Thermal clothing, what is it and when should you wear it?

Een vraag die wij vaak voorbij horen komen, is wanneer je thermokleding precies draagt. Om daar een antwoord te geven is het goed om te weten wat thermokleding precies is, wat de eigenschappen ervan zijn en welke verschillende soorten er bestaan.

Wat is thermokleding?

Thermokleding is in feite niets meer en niets minder dan een verzamelnaam voor kleding die je lichaam optimaal warm houdt. De materialen zijn zo samengesteld dat de warmte maximaal vastgehouden wordt en het vocht snel wordt afgevoerd.

Vaak wordt gedacht aan thermo ondergoed, een thermo broek, een shirt of een vest maar ook thermische sokken en thermische handschoenen zijn kledingstukken die onder de term thermokleding vallen.  

Wanneer draag je thermokleding?

Thermische kleding draag je in al die koude omstandigheden waarbij het je lichaam het niet lukt zichzelf voldoende warm te houden. Zoals op de piste, op de tennisbaan of tijdens het hardlopen, mountainbiken, wandelen of fietsen op koude dagen.

Het grote voordeel van thermokleding is dat je geen 4 lagen kleding over elkaar hoeft te dragen om het warm te hebben. Zeker bij het sporten zitten veel laagjes over elkaar alleen maar in de weg. Een enkele thermolegging en thermo shirt onder je sportkleding is in de meeste situaties voldoende om het voldoende warm te hebben en zo blijf je maximale bewegingsvrijheid houden, zelfs op die frisse dagen in de herfst en winter.

The following are the features of thermal clothing

As mentioned above, the most important feature of thermal clothing is its ability to retain heat. Body heat is released during exercise and it is the job of thermal clothing to retain this heat to the fullest extent possible.

The second role of thermal clothing is to wick away sweat and let in as little moisture (rain) as possible. When you’re on the slopes sweating from your runs, your body will cool down faster because of the moisture on your skin.

A dry body not only feels more comfortable but is much better able to keep itself warm.

A final important property of thermal clothing is that it is comfortable to wear and (in the case of thermal underwear) that it fits snugly to the skin, so that your thermal leggings or shirt can be worn under your normal clothing.

The best thermal clothing is made of these materials

Pay close attention to the material composition when purchasing your thermal clothing. Good thermal clothing is always made of more than one material, unless it is merino wool or cashmere. Despite the excellent insulating and moisture-wicking properties of wool, the downside of these fabrics is their cost. Plus, although merino is a soft wool, many people find it itchy.

Polyester is a commonly used material for thermal clothing. A polyester fibre can be very finely woven so that it effectively retains heat. Additionally, polyester is a durable fibre (in the sense that it lasts a long time and is capable of withstanding many washes in the washing machine). However, you should avoid products that are made entirely of polyester – this synthetic fibre is not able to properly wick away moisture. Polyester clothing tends to stay moist for a long time, which in turn makes you cool down faster. As such, it’s important to include other materials that do possess moisture-wicking properties, like cotton, merino wool or CoolMax.

In most cases, thermal clothing also incorporates spandex or elastane, giving the fabric excellent stretch properties that allow your trousers or shirt to fit snugly against the skin and not restrict your movement.

These types of thermal clothing are available

Thermal clothing can be divided into underwear and outerwear. In addition, there is a further distinction to be made between clothing with heating and clothing without heating.

The table below provides a handy overview at a glance:

	Without battery	With battery
Underwear	Thermal underwear, thermal sportswear, socks	Heated thermal leggings, heated thermal shirt, heated socks
Outerwear	Sports sweatshirt, jacket or vests, gloves	Heated jacket, heated bodywarmer, heated down jacket, heated gloves

Heated clothing

If normal thermal clothing is not enough for you, you should opt for heated thermal clothing.

In heated clothing, carbon thermal conductors run through the fabric and distribute pleasant heat to strategic areas by means of a small battery. These thermal conductors are so flexible and thin that you won’t feel them while wearing them. The conductors are powered by a high-performance, compact and rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

Our range includes a bodywarmer with heating, a heated jacket and heated underwear. Our range of underwear includes heated thermal leggings and a heated shirt. Both can also be worn as pyjamas in bed.

If you often suffer from cold feet, check out our range of heated socks. Cold hands can also be a thing of the past with our heated gloves.

Questions about our products? Let us know or take a quick look at our range of heated clothing.