Pertex®: Elemental Protection
21-11-09Pertex® make some of the most technical fabrics on earth, and we’re excited to be working with them as a new partner on our Zoa range including the use of Pertex® Shield Air, the brand’s revolutionary new high breathability waterproof fabric for high intensity outdoor activity.
Pertex was set up 1979 in Padiham, England as Perseverance Mills, primarily as an industrial textile manufacturer specialising in ribbons for dot matrix printers along with parachute canopy fabrics and other products.
The mill was approached by Hamish Hamilton, a climber and mountaineer, with a concept for a new fabric.
Hamilton’s original idea for Pertex was a high density fabric, woven from multifilament synthetic yarns, with the goal of providing a wind resistant, shell fabric capable of transporting moisture through capillary action.
First Ascent of Kongur, China by Sir Chris Bonington, Al Rouse, Joe Tasker & Peter Boardman (1981)
It is Pertex’s innovation which has earned the company it’s reputation with products such as Pertex® Classic, Equilibrium, Quantum, Quantum GL, Microlight and Endurance.
From the first Traveller’s Towel to the Pertex® and Pile clothing line and the birth of soft shells, the Pertex range of fabrics has been developed and refined over the past 30 years to ensure that the Pertex brand is synonymous with quality and innovation.
Today, their range of technical fabrics for outdoor activities is used by brands including Patagonia, The North Face, Rab, Salomon, Outdoor Research and many others.
Albion uses two main Pertex® fabrics: Pertex® Quantum and Pertex® Shield Air.
Pertex® Quantum
Products: Zoa Insulated Jacket, Zoa Burner
Pertex® Quantum uses a tightly woven structure to provide a light and soft fabric that allows insulation to fully loft.
Precisely constructed from incredibly fine yarns, Pertex® Quantum fabrics are designed to trap still air and improve the efficiency of insulation.
A durable water repellent (DWR) finish sheds light rain and snow to provide additional weather protection.
Pertex® Shield Air
Products: Zoa Rain Shell
Pertex® Shield Air is Pertex’s revolutionary new high-breathability waterproof fabric that has been created specifically for intense outdoor activities.
Pertex® Shield Air uses an air permeable nanofibre membrane, to provide extremely breathable waterproof protection.
The Shield Air membrane has a precisely tailored nanofibre structure, with a vast network of nanoscale pores. Allowing air to pass through for exceptional breathability and venting, without the need to build up excess humidity.
Combining this durably waterproof membrane with lightweight, soft and quiet face fabrics, Pertex® Shield Air provides unparalleled levels of comfort in even the most extreme conditions.
