Thermo-regulating Properties of Bamboo: Winter Warmers & Summer Coolers
The clothing we choose has a significant impact on our overall comfort. Particularly, weather conditions play an important role in determining our level of comfort.
Winter Warmers and Summer Coolers
When winter is around the corner and when we head into colder months, it’s important to be smart about our clothing. The type of clothing you wear can make a huge difference in your warmth. Similarly, with summer approaching we start thinking about how to keep ourselves cool and what we can wear that will help in our comfort levels.
That’s why we want to talk to you today about bamboo.
Bamboo is a natural fibre that is renowned for its excellent properties including:
- Breathability
- Moisture wicking properties
- Anti-odour
- Hypo-allergenic
- Thermo-regulation: keeps you warm when it’s cold out and cool when it’s hot out
Bamboo's thermo-regulating property makes it one of the best materials for creating comfortable activewear for all seasons - ranging from winter to summer. This means that our bamboo activewear will keep you feeling cool on hot days and warm during cold snaps without overheating or overcooling your body temperature.
We've designed our activewear with this in mind: to keep you warm in winter, but not too hot when the sun comes out. Bamboo has better breathability than cotton or synthetic fibers and is therefore ideal for all year around.
Breathability, moisture wicking & thermo-regulating
The fibres of bamboo are hollow and much narrower than most other fabrics, which allows them to trap air close to the skin and regulate body temperature. The natural air pockets created by this weave provide excellent insulation during winter months, while allowing your skin to breathe throughout the day (Yueping et al. 2010).
Bamboo fabric is also highly absorbent, meaning that it can absorb large amounts of water without feeling heavy or sodden. This makes it ideal for use in sports clothing where you want your clothes to be lightweight and breathable while still being able to keep you cool when playing sport or exercising. Bamboo features high breathability therefore making it very comfortable to wear even in hot climates.
The fibres allow for a weave that naturally regulates temperature. Bamboo fabric is made of fibers that help regulate the temperature of your body and the temperature around you. Bamboo's breathability creates an air flow that allows one side of the fabric to regulate against the other - i.e., your body temperature compared to the air around you. This property can also help keep you warm when it’s cold outside.
That’s why our leggings and tops are perfect for taking you from working out to brunch.
Bamboo keeps you warm in winter
Bamboo is a natural fiber, which means it's an excellent insulator. It's also able to wick moisture away from your skin, so even if you're exercising vigorously and generating heat, bamboo will help keep you cool. This property makes bamboo apparel ideal for winter use—you'll stay warm when others are shivering in bulky layers of synthetic fleece or down.
Bamboo keeps you cooler in summer
Bamboo is a natural fiber that is breathable, moisture wicking, antibacterial and UV resistant. These qualities allow the fabric to be a thermo-regulating material that keeps you cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
In the summertime, bamboo’s ability to breathe makes it feel cooler than cotton or other synthetics on hot days (Nayak et. al. 2016). In wintertime its thermal properties keep you warm by keeping your body heat from escaping through the fabric of your activewear—making you feel warmer than cotton or other synthetics would.
Bamboo is a great clothing choice for winter or summer
Come winter or summer, bamboo is a great clothing choice. Not only is it thermoregulating but it also has the added benefit of being breathable, meaning that your body can release heat while still keeping you cozy or cool for those warm days. In addition to its thermo-regulating qualities, bamboo fabric is also naturally anti-bacterial and antimicrobial, which means that it won't get smelly as easily as other fabrics might.
If you're looking for something lightweight and breathable that will keep you warm even in cold weather conditions, look no further than bamboo activewear!
While there are many other features to love about bamboo clothing, thermo-regulation is one that we think you’ll appreciate most during cold or warm weather conditions. The next time you’re shopping consider bamboo for your next winter or breathable summer outfit - it's surprisingly effective for keeping you warm and dry.
Our range of activewear keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They are also perfect for layering - check out our tops or our leggings!
References
Nayak, L., Mishra, S.P. (2016). Prospect of bamboo as a renewable textile fiber, historical overview, labeling, controversies and regulation. Fash Text 3, 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40691-015-0054-5.
Yueping, W., Ge, W., & Haitao, C. (2010). Structure of bamboo fiber for textile. Textile Research Journal, 80(4), 334–343.