Slated to be introduced at January’s Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2017 conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, the new Black ThermoPlume is a synthetic insulation that looks and feels like down. It is comprised of small tufts of fiber plumes that mimic the loose fill of down. And just like down, Black Thermoplume is lightweight, warm, and compressible. When used in a jacket or gloves, it provides the equivalent of 550 fill down, but because it is synthetic, the insulation will stay warm even in wet conditions.
On the manufacturing side, the Black ThermoPlume is attractive to clothes makers because it can be blown just like down. The ThermoPlume is compatible with existing down blowing equipment, allowing manufacturers to produce both down and synthetic products with the same manufacturing process. “The new all-synthetic ThermoPlume from PrimaLoft enabled our designers to leverage the benefits of synthetic down through the same efficient production methods as natural down for our fall winter 2017 range,”said Lottie Watkinson, a design manager for clothing manufacturer Montane in a press release.
The first manufacturer to adopt this new material is the U.K.-based Montane, which is best known for the lightweight and breathable clothing and equipment it produces for extreme outdoor adventurers. The company will be using PrimaLoft Black ThermoPlume in its 2017 lineup starting with its new men’s Icarus and women’s Phoenix jackets.
