Re: Anyone use Adidas ClimaCool clothing (not shoes)?
David Geesaman
news:5568815bor6fied6m...@4ax.com...
> One of the products they mentioned (and the only one I remember) was
> Adidas
> ClimaCool. Apparently, in addition to moisture wicking, it also has the
> ability
> to cool the wearer. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find out how it
> does
> this beyond vague mentions of mesh panels and increased airflow which
> helps
> regulate skin temperature. I did find this:
> http://www.adidas.com/products/techlab/content/innovation_zone/tech_lab.asp
> but I don't have Flash, so I can't view it.
>
> So, would anyone happen to know how this stuff works, if it works, or have
> you
> tried it or one of the other similar products that are supposed to be out
> there?
> I think the article also mentioned Nike, but I haven't gotton around to
> doing a
> search for that yet.
This fantastic technology is known as polyester. Yes, lowly polyester -
ClimaCool, Nike Clima-fit, Coolmax, etc get the majority of their
performance from the fact they are a polyester fiber. Even Polartec is just
a polyester knit with a fuzzy exterior.
It works because it doesn't hold water in the fiber - it draws it
outward toward the surface and evaporates more quickly (than say, cotton),
and provides an overall cooling effect. In this world of branding and name
appeal, each manufacturer has a premium name (and price!) for these
fabrics - but all provide the same benefits - they 'cool' the wearer when
it's hot, and keep them warm when it's cool. The only difference is that
the winter weight fabric is a denser weave than the summer weight fabric. I
sincerely doubt that ClimaCool or another brand is any different from a
generic summer weight polyester garment.
Dave
bj
news:d626o...@news2.newsguy.com...
>
> This fantastic technology is known as polyester. Yes, lowly
> polyester - ClimaCool, Nike Clima-fit, Coolmax, etc get the majority of
> their performance from the fact they are a polyester fiber. Even Polartec
> is just a polyester knit with a fuzzy exterior.
> It works because it doesn't hold water in the fiber -
It may be polyester, but it's not the same type, or maybe a different weave
or something, as those polyester shirts that make you feel like you're in a
sauna sweating your life away.
bj
David Geesaman
news:l%1he.3$5b1.1@trnddc07...
I get pictures of collared shirts from Goodwill :o).
But seriously, I think it's a waste to spend $60 for a polyester running
shirt under the assumption it's "special". Just pick them up a general
athletic polyester shirt from sierratradingpost.com at 1/3 that price.
Dave
Donovan Rebbechi
Most running clothes are a different weave to a typicaly polyester workshirt.
As Dave says, it's the weave that does the trick. Polyester is not
intrinsically a great material (it grabs water, polypro) but with the right
weave, it is still effective. As Dave says, you can get technical shirts at
very affordable prices at places like REI (or insport.com's clearance section,
or campmor.com or any of the other online discount stores)
Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi
http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/
bj
news:slrnd89f3d...@panix2.panix.com...
>>
>> It may be polyester, but it's not the same type, or maybe a different
>> weave or something, as those polyester shirts that make you feel like
>> you're in a sauna sweating your life away.
>
> Most running clothes are a different weave to a typicaly polyester
> workshirt.
> As Dave says, it's the weave that does the trick. Polyester is not
> intrinsically a great material (it grabs water, polypro) but with the
> right weave, it is still effective. As Dave says, you can get technical
> shirts at very affordable prices at places like REI (or insport.com's
> clearance section, or campmor.com or any of the other online discount
> stores)
>
I've found plenty of athletic clothes of all types at general discount
stores -- WalMart, Target, Marshall's, TJMaxx, Filene's Basement, Kohl's;
then there are outlet stores for Nike, Reebok, Adidas.
bj
lance...@aol.com
running
shirt under the assumption it's "special".
Well the they are special, imo. The version I have is "ClimaLite",
polyester and made in Indonesia. Much better than my new NB "airtek"
singlets, my RRS singlets, my asics crap, etc. imo it's the best
feeling top i've ever had. why? feels light and airy and damn near
like you're running with no top on....plus it does its technical job.
they feel very silky.
my complaint? i'm not crazy about the "cut". it's not really a
singlet and more so cut at the shoulders. i prefer a running singlet
cut. they also are not really made to "tuck in" as they have the
reflective stripe stuff at the very bottom...and the style of the cust
shows they're not made to be tucked in your shorts. they do have a
nice sidewall/panel creating a nice fit. mine were $10.99 are
Marshalls.
they're the best performance material i've used...and i have some of
everything out there.
Steve Hansen
>
> So, would anyone happen to know how this stuff works, if it works, or have you
> tried it or one of the other similar products that are supposed to be out there?
> I think the article also mentioned Nike, but I haven't gotton around to doing a
> search for that yet.
>
I live in South Florida, with 90+ degree heat AND 90+ percent
humidity, for 8+ months most years. I used Adidas clima-cool for a
while. Really doesn't make much difference. All of the 'wicking'
fabrics seem to work about the same. I prefer the ones that have
the fewest hard/rubbing/irritate stitched seams. The fabrics are
all about the same.
I have found that a much more effective method of shedding heat, and
avoiding over-heating, is just to plan my route. I note when
different people run their irrigation systems. Then, I plan my
route on hot, humid days to maximize the number of lawn sprinklers
that I can run through. Cold water from a sprinkler provides much
more effective cooling than any amount of sweat on any fancy fabric.
Steve
ChristyRunnr
> I live in South Florida, with 90+ degree heat
> AND 90+ percent humidity, for 8+ months most
> years.
Steve, I live in Miami, which is pretty far south. Based on climatology
data over the past several years (decades?), the average daily high
never gets over 87. Sure, you'll have an occasional string of days of
90+ temps, but not for more than a few days, and certainly not for over
8 months.
if you see kay
> fabrics seem to work about the same.
I'm not sure how much performance varies among wicking fabrics, but to
the extent that they do differ, it's no surprise that such distinctions
would be minimized in the environment you describe, where evaporation
just ain't happening. Running in 90+/90+, I think the physics simplify
to: fabric quickly gets saturated, then the rest of the sweat just
drips.
I also go for the most comfy, least nipple-abrasive, material and
figure the wicking ain't gonna be all that different. Another
criterion not oft-mentioned is that stink resistance could be a big
plus - face it, synthetics can accumulate and amplify a powerful odor,
though oxy-clean helps - some synthetics advertise this as well as
wool. For me, no shirt at all wins on both counts, but isn't always an
option.
Bumper
polyester. The actual design of the thread is what gives the ultimate
fabric most of its properties. So while a shirt made with a no-name
fabric will probably give some benefit, it is just as probable that the
"named" fabric will perform better.
All of that said, I seem to get the most benefit from the wicking
properties in milder to cold weather. In hot weather I suspect my
ability to sweat exceeds the fabric's ability to "wick" by a couple of
quarts and in our humid climate nothing really evaporates quickly, body
motion just seems to sling the droplets off on to unsuspecting
passerbys. My own use of poly shirts is based on the fact that it is
less likely to rend flesh from my body than a soaking wet cotton tee.
David Geesaman <dgeesam...@yahoo.com> wrote
Steve Hansen
Forgive me for having a mild case of hyperbole. Perhaps I should
have said 90-ish, rather than 90+.
I think it also varies quite a bit within the city. The weather
station at the airport is in the shade, in the middle of a large
field of grass. Parking lots and city streets are usually several
degrees warmer than that field.
Steve