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Fall 2019 Outdoor Research line leads way with higher-performing insulation

  • Ron 

Higher-performing outdoor apparel and glove insulation technology, alongside a bigger focus on sustainably sourced materials, takes center stage in the new Fall 2019 Outdoor Research product collection, which will be unveiled to retail partners in coming weeks.

In its new line, Outdoor Research will introduce a new, proprietary “active insulation” for more aerobic situations called VerticalX Air™, which offers better warmth and – simultaneously – better breathability.

OR also continues to lead the way in the use of Aerogel, an incredibly efficient insulation originally used in NASA space suits. In 2018, Outdoor Research was the first in the industry to use Aerogel in gloves, and it builds on that accomplishment next season with new Aerogel designs in gloves, booties and headwear – all with first-to-market applications of this high-tech material.

In addition, Outdoor Research continues to innovate with new designs in ski apparel, softshell pants and jackets, as well as a range of technical sportswear. Key stories for the coming season include:

  • The introduction of VerticalX Air™, a totally new, higher-performing and proprietary “Active Insulation” that offers better warmth-to-weight ratio, more effective breathability in aerobic situations, and better loft retention over time. That means users stay warmer when they’re not as active and are able to shed more heat and moisture when they’re on the move. VerticalX Air debuts in the Refuge Air Hooded Jacket and the Vigor Hybrid Hooded Jacket.
  • In many of its layering pieces and a number of new base and mid layers, Outdoor Research is using a dynamic thermo-regulating interior treatment called ActiveTemp™ that helps bolster the jacket’s ability to manage warmth. When the user is warm, ActiveTemp helps shed excess heat. When the user stops moving or is cold, it changes its structure to aid warmth retention. Alongside VerticalX Air, ActiveTemp is used in the Refuge Air Hooded Jacket and the Vigor Hybrid Hooded Jacket, as well as the new men’s Baritone and women’s Melody collections, which work as base or mid-layers.
  • In Fall 2018, Outdoor Research was the first brand to introduce Aerogel insulation in gloves in the outdoor and ski markets. For Fall 2019, it continues to lead the way as the only brand using Primaloft Aerogel insulation not only in the palms of a glove, but also in the fingers, a more crucial application of this super-insulating material since fingers more easily get cold. The new Inception Aerogel Gloves pair one of the most effective insulations known today with a stretchy softshell with bonded grid fleece on the back of the hand.
  • Aerogel is also being applied to a range of other innovative Outdoor Research products – underfoot on the new Tundra Aerogel Booties, and in key areas of the face in the Tundra Aerogel Balaclava, meant for the world’s harshest places.
  • In its VerticalX insulation (introduced for Fall 2018), Outdoor Research will move in Fall 2019 to using materials that are 85 percent post-consumer recycled content, which is among the highest recycled content in the industry. (As opposed to VerticalX Air, which is for more aerobic situations, VerticalX is built for situations where loft and warmth are more important.)
  • Across all of its collections, Outdoor Research’s Fall 2019 line is focusing on using more recycled and/or sustainably sourced materials. 67 percent of the outerwear collection has a sustainability effort associated with materials sourcing. An example is a new 100-percent recycled face fabric used across the popular Transcendent Down Collection.  This collection also features Responsible Down Standard (RDS) insulation.
  • In sportswear, Outdoor Research continues to keep technology front of mind, even if that’s not obvious by outward appearance. Examples include the Rocketman Shirt, a great-looking warm winter shirt, but one that’s woven with a grid-like interior, which makes the exterior more abrasion-resistant and the interior softer with better breathability, wicking and warmth.

Outdoor Research will show its Fall 2019 line to retailers at the upcoming Outdoor Retailer and Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Connect shows in Denver, Colo., Nov. 4-11, 2018.

Tags: breathability, Building insulation, change, clothing, collection, Denver, Glove, Insulators, Layered clothing, NICA, Primaloft, Sportswear, technology, winter, women
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