Enhancing technical fabrics, especially expedition-grade weather protection for active wear, is not new. But there have been challenges. Extreme athletes—and even just us regular people—have often had to choose between waterproof wear and breathability. Waterproofing is self-explanatory, and often takes the form of a coating that is not breathable; but why is breathability important?

First, a breathable fabric is able to transport moisture (i.e., sweat) and release it through the material. And it also allows air to travel through the fabric to keep it fresh and avoid lingering odors. But these breathable fabrics may not do the best job in terms of waterproofing. Plus, design, manufacturing and coating strategies often use petroleum-based ingredients as well as other harmful substances such as polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that can be harmful to human health as well as the environment.

Polartec engineers took on the challenge of developing a membrane that can be sandwiched between two layers of fabric to deliver exceptional waterproofing and breathability in a relatively lightweight fabric, AND be PFAS-free as well as using plant-based materials where possible. The result is Polartec Power Shield.