Fall 2020 Outdoor Research Shells, Insulation Built On A Foundation Of Significant Materials Advancement

Seattle, WA, January 21, 2020 – For Outdoor Research, Fall 2020 represents a season of significant materials advancements in outerwear and insulation. The new season brings with it notable new launches in fabric technology – along with major upticks in areas like mobility and durability. In its Fall 20 collection, Outdoor Research takes these new-to-market materials and pairs them with forward-thinking design, bringing to life the future of technical shells and insulation. 

Beyond emerging new materials, Outdoor Research also harnessed new ways of thinking through collaborative efforts to continue to uplevel its technical apparel and gloves. One such collaboration, with Arcade Belts, yields a functional design that improves mobility and comfort in the new Carbide ski apparel and glove collection. 

Key technology stories and new products for the Fall 2020 season from Outdoor Research include: 

• The Archangel Jacket and Bibs are among the first products on the market using the newest generation of GORE-TEX PRO fabric technology. GORE-TEX PRO is the flagship waterproof technology from W.L. Gore, and the newest version offers an entirely new approach to creating stretch in waterproof fabric that doesn’t come at the expense of durability. Panels of this fabric stretch 20 percent for excellent mobility in the upper back, lower hood, knees and bib gusset. Those panels are paired with a second GORE-TEX PRO fabric optimized for breathability for a hybrid design that ups performance. 
• The Carbide Jacket, Bibs and Gloves unveil a functional design collaboration with Arcade Belts in a collection created for both in-bounds skiing and backcountry touring. On the bibs, a quick-release stretch webbing suspenders made by Arcade Belts provides functional movement. The gloves and mitts are the first on the market for skiing to offer an elasticized wrist cinch, which allows a customized fit paired with super-comfortable feel thanks to stretch located on the back of hand. Those features are paired with a soft Pertex Shield waterproof fabric that strikes the perfect balance between weather protection and mobility. 
• In the Helium Down Hooded Jacket, filled with lofty 800-fill RDS goose down, Outdoor Research is using a new Pertex fabric called Shield Diamond Fuse, to create ultra-durable but lightweight insulation. This unique waterproof fabric contains diamond-shaped filaments that lock together, offering five times the tear strength of the current fabric used in OR’s Helium shell. That fabric is also used in the new Helium Rain Jacket and Pants, also new in 2020. 
• Ski and work gloves are a major focus in the 2020 collection. Along with the Carbide Gloves and Mitts, Outdoor Research is introducing the Point N Chute Sensor Gloves for men and Mitts for women, made with durable goat leather for skiing and snowboarding. Another new model, the Super Couloir Sensor Gloves, are the warmest, most durable ski gloves in the new Outdoor Research line. In the work glove category, the Warnick Sensor Gloves and the Deming Sensor Gloves both use Pittards® Hair Sheep Leather, a thin, dexterous leather that is also extremely durable. The Warnick Gloves pair that leather with a warm, odor-resistant Merino wool lining, while the Deming Gloves are warmer with a high-pile 320-gram Sherpa fleece. 
• In the past two seasons, Outdoor Research has led the industry in incorporating Aerogel, seven times more insulating than a similar amount of loft insulation and used in NASA space suits, into the palms and fingers of gloves. For Fall 2020, it continues that leadership with the Tundra Aerogel Socks, lightweight, warm winter footwear, and the Tundra Aerogel Beanie, which pairs Aerogel particles with synthetic insulation to increase insulation value by 15 percent. 
• In sportswear, Outdoor Research is using a unique stretch Sorona polyester that is constructed using 37 percent plant-based materials in the men’s Kulshan Flannel Shirt and women’s Kulshan Flannel Tunic. These pieces offer stylish performance in a package with an eye toward sustainability. Sorona polyester requires 30 percent less energy in production and reduces emissions by 63 percent compared to regular polyester/spandex fabrics. 

Outdoor Research will unveil its Fall 2020 line at the upcoming Outdoor Retailer Winter Market show in Denver, Colo., January 29-31, 2020.