Polartec LLC each summer hosts a program called the APEX Award to recognize “the finest Polartec-based products” of the year. Though all the featured pieces must incorporate the company’s fabric, the jacket and product designs come from dozens of brands.
Style, function, workmanship, innovation, and fit of the garments are the criteria. Polartec this year crowned 36 winning products from more than 100 submitted.
From next-to-skin base layers to a new kind of breathable “puffy” jacket, the products are a diverse mix. Congrats to the winners, who range from major brands like Arc’teryx and Cabela’s to niche players including 66°North and Dragonwear.
A full run-down is on Polartec’s blog this week, and the company will honor the brands at the OutDoor Friedrichshafen and Outdoor Retailer trade shows this summer.
—Stephen Regenold
