It is a given that we chose wool to put in our base layers and many of our mid layers.
Wool is one of the finest natural materials, with properties that make it unique among other textiles. Wool has a special ability to regulate body temperature; it warms when it is cold and cools when it is hot. In addition, wool is a self-purifying material (does not need to be washed as often as other materials), antibacterial and it is completely natural.
We are careful about the origin of merino wool and want to feel confident that the sheep that produce the wool used in our clothes are treated well. At Uhip, we strongly dissociate ourselves from mulesing, a painful procedure that aims to prevent parasites from entering the skin of merino-ulcers. The method is used in Australia. Our garments which are made from merino wool, are produced in Europe by companies that buy wool from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Scandinavia, and South Africa. These countries do not practise mulesing.
We guarantee that our garments consist of 100% certified mulesing-free merino wool.
lavalan®
High quality wool from Europe
lavalan - the wool insulation is a fibrefill made from 100% natural and renewable raw materials. It combines the unique properties of virgin wool with the easy-care features of corn-based polylactic acid (PLA) fibres.
The wool is solely sourced from European countries after highest quality and animal welfare standards. The sheep graze in the idyllic surroundings of the Austrian and Swiss Alps and they are kept under natural conditions on pastures in Germany, France and Scandinavia. European wool is mulesing-free. For lavalan it is crucial that no sheep are tortured, neither during breeding nor the shearing process.
The Swiss company UniqueTrace certifies Lavalans supply chain, so they can prove the origin of their wool from sheep to the finished product – true to the motto “from sheep to shop”.
Wool from Europe is Mulesing free! No sheep is getting heart when they share their wool.
Even at the end of its lifecycle Lavalans filling doesn’t turn into waste because the wool insulation in a row is renewable, recyclable and biodegradable.
Technical insulation material consisting of synthetic
We do not use a bird down in our outer garments, but only a technical polyester down/synthetic down with documented properties. Either one that is similar to down both in its feel, texture and thermal ability or one that more resembles an ordinary polyester batting but which is made of thin layers that are heated by body temperature. The air pockets encapsulate the heat resulting in increased warming ability compared to ordinary polyester batting.
Synthetic down, unlike bird down, can withstand keeping warm both in damp and wet environments (unlike down that clumps together when it gets wet, and thus loses its warming function) it also dries quickly and makes the garments easy to wash. Synthetic down also keeps the mold washing after washing, year in and year out.
Dupont™ Sorona®
Lightweight, soft and heated insulation with comfort in all climates
Most insulations we use contain fibers from Sorona®. In addition to its good warming properties, Sorona® is a renewable material that is 37% extracted from the plant kingdom instead of being fully petroleum-based as other nylon and polyester. The production also uses 30% less energy than regular nylon and emits 63% less greenhouse gases. Sorona® comes from Dupont™, the world's leading manufacturer and the makerof materials such asnylon, teflon, etc. Dupont™ was named the 2015 Bio Business award winner for its groundbreaking biotechnology.
Clo® TEKNICA Vivo
The perfect material for insulation of garments for training
The Teknica Vivo insulation has the Vivo breathable insulation concept applied where very small holes are placed into the insulation to improve its breathable properties. The insulation is also manufactured using a mixture of fibres, including a very high percentage of our unique Clo-i fibres to maximise breathability and warmth. In addition to our unique selection and balance of fibres, the special insulation is put through a calendared process that heats and seals the insulation on both sides.
The protection of water and high breathability
We have outerwear for different types of weather conditions, thermal capacity and function. Some have as their primary task to keep you warm, some both warm and dry and others perhaps their primary purpose to keep you dry during precipitation. If you move a lot, it may be important that the garment breathes as well. A clean workout garment is difficult to get both warm and durable for rain and a garment that primarily should keep you warm and or dry is difficult to get full breathability on.
BIONIC-FINISH®ECO
Fluorocarbon free DWR (Durable Water Repellant)
To increase the garments' resistance to both wetness and dirt, we impregnate them directly in the factory. The impregnation means that the water droplets do not go through the garment but roll off.
Uhip has chosen a completely non-toxic impregnation from Bionic. The chemicals used in some impregnation is called flourocarbon which is not used in the Bionic impregnation.
High quality zippers from YKK
Since our garments have zips as one of the main functions, we choose zippers from the leading manufacturer on the market, YKK. YKK has extensive experience in manufacturing zippers and conducts rigorous testing before a zipper is put into production. YKK is used by most leading and renowned outdoor manufacturers.
