Next-generation, high-performance outerwear
with UNIQLO’s lightest and warmest functional padding ever
Kuala Lumpur, 3 October, 2024 – Global apparel retailer UNIQLO announces today the release of its latest PUFFTECH collection, the outerwear with functional padding made from specially-crafted synthetic fibers. PUFFTECH, developed in collaboration with advanced materials company Toray Industries, mimics the structure of natural feathers (down) to create the lightest and warmest UNIQLO outerwear ever. As suggested by the name PUFFTECH (a blend of “puffiness” and “technology”), UNIQLO and Toray have used the latest in Japanese fiber technology to develop a unique filling structure that traps air more effectively. PUFFTECH enriches everyday life with style, and is especially useful in unpredictable weather, and for moving in between different indoor and outdoor temperatures.
Yukihiro Katsuta, Fast Retailing Group Senior Executive Officer and Head of R&D for UNIQLO, said: “Together with Toray Industries, we have developed this new, highly-functional padding material, in response to customer needs for warmer and lighter outerwear. We also worked to ensure the material has the added benefit that it can be washed at home. We hope that PUFFTECH will become a new standard that can be worn seamlessly by customers, in many types of scenarios.”
Tomohisa Okawa, General Manager Global Operation Department Toray Industries, Inc said:
“In order to further enrich the lives of customers, we will continue to focus on the development of PUFFTECH with the aim of making it a new hero functional product alongside HEATTECH and AIRism.”
PUFFTECH Features
PUFFTECH is a new line of outerwear made with innovative, next-generation padding free of natural feathers (down). The padding comprises two types of chemical fibers that imitate the structure of natural feathers. The spring-shaped, hollow strands of ultra-fine fibers about 1/5 the width of a hair trap a layer of air, providing a high level of insulation and heat retention.
- Easy care
Items can be easily washed at home, and dry quicker than down jackets, alleviating the problem of outerwear that can’t be regularly washed.
- Adapts to sudden changes in weather conditions
PUFFTECH maintains heat retention even in environments with rain and fog, or in over 90% humidity, while the outer fabric is water-repellent to cope with sudden light rain. The technology is lightweight and not bulky, so it is useful in a wide range of settings, such as in unpredictable weather, and for moving between different indoor and outdoor temperatures.
- Less worry about filling leakage
Compared with down jackets, the unique structure of PUFFTECH fibers results in less filling leaking through the fabric, reducing worry about filling sticking to clothing.
This new technology allows for a wider range of quilt patterns compared to traditional down jackets, with a range of stylish designs available including diamond, block, and onion patterns.
Details of the 2024 Fall/Winter PUFFTECH Collection
