Breath Thermo technology enhanced thanks to the collaboration with Woolmark and Mizuno
For over 30 years, Breath Thermo has been one of the most innovative materials for technical winter clothing, originally designed as a synthetic fiber base layer capable of absorbing moisture and retaining body heat. Thanks to a collaboration with Woolmark, the technology has been further evolved by integrating Merino wool to increase comfort, performance, and thermal management.
4Outdoor is also on Whatsapp. Just click here to subscribe to the channel and stay up to date.
Merino Wool Breath Thermo Baselayer and Leggings: Comfort and Protection in Extreme Conditions
The new versions of the Merino Wool Breath Thermo base layer and leggings are designed to tackle extreme climates, offering maximum freedom of movement and high performance. Merino wool provides natural benefits such as:
- optimal temperature regulation
- odor resistance
- lightness and breathability
These features make the garments ideal for athletes who train or compete in the cold.
Woolmark Wool Blend certification
Both garments have obtained the Woolmark Wool Blend, certification, which attests to their quality and performance according to rigorous fibre testing standards.
Technical details of the garments
Merino Wool Breath Thermo base layer
Made with an innovative fabric that combines Breath Thermo and Merino wool, the base layer generates heat from body moisture and offers:
- natural insulation
- advanced humidity management
- odor resistance
- lightness and great elasticity
It guarantees constant heat without weight or bulk.
Leggings Merino Wool Breath Thermo
The leggings use the same technological combination, keeping muscles warm through active heat generation. Merino wool adds breathable insulation, comfort, and long-lasting freshness.
INTERVIEWS
Andrea Amato (Product coordinator – Mizuno)
What were your initial requirements for Breath Thermo, and how long did it take to develop?
The patented Breath Thermo technology was developed by Mizuno in Japan about 30 years ago and arose from the need to create a warm, lightweight, and high-performance fabric for winter outdoor sports. Breath Thermo fabrics, which are blended with other synthetic fibers, are characterized by their lightweight nature and the ability to transform moisture produced by the body into heat.
Now, in the Merino Wool Breath Thermo baselayers you have mixed synthetic fibers and your patented Breath Thermo technology with the Merino Wool yarn.
Yes, we basically segment our Breath Thermo products into Light Weight, Mid Weight, and Heavy Weight. In the former, we have a lower percentage of Breath Thermo, in the latter this percentage will increase, and in the latter, it will be complemented by Merino wool yarn.
Are the ones we tried the first Breath Thermo products containing Merino wool?
No, actually, the Breath Thermo Heavy Weight products already contained wool yarn but were completely reengineered. The yarn was modified with Merino wool, the garment design was modified, and all this resulted in Woolmark certification.
Now let’s talk about completely different products.
What characteristics will mixing Merino wool with Breath Thermo technology improve?
The result is products that are softer to the touch, warmer, more thermally efficient, and have better breathability. Furthermore, thanks to wool’s intrinsic ability to combat bacterial growth, Merino Wool Breath Thermo products are odor-resistant, making them ideal for endurance sports.
Specifically, for what activities were Merino Wool Breath Thermo products developed?
Primarily for snow sports, such as skiing and snowboarding, where you can appreciate their thermal properties, lightness and freedom of movement, but in general they are suitable for all winter outdoor activities, during which you can benefit from the comfort of products that manage to combine a traditional and natural material like Merino wool with an advanced technology like Breath Thermo.
Francesco Magri (Regional Manager Center & East Europe – Woolmark)
We’ve seen your logo on the labels of countless clothing and accessories. What is Woolmark and where does the brand originate?
Woolmark is a consortium of Australian Merino sheep farmers (approximately 60,000 farmers) committed to promoting the use of Merino wool worldwide. This promotion is achieved through research and development and education for both the industry and the end consumer.
This promotional activity includes quality certification, which can be requested by clothing, fabric, or yarn manufacturers—the entire supply chain involved in the process, in short.
The wool product is certified according to certain specifications; in practice, tests are carried out to certify, for example, the authenticity of the fiber, up to the quality of the final product.
Woolmark certifies, for example, the degree of shrinkage of the product when washed (shrinking), the strength of the seams of the finished product and the loss of colour when the garment is washed (colour fading).
In practice, when we see the Woolmark logo on an item of clothing, it means that the product is certified according to certain quality specifications.
Does all Woolmark Certified Merino wool come from Australian farms?
While most merino wool comes from Australia, the merino wool we certify doesn’t necessarily come from there. However, Woolmark certification, conducted by independent laboratories, attests to its quality.
Going into the specifics of the collaboration between Woolmark and Mizuno, for the creation of Merino Wool Breath Thermo products, what synergies were implemented?
A brand like Mizuno, which traditionally develops its own products, as it did with the patented Breath Thermo fabric, may need, for functionality or sustainability, to develop a fabric enriched with natural fibers. In this case, it turns to Woolmark, which, with its extensive network of spinners and weavers, guides the brand in choosing the right yarn to include in its blend. Essentially, Woolmark offers brands a support service for research and development and innovation.
Is all wool thread the same quality?
Absolutely not. The type of yarn depends on the type of sheep. Merino wool yarn, for example, is made from a wool fiber with specific characteristics: its micron, or diameter, its length, and its elasticity. A long, thin, and elastic fiber will form the basis of a thread and, ultimately, a soft, durable, warm, and stretchy fabric.
What are the natural qualities of wool?
Wool is a living fiber with functional qualities. The structure of wool (crimps: irregularities in the fiber) creates air pockets within the yarn and fabric, providing the thermal insulation we know so well. Wool is breathable because it can attract 65% of its weight in water vapor and then wick it away from the body. In practice, it is a natural insulator for the body, both from heat and cold. It is also sustainable, as it is 100% biodegradable and recyclable.
