PrimaLoft, Inc. has adopted the Responsible Down Standard and said it has nearly doubled the number of brand partners who will use its Performance Down Blend and introduce PrimaLoft Black Insulation Down Blend for Fall 15.

A wide range of PrimaLoft Down Blend styles for Fall 15 will be displayed at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2015, Booth #39043.

PrimaLoft will offer the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) as an option for all of its Performance Down Blend brand partners working with Gold, Silver and Black variations of the technology.  RDS-certified products have been completely traced along the supply chain to validate the source of material, and confirm the down does not come from animals that have been subjected to unnecessary harm, including force-feeding and live plucking. Independent third-party audits are applied to the entire supply chain and performed once a year. Brands that elect to use RDS-certified down will incur a small increase upcharge based upon current market demand.

PrimaLoft Performance Down Blends have set a new industry standard for functional, water-repellent down, said Mike Joyce, president and chief executive officer of PrimaLoft. Our heritage is rooted in finding the best solutions for users demanding performance, warmth and comfort despite the weather. We are proud to also be at the forefront of social and environmental sustainability among other component brands to be able to offer best-in-class products for use year round to our brand partners.

Lauded around the 2014 winter tradeshows by U.S. and European media, PrimaLoft Performance Down Blends received GearJunkie.coms Best in Show award, OutDoor Industrys Material Innovations Award and were recognized by SKI as an SIA Showstopper. Brand partners featuring Performance Down Blend were recognized by Outside Buyers Guide for Best Insulated Jacket and received two ISPO Gold Awards, one for Trekking Equipment and one for Outdoor Midlayer.

Respected brands debuting PrimaLoft Performance Down Blend products for the first time in Fall ‘15 include Atomic, Browning, L.L.Bean, Lole, REI, SportChief, and SunIce. Existing partners featuring PrimaLoft Performance Down Blends again for Fall 15 include Black Diamond, Bergans, Cabelas, Lands End, Helly Hansen, Reusch, Sherpa Adventure Gear, Salewa, Sitka, Under Armour, and Westcomb.

The PrimaLoft Performance Down Blend product is created by a proprietary process that fuses water-repellent, fluorocarbon-free treated down with PrimaLoft insulation. Specifically, this hybrid insulation is engineered by intimately blending premium down with moisture blocking, permanent water repellent PrimaLoft ultra-fine fibers, combining the best attributes of both materials. Completing the Performance Down Blend line, PrimaLoft Black Insulation Down Blend provides comparable warmth in construction to 550 fill down and retains 94 percent of warmth when wet while drying four times faster than untreated down.  PrimaLoft Gold Insulation Down Blend has comparable warmth in construction to 750 fill goose down, and PrimaLoft Silver Insulation Down Blend provides comparable warmth in construction to 650 fill down.