{"id":43165,"date":"2019-01-30T09:32:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-30T17:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=43165"},"modified":"2019-02-01T09:42:36","modified_gmt":"2019-02-01T17:42:36","slug":"the-north-face-futurelight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/the-north-face-futurelight","title":{"rendered":"Waterproof and Actually Breathable? Yes Please"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve all been there: soaked, not because of a torrential downpour, but because of the sauna-like qualities of a waterproof jacket. The North Face<\/a> is seeking to do away with this age-old tale with FUTURELIGHT\u2122, their latest waterproof, super-breathable fabric, which is making its debut in the outdoor industry at Winter Outdoor Retailer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor so many years we\u2019ve been changing our behavior based on the products, rather than the product changing its behavior based on the places we\u2019re going,\u201d said Jason Israel, global creative director of performance for The North Face.<\/p>\n

It was two years ago on an alpine climb when Andres Merin, a competitive ice climber for The North Face, said to Scott Mellin, global general manager of mountain sports for The North Face,\u201cThe [climb] would have been so much safer and more efficient if we didn\u2019t have to take off our jackets.\u201d Having to pause to change layers in exposed areas can put athletes at risk. That single statement launched the hunt for a new fabric that would seal out water and release body vapor more effectively than other waterproof and breathable fabrics, even in high-aerobic sports like alpine climbing.<\/p>\n

FUTURELIGHT is made using nanospinning technology, borrowed from the electronics and medical fields. Designers start with a polyurethane solution and extract that solution with 200,000 itty-bitty nozzles. When extracted, that liquid solution becomes 200,000 solid fibers which, when laid down on transfer paper, transform into mesh. \u201cAt the nanoscale,\u201d Israel said, \u201cthere\u2019s this really porous film structure\u2014that\u2019s the membrane. Under a microscope you can see the porous holes that don\u2019t allow water in, but let it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"White

Nanospinning looks like this on the micro level.<\/p><\/div>\n

This new membrane is not only super breathable, it\u2019s also very lightweight. Whereas other membranes in the industry are, at their lightest, 20 grams per square meter, this membrane can be as light as three grams per square meter\u2014which means designers have more freedom to create fabrics for everything from minimalist T-shirts to rough and rugged hard shells. All that technology results in a breathable, lighter, softer and quieter fabric. What\u2019s more, it has the ability to stretch.<\/p>\n

To tackle the research and development process, The North Face tapped it\u2019s impressive array of professional athletes. Their product designers administered a blind test, sending each athlete unbranded apparel\u2014some of it from The North Face, some of it not. Again and again, the brand received positive feedback on the breathability of its new fabric. \u201cIn all my years in the mountains, I\u2019ve never experienced a product that moved and performed as well as FUTURELIGHT,\u201d said Hilaree Nelson, captain of The North Face athlete team, in a press release<\/a>. \u201cIt is creating a new paradigm for what I expect out of a waterproof material.\u201d<\/p>\n

Critical to the innovation process was making sure that the garments were produced in as low-impact a way as possible. FUTURELIGHT is manufactured in a solar-powered factory and is comprised of nearly 100 percent recycled fabrics. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting to see a leading brand like The North Face bring a new technology to the outdoor industry that promises to elevate both performance and sustainability,\u201d said Genna Heath, sustainable chemical program manager for REI.<\/p>\n

But the innovation hasn\u2019t stopped with outerwear. This fabric has wide-ranging applications, including the cover for the geodesic-dome frame for a BMW camper. \u201cWe wanted to demonstrate that the potential uses for FUTURELIGHT technology extend well beyond apparel,\u201d said Ricardo Vengas, associate director of strategic partnering for Designworks, a BMW Group Company.<\/p>\n

\"BMW

Designworks’ camper concept on display at The North Face FUTURELIGHT Experience: Las Vegas 2019.<\/p><\/div>\n

FUTURELIGHT is already being crafted into The North Face\u2019s fall 2019 product line, with a focus on snowsports.<\/p>\n

Here at REI, staff members are ready to see it on shelves. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting to see new materials innovation happening in the snow category, especially one claiming to be the most waterproof and breathable fabric ever created,\u201d said Krista Hildebrand, senior category merchant manager for REI. \u201cThis technology will continue to push the limits on materials innovation … because a new standard has been set.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ready to see it in action? REI will be carrying a limited collection\u2014consisting of snow-ready outerwear for both men and women\u2014in October of 2019.<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve all been there: soaked, not because of a torrential downpour, but because of the sauna-like qualities of a waterproof jacket. The North Face is seeking to do away with this age-old tale with FUTURELIGHT\u2122, their latest waterproof, super-breathable fabric, which is making its debut in the outdoor industry at Winter Outdoor Retailer. \u201cFor so […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":43168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[724,1538,836,1483,486],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-43165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-snowsports","tag-gear","tag-new-products","tag-outdoor-retailer","tag-staff-business","tag-the-north-face"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/the-north-face-futurelight","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Waterproof and Actually Breathable? Yes Please","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/the-north-face-futurelight","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/the-north-face-futurelight"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/01\/FL_Expedition-5.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/01\/FL_Expedition-5.jpg?fit=2000%2C800"},"articleSection":"Snowsports","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Aer Parris-Hoshour"}],"creator":["Aer Parris-Hoshour"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["gear","new products","outdoor retailer","staff business","the north face"],"dateCreated":"2019-01-30T17:32:00Z","datePublished":"2019-01-30T17:32:00Z","dateModified":"2019-02-01T17:42:36Z"},"rendered":"