What is breathability?

We talk about the breathability of insulation, but what does it mean and why is it so important when designing apparel?

In short, breathability is defined by the rate at which an insulation allows moisture vapour to pass through, moving it away from the users body reducing the clammy feeling. With out Vivo Insulation ranges, breathability can be increased by up to 30% whilst 100% of warmth is maintained.

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We’ve all had that feeling - it’s a cold day, so you dress warmly for your run - then within half an hour exercising you’re sweating, feel clammy and need to remove layers. 

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Breathability of an insulation is influenced by the fabrics it's paired with. Therefore, when using a combination of fabrics in a garment composition, you may find that bespoke testing is required to conclude the overall performance of that garment. This can provide key data on warmth, breathability, air permeability and so on.

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That said, a balance of warmth and breathability is essential for the ultimate performance apparel. The use of outer fabrics such as PERTEX Equilibrium, in addition to our lightweight breathable insulation, lightweight linings and wicking fabrics, is a good starting combination for active breathable outerwear. Alternatively, using advanced hydrophilic or microporous membranes, or a hydrophilic coating, is another fabric option. We like to use GORE-TEX as it’s wafer-thin PTFE technology allows for both waterproofing and breathability.

A stretch combination has been proved to enable greater circulation of air and water vapour increasing comfort further in an active garment.

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As well as creating a breathable insulation fabric combination, there are other ways to improve the breathability performance of your outdoor apparel. Pit zips are located under the armpits of a jacket, allowing excess moisture and heat to be released without affecting other areas of the body. Another option is a mesh area. This type of fabric is loosely woven to allow air to pass through the perforations and therefore increase air ventilation.