The Polartec Apex Award celebrates the brands and designers pushing the boundaries with the Spartanburg-headquartered Milliken company’s fabric technologies across sport, lifestyle, and performance categories.

The winners in 2022 include Berghaus for its MTN Guide MW hoody, a performance mid-layer using different weights of Polartec Power Grid to remove bulk for a better fit and increased breathability in high heat areas. The addition of a Polartec Power Wool internal neck gaiter provides custom-tuned warmth that can be easily used with the hood up, down, or tucked in when not needed. Power Wool’s bicomponent construction combines the properties of both natural and synthetic fibres for enhanced next-to-skin fabric performance.

The Haglöfs L.I.M Z|T Sync 2 jacket has a synchronised layering system based on a combination of Polartec Alpha, Power Air and Power Dry technologies to enable an average of 30% lower humidity compared to conventional systems, to keep body temperature stable through a wide range of activities.

Houdini’s Pace Flow Houdi based on Power Dry offers high insulation, low weight and exceptional breathability. The open mesh fabric allows air to flow through and vent out any excess heat or moisture and when used in a layering system, will encapsulate a powerful layer of warm air to create the perfect microclimate.

Indyeva’s Toga is based on Polartec Thermal Pro for core body warmth and is highly durable and pill resistant, while Millet and Element’s P Edge fleece and pants employ Polartec 200 Series recycled fabrics.

Kuiu’s Wind Pro is a quiet, low-sheen and highly wind resistant fleece hunting jacket for use as an early-season outer layer or as a late-season mid-layer that achieves high-level protection without a noisy membrane, ensuring unrestricted breathability for maximum comfort. It is engineered with a compact knit surface structure for up to four times greater wind resistance than a regular synthetic fleece,

Designed for an active lifestyle in a retro-inspired mountaineering silhouette, Moncler Grenoble’s Peyrus ripstop hooded jacket and shorts are made with a wind-proof lining and hydrophobic Polartec Alpha to regulate warmth and provide breathability. Alpha is based on lofted fibres connected to a solid mesh core for active insulation that resists all moisture and is fast drying and highly compressible.

Japanese label Nonnative’s Dweller cardigan poly fleece reimagines the cardigan as a high performing technical garment and also employs Polartec Alpha Direct active insulation technology, as does the Pearl Izumi midlayer for cyclists.

A Santini vest designed for gravel cyclists meanwhile combines Alpha with wool while Polartec Windbloc is applied for the first time to a trail running shoe by Scarpa in its Ribelle Run Kalibra G, along with a unique Polartec polyurethane membrane.

Thrudark’s Centurion Alpine is a versatile technical softshell jacket using with Polartec Hardface technology which is fused at the fibre level to increase abrasion resistance and water repellency without compromising breathability. It also includes Power Stretch and Power Air fabrics.

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