Outdoor Research unveils three leading-edge apparel technologies, yielding better mobility and warmth

January 11, 2018

For Fall 18, OR employs new GORE-TEX® fabric with superior stretch, better insulation with Primaloft® Aerogel in gloves, VerticalX™ in jackets.

SEATTLE, Wash. – A commitment to offering leading-edge technology has always been a hallmark of Outdoor Research gear. With its Fall 2018 apparel and glove collections, Outdoor Research continues that trajectory with three new fabric and insulation technologies that result in superior mobility in ski apparel and more effective warmth in gloves and jackets.

Category leading stretch in ski apparel

With its new ski-focused Hemispheres Jacket and Bib, Outdoor Research is the first in the North American outdoor market to use new GORE-TEX® Fabric with Stretch Technology. This fabric offers unparalleled range of motion in waterproof shells with nearly four times the stretch of other waterproof fabrics with mechanical stretch. It also expands with very low applied force – roughly 25 percent of what is required to stretch other waterproof fabrics. That means the Hemispheres Jacket and Bib can adapt easily to user movements and more readily accommodate different layers beneath them. In addition, because of the way the fabric allows the garment to fit, GORE-TEX® Fabric with Stretch Technology also helps improve breathability.

The warmest glove insulation on Earth

In glove insulation, Outdoor Research is combining its decades of experience building highly dexterous, durable gloves with an innovative new material – super-insulating PrimaLoft® Gold Aerogel, a first in the outdoor glove category. Aerogel is the warmest insulation available today, and originally developed by NASA to insulate space suits. Used in the palms and fingers of the new Bitterblaze Gloves and Women’s Ouray Ice Gloves, Aerogel is a malleable solid made of more than 98 percent air and has incredibly low density and thermal conductivity. As opposed to traditional insulation, which traps heat, encapsulated Aerogel blocks cold from moving into the palms and also blocks heat from escaping. Moreover, Aerogel won’t compress the way traditional insulation does, which greatly compromises warmth. 

Synthetic insulation with better loft, more stretch 

In its Refuge Hooded Jacket and several other new pieces in the Fall 2018 line, Outdoor Research introduces VerticalX™ insulation, a high-performing, proprietary new synthetic insulation that has more loft, more stretch and is more effective at moisture management. Those properties stem from the fact that VerticalX™ is constructed using pieces of overlapping materials, which improves warmth and durability, and allows the insulation to stretch more inside the jacket. The warmth VerticalX™ offers is more akin to 700-fill down than most other commonly used synthetic insulations. In addition, the way it is manufactured without an internal backer, standard in many synthetic insulations, means there is less of a barrier to moisture moving through the jacket.

Apparel, sportswear, gloves and hats with depth, breadth 

Along with these three leading new technologies, Outdoor Research continues to refine its product collections for Fall 2018, as it does each season. For Fall 2018, Outdoor Research unveils 96 new or redesigned styles in men’s and women’s options across outerwear, insulating and base layers, technical sportswear, gloves and hats. In outerwear, Outdoor Research focused heavily on new ski styles for Fall 2018, focused on the brand’s outdoor roots by designing styles that work for backcountry travel or cross the boundary with feature sets that work both in bounds and beyond the resort gate. In technical sportswear, Outdoor Research continues to focus on versatility – products that offer outdoor style with underlying technical performance, so they’re easily able to transition between outdoor activities and more casual mountain life use.

Outdoor Research will show its Fall 2018 collection at booth 44030-UL at the upcoming Outdoor Retailer Winter Market show in Denver, Colo. From January 25-28, 2018.

About Outdoor Research

Outdoor Research® is dedicated to inspiring the journey ahead with award-winning technical apparel and accessories. Based in Seattle since 1981, we are committed to improving our customer’s experience through innovative materials, purpose-driven features, and versatile products that are backed by our Infinite Guarantee®. We rely on the real-world testing of our athlete ambassadors, mountain guides, and local adventurers involved in our core sports: alpinism, rock and ice climbing, hiking, backpacking, paddling, trail running, and backcountry skiing and snowboarding. We’re here for the fun, adventure, excitement, and For the Journey Ahead™. Get to know us at www.outdoorresearch.com or follow the journey via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

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