Cooling fabrics are becoming more popular than ever in ready-to-wear fashion. The question is, how do these fabrics work? These fabrics are designed to both enhance the body’s evaporative cooling mechanism (sweating) and to act as wearable “swamp coolers”. Sounds good, doesn’t it?!

The ”swamp cooler” concept is that warmer and dryer air that passes over something cooler and damper will become cooler. Ancient Egyptians used damp reed matts or clay pots filled with water in locations where the hot dry breezes would blow over them, resulting in cooler breezes on the other side. The cooler water uses the energy from the warmer air to help it turn from a liquid to a vapor (evaporation). As we know, the process of evaporation releases heat and therefore the air is now cooler than the air that has not passed over the swamp cooler. 

Cooling fabrics work when they are damp, either through perspiration or intentionally wetting prior to use. Once wet, they retain moisture (they are not fast drying) so that the ambient air passing over the damp fabric becomes cooler as the water molecules evaporate. The greatest temperature difference occurs when the ambient air is warm and dry. While there is still some cooling effect in warm and humid environments, it is less than in dryer climates.

Our Cooling Microfiber is used to make cooling towels. When worn around one’s neck, the cooling effect is very noticeable and welcome on a hot summer’s day!

Polartec® Delta™ and Coolfab Jersey are ideal fabrics for making summer tops for both activewear and leisure. You can either dampen your garment prior to wearing it or simply get hot and sweaty and then notice how the air above your shirt will not feel as hot as the air all around you. It should be noted that when making tops from Delta and Coolfab, they should have a relaxed fit so that air can move freely over and under them for maximum evaporative effect.  Shirt in photo on the right is Polartec Delta style 6087OR (white no longer available).