an advertisement . please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view . february 2014 learn how and when to remove this template message primaloft tagline feel the performance type subsidiary industry manufacturing founded 1983 headquarters latham new york united states products synthetic insulation & performance yarn parent primaloft inc. website www.primaloft.com primaloft is a brand of patented synthetic microfiber thermal insulation material that was developed for the united states army in the 1980s . primaloft is a registered trademark of primaloft inc. the brand s parent company . primaloft synthetic insulations are used in the outdoor market in outerwear gloves sleeping bags and footwear . 1 it is also used as a down alternative in the home furnishings and bedding market in pillows comforters and mattress toppers . 2 in 2007 primaloft introduced a product extension of performance yarns . the yarns are manufactured with 100 % polyester or 45 % polyester fibers and 55 % merino wool . primaloft performance yarn is used in socks sweaters base layers and accessories primarily intended for the outdoor markets . 3 in 2010 primaloft was awarded compliance with the bluesign criteria for environmental impact establishing primaloft as the first branded insulation manufacturer to obtain bluesign s system partner status . 4 in 2015 primaloft was confirmed as the largest global supplier of bluesign approved insulations . 5 the bluesign criteria is designed for maximum resource productivity with respect to environmental health and safety . 6 contents 1 history 2 thermal performance 3 yarn 4 certifications 5 care 6 references 7 external links history edit in 1983 the u.s. army research laboratory in natick ma approached primaloft s former parent company albany international corp. a global advanced textile and material processing company 7 to develop a water resistant synthetic alternative to goose down for use in military sleeping bags and clothing systems in variable environmental conditions . the u.s. army was primarily interested in a synthetic insulation that would be comparable to goose down in weight compressibility and warmth but also retain heat while in the presence of moisture . in 1985 united states patent 4 588 635 for synthetic down was filed and ultimately approved in may 1986 . this original non woven insulation would eventually be renamed as primaloft one . primaloft was then established as a business subsidiary of albany international corp. in 1988 for commercialization . in 1989 the first commercially available primaloft insulated garment was manufactured by l.l.bean . a 1990 new york times article titled outdoor wear sorting out the choices featuring statements by edward howell then l.l. bean s director of product development featuring primaloft insulation as a high loft synthetic alternative to down with similar performance dry but superior performance wet . since then primaloft has gone on to become a major supplier of high performance technical insulation for the outdoor industry . on june 29 2012 primaloft inc. completed the acquisition of the assets of primaloft from former parent albany international corp. the company then became a privately held company as a result of the transaction . 8 primaloft inc. moved its headquarters to latham ny in december 2013 . primaloft was introduced into new insulation product segments as follows 1989 jackets by l.l.bean 1992 sleeping bags by caribou 1992 gloves by sand & siman 1993 home furnishings by lands end 2000 footwear by l.l. bean thermal performance edit wool has been relied upon for years for cold wet weather due to its ability to insulate when wet . down has been relied upon for cold dry areas but becomes a liability when wet . apparently the design goal of primaloft was to produce a fabric providing down like insulation effectiveness even when wet . 3m s thinsulate is another synthetic material with similar insulation capabilities . the original patent filed for primaloft insulation known as synthetic down and filed in may 1986 describes a particular mix of synthetic microfibers and macrofibers that compares favorably to down . 9 it was proven to provide an equally efficient thermal barrier be of equivalent density possess similar compressional properties have improved wetting and drying characteristics and have superior loft retention when wet . 10 the latter point illustrates primaloft s primary advantage over down . unlike down primaloft is able to retain 96 % of its insulating capability when wet by maintaining its loft and therefore is used in clothing and equipment intended to be used in cold wet conditions such as jackets parkas gloves sleeping bags and footwear . 11 the intrinsic warmth of a jacket is highly correlated to both the type of primaloft branded insulation used in the construction of the jacket and the thickness of that insulation . a greater thickness of insulation will ensure greater airspace in which the insulation is able to trap body heat . activity levels and warmth value of garments insulated with primaloft products is largely dependent on the wearer and the garment s intended end use . yarn edit products made of primaloft yarn are available in 100 % polyester or a blend of 45 % polyester and 55 % merino wool both of which provide high levels of comfort and moisture management for the end user . primaloft was introduced into new yarn product segments as follows 2006 socks by l.l. bean 2010 sweaters by exofficio 2011 base layer by adidas outdoor certifications edit third party testing and certification validates all performance claims published about primaloft products . a list of these certifications include thermal performance validations at hohenstein institute in bonnigheim germany thermal performance testing at kansas state university s textile and apparel research institutions iso 11092 certification for thermal wet dry performance oeko tex standard 100 environmental evaluation standard bluesign certification for environmental impact care edit according to the company website primaloft insulation products are machine washable in cold water and dryable on gentle cycle . garments are recommended to be tumble dried in a home dryer at low temperatures and the use of the extreme heats and caustic chemicals of dry cleaning irons and bleach detergents should not be used . 12 specific care instructions vary per garment . references edit brands using primaloft . retrieved 2011 04 13 . primaloft home . retrieved 2011 04 13 . primaloft yarn . retrieved 2012 07 02 . primaloft named first branded insulation manufacturer to obtain bluesign system partner status . retrieved 2011 04 13 . primaloft inc. confirmed as largest global supplier of bluesign approved insulations outdoor industry association . outdoor industry association . retrieved 2015 09 02 . bluesign standard . retrieved 2012 07 02 . albany international corp. history . retrieved 2011 04 13 . primaloft completes sale . retrieved 2012 07 02 . us patent 4 588 635 . retrieved 2011 04 13 . us patent 4 588 635 . retrieved 2011 04 13 . brands using primaloft . retrieved 2011 04 13 . primaloft care . retrieved 2011 07 02 . external links edit official website retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title primaloft & oldid 710853090 categories brand name materialshidden categories articles with a promotional tone from february 2014all articles with a promotional tone navigation menu personal tools not logged intalkcontributionscreate accountlog in namespaces article talk variants views read edit view history more search navigation main pagecontentsfeatured contentcurrent eventsrandom articledonate to wikipediawikipedia store interaction helpabout wikipediacommunity portalrecent changescontact page tools what links hererelated changesupload filespecial pagespermanent linkpage informationwikidata itemcite this page print export create a bookdownload as pdfprintable version languages add links this page was last modified on 19 march 2016 at 12 10 . text is available under the creative commons attribution sharealike license ; additional terms may apply . by using this site you agree to the terms of use and privacy policy . wikipedia is a registered trademark of the wikimedia foundation inc. a non profit organization . privacy policy about wikipedia disclaimers contact wikipedia developers cookie statement mobile view