The merino fibres selected for Armadillo Merino® garments are effective natural insulators. The merino fibres keep you warm in the cold without causing overheating and the fibres will keep you cool in the summer when it's hot out. The secret is hidden inside every merino follicle where these tiny air pockets provide both insulation and breathability for your skin.
The natural crimp of the fibre when combined with the fabric knit structure creates more air pockets for better insulation and effectively allows the movement of moisture away from your skin greatly improving your next-to-skin comfort.
We only use Merino wool but not all merino wools are the same. Some merino sheep have a strong natural crimp with long fibres so for our garments we select the merino wools with these two desirable properties.
Still warm when wet? Yes, the same little air pockets at work. Even when your Armadillo Merino® garment is soaking wet your skin will feel warm as the air pockets inside the fibre insulate you from the cold.
Natural Science. There's some remarkable natural chemistry at work here. The process is a little complicated but in short there is a chemical reaction that takes place within the wool fibre once the wool gets wet which generates a small but discernible amount of heat. It's 100% natural warming.
How does it do this? The reaction is due to the amino acids, the chemical building blocks of the wool fibre. These amino acids are hydrophilic (water-liking), meaning that they attract and absorb water molecules into the chemical structure of the fibre. Water binds within wool’s structure through the action of hydrogen bonds in a process known as adsorption. When this reaction occurs there is a small chemical reaction which generates heat when the water is bound (adsorption) and takes up heat during moisture loss.
The same hydrogen bonds that bind the water molecules are reversible; water can also be shed in a process known as desorption. So in summary, wool likes to absorb and then expel the water.
In summary: The combination of the fibre's tiny pockets of air, the natural crimp and the chemical and physical processes that take place when our fabrics are exposed to moisture make Armadillo Merino® great garments for your SkinCare whether it's cold and wet.
Contact Andy or Hamish to learn more.
