W.L. Gore & Associates Earns Gear Junkie Gear of the Year Award for new GORE-TEX Fabric with Stretch Technology

January 15, 2019

Editors say innovative new GORE-TEX material that allows four times the stretch of other waterproof fabrics is “unlike anything else on the market.”

ELKTON, MD – W.L. Gore & Associates, makers of GORE-TEX products, recently won a Gear of the Year Award from Gear Junkie, a heavily trafficked consumer media site that tests and reports on leading gear and technology in the outdoor industry. Gore won for one of its newest fabrics innovations, GORE-TEX Fabric with Stretch Technology, which offers industry-leading stretch in a waterproof garment – something Gear Junkie called “unlike anything else on the market.” 

“[Gore] crimped the fabric in a honeycomb shape so it can flatten out and then return to its 3-D shape. This creates stretch without relying on the mechanical stretch of the fabric itself … It gives the wearer unmatched mobility,” Gear Junkie editors wrote. 

Launched in the last year in consumer garments, GORE-TEX Fabric with Stretch Technology allows freedom of movement that was previously impossible in a waterproof fabric. This new fabric technology delivers a low barrier to stretch and high elasticity without compromising durable waterproof performance. GORE-TEX Fabric with Stretch Technology offers nearly four times as much stretch as Gore’s best previous stretch waterproof fabric technology. 

That means when strategically placed in a garment, in areas beneficial for mobility for different kinds of target users, GORE-TEX Fabric with Stretch Technology allows for better range of motion, and results in better fit. 

Unlike other waterproof fabrics which offer limited amounts of mechanical stretch by virtue of their basic materials composition, GORE-TEX Fabric with Stretch Technology employs a three-dimensional, topographic structure with built-in elastic properties. This three-dimensional structure is a key component in enabling the fabric’s unique stretch properties, yielding improved mobility. An added benefit is that thanks to better mobility, apparel is able to be built truer to a wearers’ size, yet still accommodate having insulation layers added underneath. 

The Gear Junkie Award follows on the heels of other accolades for Gore technologies. In November, Gore won two 2018 Gear of the Year awards from Runner’s World magazine for its GORE-TEX Invisible Fit footwear technology in running shoes and its GORE-TEX SHAKEDRY^TM fabric technology in the Gore R7 GORE-TEX SHAKEDRY^TM Hooded Jacket. In addition, Gore also earned a Gear of the Year award from Bicycling Magazine for combining GORE-TEX fabric with Stretch Technology with GORE-TEX SHAKEDRY^TM in the Gore C7 GORE-TEX SHAKEDRY^TM Stretch jacket. 

Gore revolutionized the outerwear industry with waterproof, breathable GORE-TEX fabric more than 40 years ago and remains a leading innovator of performance apparel. Gore fabrics products provide comfort and protection in challenging environments and in everyday life, enabling wearers to safely and confidently 

achieve and experience more. From hiking in downpours to military operations and fighting fires, Gore’s deep understanding of consumer and industry needs drives development of products with meaningful performance advantages. www.goretex.com

About W.L. Gore and Associates 
W. L. Gore & Associates is a global materials science company dedicated to transforming industries and improving lives. Since 1958, Gore has solved complex technical challenges in demanding environments — from outer space to the world’s highest peaks to the inner workings of the human body. With 9,500 Associates and a strong, team-oriented culture, Gore generates annual revenues of $3.5 billion. www.gore.com 

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