzerland.

More shapes for filament yarns

1 November 2011

Italy's RadiciGroup has added new shapes to its range of polyethylene monofilaments, RadiGreen MFL PE, which are used as yarns in the manufacture of artificial grass.

Football pitch can be wholly recycled

1 November 2011

A leading amateur football club in The Netherlands can now boast an artificial grass pitch that is completely recyclable.

Insole offers support and keeps temperature of foot constant

1 October 2011

An insole designed to combine comfort and support with foot-warming technologies will protect the user's feet from cold weather, without over-heating them at other times, according to the USA-based co

Schoeller makes lightweight fabrics rain- and windproof

1 August 2011

Schoeller Texiles has introduced a treatment to make fabrics that are soft, lightweight, windproof and resistant to rain.

Continuous, simultaneous knit-de-knit texturizing of up to 12 yarns

1 June 2011

A continuous knit-de-knit process capable of texturizing up to 12 yarns simultaneously will be unveiled at ITMA in Barcelona, Spain (22-29 September 2011).

Polyolefin fibre for artificial turf

1 May 2011

Mondo Spa of Italy has developed a monofilament fibre with a special cross-section for use in artificial turf.

Colourfast fishing line with high abrasion resistance

1 May 2011

Honeywell International Inc says it has found a way to make fishing lines from polyolefin monofilaments that have superior properties when compared with their conventional counterparts.

TenCate Grass boosts production of fibre to meet sharp increase in demand

1 April 2011

TenCate Grass of Dayton, Tennessee, USA, has increased production capacity for its fibre, TenCate XP Blade, that is used in synthetic grass.

Polartec creates a breathable, waterproof membrane

1 April 2011

Polartec claims its latest performance fabric - a hydrophobic, microporous polyurethane membrane called NeoShell - is the most breathable waterproof available commercially.

Research offers prospect of much more comfortable sportswear

1 April 2011

Scientists in Germany claim their work will lead to the development of the next generation of breathable, functional textiles for sports and leisure wear.

Stronger monofilaments make artificial grass look more natural

1 March 2011

Ridged monofilaments with a cross-section in the shape of a sickle are stronger and diffuse the reflection of light, making them particularly useful in artificial grass surfaces, reports a company fro

Process makes yarns and tapes without drawing

1 February 2011

A yarn deliberately engineered for use in artificial turf is the result of development work by Colbond BV.

Windproof, waterproof membrane can be stretched 200%

1 February 2011

At ISPO Winter 2011 (to be held in Munich, Germany, 6-9 February), Toray Industries Inc will introduce Dermizax NX, which the company claims is completely water- and windproof, can be stretched by up

Outdoor performance apparel attracts innovation in the USA

1 February 2011

John W. McCurry reviews US developments concerning textile-based products for performance apparel.

Sports--a niche market with high added value and wide scope

1 February 2011

An Interactive Workshop on Sports Textiles held in Mumbai helped to highlight some of the key issues that affect this market in India.

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