(Andover, Mass.) - March 19, 2019 - Polartec, the premium provider of innovative and sustainable textile solutions, has been honored with a 2019 Editors’ Choice Award from Backpacker for Polartec® Power Air™, the first fabric technology engineered to reduce fiber shedding. One of the outdoor industry’s most coveted awards honoring best new gear and essentials for outdoor enthusiasts, the Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards are given annually to products in recognition of their outstanding innovation in design, materials and performance.

Specifically, Polartec Power Air has received a Green Award, which is given to companies and products advancing environmentally friendly gear. By encapsulating lofted fibers within a multilayer, continuous yarn fabric construction, Polartec® Power Air™ is a revolutionary new platform offering advanced thermal efficiency that is proven to shed five times less than other premium ‘mid-layer’ weight fabrics.

Insulation that effectively regulates core body temperature has traditionally been achieved via lofted or high-pile knit structures that hold warm air. Although Polartec is a leader in making resilient materials, it has recognized that any exposed fiber is susceptible to shedding as a function of normal wear.

As the first fabric construction to encase air with a continuous yarn, Polartec Power Air is a foundational technology platform that will eventually provide shedding reduction to all existing apparel categories (including insulation, lightweight next to skin, and extreme weather protection). The innovation has also gained recognition from the World Textile Information Network with its Future Textile Award for Best Innovation: Sustainable Textiles.

“By using the efficiency of encapsulated air to shelter lofted fibers, Polartec Power Air will drastically improve how fabrics perform over their lifetime with respect to versatility, comfort, and sustainability,” says Gary Smith, Polartec CEO. “We’re only beginning to realize the potential for this new type of fabric construction.”

“Backpacker gear reviews set the benchmark by which all others are measured,” says Backpacker editor-in-chief Dennis Lewon. “That’s because no other magazine or website conducts field testing as rigorously or impartially as the crew led by our Gear Editor, Eli Bernstein. Our core testers each have years of backcountry experience and expertise. Our transparent process has earned an unrivaled level of trust from readers, retailers, and manufacturers. The result? Best-in-class reviews that lead consumers to best-in-class gear.”

The complete list of BACKPACKER’s 2019 Editors’ Choice Award winners is viewable online here and will be officially announced to the general public in the magazine’s Spring Gear Guide, on newsstands today, March 19, 2019.

Additionally, Polartec recently announced its Polartec Eco-Engineering™ commitment to using 100% biodegradable and recycled materials across its entire product line through a partnership with Unifi and CiCLO. This new standard for sustainable textiles will include the creation of the world’s first fully recycled and biodegradable fleece, other knits, insulation fills and breathable waterproof fabrics.

About Backpacker

BACKPACKER (www.backpacker.com) brings the outdoors straight to our readers’ doorsteps, inspiring and enabling them to Get Out More. The authority on active adventure, BACKPACKER is the only outdoor media whose editors personally test the hiking trails, camping gear, and survival tips they publish.

About Polartec

Polartec is the premium provider of innovative and sustainable textile solutions. Since inventing modern technical fleece in 1981, the engineers at Polartec continue to advance the science of fabric, creating fabric technologies that solve problems and improve the way products are designed and used. Polartec products range from lightweight wicking and cooling fabrics, to insulation and weather protection textiles, and are utilized by leading consumer brands, the U.S. Military and other global militaries, flame resistance, workwear, and contract upholstery markets. For more information, please visit Polartec.com and follow Polartec on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.