Born four decades ago in the heart of the Swedish Mountains, Peak Performance is the authority in outdoor adventure clothing, combining the spirit of freeride sports with technical excellence and disruptive design. 

This winter, the brand unveils its latest innovation: the R&D Helium Loop Anorak, a world-first proof of concept that down jackets now have the potential to be fully recycled. 

The Anorak concept reimagines product durability, balanced with new methods for end-of-life deconstruction. Until now, products combining multiple materials, such as natural down insulation, have been nearly impossible to recycle due to the complexity of disassembly at the end-of-life. This jacket proves that collaboration can change that. Through close partnership with NetPlus, Allied Feather + Down, Resortecs, and Pertex, Peak Performance has co-developed an innovative design featuring Resortecs’ Smart Stitch—a heat-dissolvable thread that enables easy material separation. At the product’s end-of-life, the stitching melts away under controlled conditions, allowing the down plumes and the material membrane to be taken apart and recycled individually. 

Helium R&D Loop: The Breakdown

  • Scandinavian design: The Helium Loop Anorak is designed as a mid-weight insulation layer for adventurers. The silhouette fluently speaks the same design language as Peak Performance’s iconic Helium range, from which it takes its baffle quilt pattern. 
  • Designed with intent, not excess: We stripped it back to what matters. Allied down for warmth, Pertex | NetPlus for a tough nylon shell made from post-consumer recycled fishing nets, and Resortecs’ Smart Stitch, a heat-activated thread that lets it all come apart when the time is right. The jacket is free from hardware or trims (e.g, togs, pulls, and zippers) for faster disassembly. Fewer parts. Fewer problems.
  • No performance trade-offs: 850-fill RDS down and Pertex Quantum NetPlus shell deliver ultralight warmth, durability, and PFAS-free DWR—proving circularity can enhance design, not compromise it.
  • No harmful chemicals: PFAS-free DWR treatment provides weather protection without persistent fluorochemicals. No intentional PFAS is used in processing. Undyed prototype eliminates textile dye chemicals entirely. Allied’s biodegradable detergent washing process replaces harsh industrial chemicals. 
  • Full-value recovery: When its journey ends, the jacket doesn’t. Down, shell, and thread separate cleanly and return to the loop. Down maintains loft for reuse; Pertex | NetPlus nylon re-enters fiber streams to create new NetPlus. 
  • Circularity, verified: The Helium Loop is being developed alongside the upcoming Circular Design Standard CDS V6.0 by circular.fashion, which is expected to launch in Q1 2026. The revised standard introduces a validation pathway for products designed either for open recycling systems or for partner-led innovative recycling systems. Peak Performance is working towards achieving certification for the Helium Loop under CDS V6.0, setting a new benchmark for complex outdoor products.

Speaking about the project, designer Marie Andersson commented, “The core insight is that true circularity isn’t about accepting compromises – it’s about engineering garments to be unmade as thoughtfully as they’re made. Our R&D Helium Loop proves that when premium materials meet thoughtful disassembly design with end-of-life in mind, circularity becomes a performance advantage as every component maintains its highest value across multiple lifecycles.”

David Stover, CEO of Bureo, the company behind NetPlus, added, “We enjoyed working collaboratively across different tiers of the supply chain to bring this project together for Peak Performance—connecting their thoughtful product design with traceable raw materials and innovative construction. The system to collect end-of-life garments is still very much in infancy, but initiating changes to design to prepare for the transition is a worthwhile challenge that was explored through this project.”

The Helium R&D Helium Loop Anorak marks another step in the brand’s long-term commitment to total range circularity by 2030, and will be publishing its pathway and milestones in Fall/Winter 2026, to make waste the last resort.