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| | Malden Mills: Polartec, Polarfleece, Powerstretch and Powerdry are all registered trade marks of fabrics made by Malden Mills. | |
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Wool : | | |
Why wool as opposed to synthetic fabrics? And why Merino as opposed to ordinary wool? Well here is what Icebreaker say:
Icebreaker Merino vs Synthetics?
Synthetic fibres such as polypropylene or polyester have a much simpler structure. They are made from melting, extruding and setting a petrochemical-based product, similar to plastic. The fibre can't breathe, absorb or release moisture. When knitted into fabric, they are limited to one-way moisture movement, with limited breathability, which can create a chill zone when moisture sits on the outside of the fabric. Icebreaker merino has the ability to absorb and release moisture, to cool or warm the body, thus regulating temperature.
You‘ll warm up quickly but not overheat due to the exceptional breathability of the fabric.
Icebreaker Merino vs Traditional?
Compared to traditional wool, the merino fibre is a fraction of the diameter, which is one of the reasons why your icebreaker doesn't itch. The large scales on traditional wool act like barbs against sensitive skin. Merino feels like silk.
In practice, wool can take longer to dry out than synthetic fibres, but it is more comfortable to wear, keeps you warm when it is wet and smells far less when used for highly aerobic activities. | |
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Powerdry : | | |
Polartec® Power Dry® is an extremely lightweight and thin quick-wicking fabric. Ideal for wearing under motorbike helmets etc and for use in mountain marathon type events. | |
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Powerstretch/Microfleece : | | |
Polartec® Power Stretch® is a very lightweight and stretchy fabric that is none-the-less very warm and quickdrying though not especially windproof. It is idealy suited to emergency use in summer and high aerobic activities in winter.
Microfleece is a similar weight to Power Stretch but is usually a bit cheaper as it comes from many sources. | |
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Polartec 200 : | | |
Polartec® 200 is ideal winterwear for many activities. It is light, warm, highly breathable and quickdrying. The only thing it isn't is windproof. | |
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Windstopper, Windbloc, Wind Pro and Soft Shell : | | |
In many ways Gore Windstopper® is ideally suited to hats: it is lightweight and highly windproof. However it can cause condensation problems, does not work so well when it is wet, and makes it difficult to hear well if it covers your ears. The latter problem can be solved to some extent by obtaining a hole punch and making a series of small holes in the cloth in the vicinity of each ear. | | |
Polartec® Windbloc® fabrics combine the warmth of Polartec® thermal fabrics with a polyurethane barrier membrane that allows moisture vapor transmission and is completely windproof and waterproof - in other words it has similar advatages and disadvantages as Windstopper. | | |
Polartec® Windpro® is not as windproof as Windstopper or Windbloc but as it has no membrane it has none of the problems associated with Windstopper. It is made by increasing the density of the weave and is about 4 x more wind resistant than standard fleece. | | |
Soft Shell fabrics such as Polartec® Power Shield® feature a smooth, tightly woven nylon face for abrasion resistance equal or superior to the best waterproof shells, but without the stiffness and noise. A polyester velour back traps air and provides a high warmth-to-weight ratio. Soft Shells protect against all but driving rain but give much greater breathability than waterproofs as a rule, though their ratio of wetherproofness vs breathability depends on whether they have a membrane in or not - a membrane will reduce breathablity but increase waterproofness. | |
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Waterproof Hats : | | |
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Sun Hats : | | |
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| | Prices: Please note that all our prices are in UK Pounds Sterling (£) including VAT (see below). An approximate price in US$ is shown in brackets. To work out a more accurate price please click for a Currency Convertor.BMC Members: We regret that we cannot offer a free UK postage service to all and do BMC discount as well. BMC discount is available only to personal callers at the shop. VAT: Included in the price shown is European sales tax (VAT) of 15% on most items, which non-European Economic Community (EEC) buyers should not have to pay. Click for our notes for Overseas Buyers. Stock Levels: Stock Levels are now indicated for many items - please click to see why these will not always be 100% accurate and why a zero stock level does not mean you can't order - Stock Levels more.... *Postage: is FREE for most UK Orders (some particularly heavy low profit items are excepted - this is clearly indicated for those items - they are mainly books). Overseas buyers please follow the ordering process through the first two stages for an estimate of postage costs - you can then cancel the order if you wish. NB Parcels will almost certainly have to be signed for, and are likely to be sent by a Carrier who may not have a depot near where you live. It is worth including a trusted neighbour's details, or having your goods sent to your work address. Please click for more details on UK Deliveries and Overseas Deliveries. Sizing: All our boot sizes are in UK (7, 7.5, 8 etc) or European Sizes (41, 42, 43 etc). Click for a Boot Size Conversion Chart. For assistance with UK women's clothing sizes, click for a Clothing Size Conversion Chart. Web order not worked? Please email info@needlesports.com or ring 017687 72227. Please rest assured - we will not use your email address for any reason other than to contact you regarding the order you have placed, and we will never pass on your email address to a third party.
This means that if you wish to receive notification of special offers and other news, then you need to opt in and Register. Also, your credit card details are only obtained on a secure server - this is notified by the golden padlock symbol that appears when you reach this stage of your order. |
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