Military-Spec Jacket Material soon available to Masses

It was developed by Polartec LLC for the U.S. Special Operations Forces. Now declassified, a first-of-its kind insulating material will be used in jackets by outdoor brands beginning in 2013.

Called Polartec Alpha, the new insulation was announced last week. It is made in an East Coast factory where Polartec has for decades pumped out its famous synthetic fleece.

Like the brand’s Polarfleece fabric, the to-be-released Alpha insulation is a polyester-based material spun to specifications on machines in a Lawrence, Mass., mill.

Alpha was introduced with proclamations touting a miracle material that will “redefine the insulation category.” The company cited Alpha will allow outerwear brands to create the “first-ever breathable puffy garments.”

It will be on display at trade shows this winter for launch in outerwear lines later next year. Brands adopting Alpha insulation in jackets, according to Polartec, are numerous, including 66 North, Eddie Bauer, Eider, Mammut, Marmot, Montane, Mountain Equipment, Rab, Ternua, Terry Cycle, The North Face, Trangoworld, Vaude and Westcomb.

Made for winter jackets of the “puffy” variety, Alpha’s main competition is goose down and PrimaLoft, the latter a synthetic down. Polartec cites Alpha as a different makeup from either, something more like an airy fleece, not a loose fill.

Down feathers and most synthetic insulation can poke through permeable fabric. This means puffy jackets often use dense materials to encapsulate the insulation, creating jackets that may not let sweat and body-heat moisture easily escape.

As noted, Polartec touts Alpha as enabling the industry’s first breathable puffy garments. The fleecy Alpha material is an insulating mass that traps body heat. But it is also stable enough to be stitched into jackets that use highly-breathable fabrics.

Alpha, like PrimaLoft, offers insulating properties even if wet. Polartec cites faster drying with Alpha if it does get soaked in the wilderness. It dries “60% faster than other synthetic insulations,” said a company spokesperson.

Said Allon Cohne, director of marketing at Polartec, “Alpha will function as outerwear or as an ideal mid-layer under [shell jacket] fabrics.” He continued, a jacket with Alpha “packs small and can quickly recover from something as catastrophic as getting completely soaked while in the field.”

Tall claims, no doubt. But Polartec cites backing by no less than the U.S. Military, for which the magic material was developed. We caught up with Nate Simmons, a Polartec spokesperson and former global marketing director for the company, to get a scoop on Alpha and its potential to change the world of puffy outerwear as we know it today. —Stephen Regenold

Gear Junkie: What exactly is Alpha made of, and what does it feel like in the hand?

Nate Simmons: It’s a spun poly-filament polyester knit construction. Just the insulation alone feels kind of like a very light, open-knit, high-loft fleece. In a finished garment it feels like a traditional puffy just more breathable [when wearing it].

In the press announcements, why all the emphasis on U.S. Special Operations Forces?

This product was requested by the Special Forces and developed specifically for them. It is currently fielded with thousands of operators around the world and was one of the highest-rated clothing products they have ever tested. The versatility of the product and ability to insulate while wet and dry much faster than other products made this a standout product for them. It is now available commercially.

interview continued on next page. . .

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