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Materials

We work closely with our manufacturing and fabric partners to identify high-quality textiles for our items. These fabrics are composed of materials designed to provide unique characteristics, ensuring uncompromising attention to detail and optimized performance.

Preferred Materials List

We have developed a Preferred Material List to use internally to inform the design and production teams on better alternatives to current materials. This tool is available to view here.

Materials

Polyamide/Nylon

A strong, versatile, lightweight material with technical properties such as abrasion resistance and breathability. Polyamide is used in most of our products to achieve long-lasting technical performance.

Found in 55% of our styles in 2021. Mostly jerseys, bibs, and other clothing accessories.

Looking Forward

Polyamide is a fossil-fuel-based material. As we look to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, there is an opportunity to introduce recycled versions of this material into our products. The recycled material can help reduce the amount of plastic in landfills, in waterways, and in oceans by recovering resources like fishing nets. Alongside recycled material, bio-based alternatives show potential for use in the future. These materials rely on naturally occurring ingredients such as castor oil or biomass.

Elastane/Lycra/Spandex

This material is used in many of our items due to its elastic properties. It is a material used in combination with other fibres to improve the fit, performance, and comfort of certain fabrics.

Found in 54% of our styles in 2021: mostly jerseys, bibs, socks, and other accessories.

Looking Forward

Elastane provides a purely functional role in our products. It is often mixed with other fibres such as polyamide or polyester to create fabrics. Using recycled elastane would reduce our need for virgin elastane. To improve recyclability, the development and implementation of mono-material fabrics is one approach towards more circularity.

Polyester

A fibre made using PET plastic. It is durable, strong, and lightweight while maintaining quick-drying and flexible properties.

Found in 50% of our styles in 2021: mostly jerseys, bibs, base layers, and other clothing accessories.

Looking Forward

There are very high-quality recycled polyester fibres available. Many of these have equal or better technical properties than virgin polyester. By using recycled materials, we can reduce our fossil fuel consumption and help change attitudes towards recycled materials. In the future, we must strengthen our effort to relinquish our reliance on fossil fuels.

Cotton

Cotton is a fibre grown in tropical and subtropical regions. It is soft, durable, and versatile, making it great for casual wear items and gloves.

Found in 8% of our styles in 2021: mostly T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, and gloves.

Looking Forward

The cotton used in our casual collection is organic and is in the process of attaining certification. Due to the extensive use of resources such as water, chemicals, and pesticides, the move to certified cotton is vital for the welfare of farmers and ecosystems. Bodies such as Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) conduct rigorous processes to ensure certified cotton stands up to their requirements. These standards cover aspects of the supply chain, including environmental and socially responsible manufacturing through to labelling to provide credible assurance to the consumer.

Wool

Wool is one of the natural world’s most technical fibres. It is durable, breathable, and odour resistant while also being biodegradable.

Found in 5% of our styles in 2021: including socks, base layers, neck warmers, and beanies.

Looking Forward

Products containing wool utilize the properties of the material. This material has favourable characteristics that most synthetic fibres cannot match. The wool we use comes from suppliers we trust, but we know we can do better with our tracing and certification. The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) offers certification for wool suppliers to increase trust and consistency in supply chains.

Rayon/Bamboo/Lyocell

These materials are cellulose-based fibres used for breathability and moisture absorbent.

Found in 6% of our styles in 2021: including Balance tops and light neckwarmers.

Looking Forward

Many of these fibres are made using untraced materials; unregulated sourcing can exacerbate deforestation. Sourcing responsibly manufactured materials with certified processes and materials will help build a more responsible supply chain. Raw materials should be sourced from traceable and sustainable sources, and processes should have a minimal environmental impact.

Polyvinyl Alcohol

Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) is used in highly technical fabrics to add strength and elasticity. It is a sizing agent in textile mills that makes it easier to weave.

Found in 5% of our styles in 2021: including Essential Bibs, Balance Shorts, and Balance Bra.

Looking Forward

The potential environmental impacts of using PVA mean that finding alternative methods is necessary for ecosystems. The greatest risk of using PVA is the potential water pollution during the desizing (washing) of the yarn. Bio-based sizing agents such as starch have become more readily available but are still not commonplace.

Polypropylene

This material is used in our socks due to its durability, lightness, and low water absorption rate.

Found in 4% of our styles in 2021, mainly our socks.

Looking Forward

Although polypropylene is fully recyclable, it is often mixed with other materials, making it difficult to dispose of responsibly. One step we can take is to use recycled polypropylene, but in the long term, we must look into materials that can be easily circulated and given a new life.

Polyethylene

Polyethylene is a lightweight thermoplastic polymer used for its versatility and durability.

Found in 4% of our styles in 2021, including bidons and caps.

Looking Forward

Alternative options for virgin polyethylene include bio-based materials from raw materials such as feedstock or sugarcane.

Polyurethane

Polyurethane is used in our products for its waterproof properties. It is a synthetic material but has opportunities for recycling.

Found in 3% of our styles in 2021, including Shield Jacket and Gilet, Mid and Heavy Gloves, and T.K.O. Long Sleeve Jersey.

Looking Forward

All of the polyurethane we currently use is from virgin supplies to ensure a consistent and high-quality product but also requires many non-renewable resources. We are reducing the number of items with polyurethane content and identifying innovative ways to achieve an item’s technical properties without using fossil fuels.

Thermoplastic Elastomers

Thermoplastic elastomers are durable, lightweight and recyclable. They can be moulded easily and provide rugged and hard-wearing properties ideal for high-impact use.

Found in <1% of our styles in 2021: the Balance Mat.

Looking Forward

We use TPE for our Balance Mat due to its technical properties and durability. In the future, we aim to use a material with a lower environmental footprint, which could include recycled material or natural rubber alternatives.

Neoprene

Neoprene is a highly effective waterproof material for keeping its wearer warm and dry in poor conditions.

Found in <1% of our styles in 2021: the Heavy Overshoe.

Looking Forward

Neoprene is created using fossil fuels, and the manufacturing process is highly energy-intensive. There are some alternatives, such as natural rubber-based materials. Currently, the most relevant outlook is to phase out neoprene and replace it with other materials with similar technical properties.

Aramid

Aramid is a strong and hard-wearing material used in materials where protection and abrasion resistance are necessary.

Found in <1% of our styles: the Heavy Overshoe

Looking Forward

Aramid is a synthetic fibre with an environmentally impactful manufacturing process. While it is recyclable, the chemicals used to treat and produce this material are harmful to ecosystems. The solution to this issue may be to move away from this material and find a fibre more suited to having multiple life cycles.