Extreme heat waves are expected to affect an estimated 80 million people across the US this week as temperatures surge to record-breaking temperatures, and we aren’t even halfway through summer yet.
One way to find some relief from the heat, especially if you’re outdoors or living without air conditioning, is by wearing cooling clothing. By that, I don’t mean you can slip on clothing that’ll instantly cool you like an ice pack. While we aren’t quite there in technology yet (the experts are working on it), the best cooling clothes have different properties that work to keep you cooler and more comfortable.
How do cooling clothes work?
Your body temperature going down is what gives you the sensation of feeling cool. For clothing to be effectively cooling, the fabric must have properties that work together with the body to help dissipate heat and promote airflow.
Air permeability
Ventilated, flowy and breathable clothing allows for more air to pass through, and helps prevent heat or perspiration from being trapped against the skin. Less breathable fabrics like polyester or wool, on the other hand, can keep body heat confined between your body and the material and make you feel even more sweaty.
Moisture-wicking
Perspiration can be annoying but it’s our body’s way of regulating temperature. Moisture-wicking fabrics quickly absorb your body’s sweat and then help it evaporate away. The secret is in hydrophilic and hydrophobic fibers. Hydrophilic fibers absorb sweat from the skin, evenly dispersing it across the fabric. Hydrophobic fibers keep out moisture and help fabric quickly dry.
Temperature regulation
Thermoregulation is how humans maintain their body temperature, and there are four different ways to transfer heat. If the fabric of your clothes is effective at any of these four methods, it can help keep you cooler.
- Thermal conductivity relates to the measure of how well materials transfer heat from one side to the other. Every material has a thermal conductivity, and the higher it is, the more cooling the material will be.
- Thermal convection: Heat moves from the material with the highest temperature to the one with the lowest temp. This explains why you feel cooler when you put on silk or bamboo; your warm body heat transfers to the cooler fabric and this process helps you feel more cool.
- Radiation: Solar radiation is a major contributor to feeling hot, especially if you have to be outdoors during high temperatures. Clothing that protects you from the sun and harmful UV rays will help you stay cooler, and maintain healthier skin.
- Evaporation: The best cooling clothing allows sweat to evaporate and quickly dry, keeping you feeling cooler in hot temperatures. Fabrics with poor evaporation abilities can remain damp, making you feel sticky.
See more: Best pajamas for summer
Innovation in cooling clothes
Everyone knows what it feels like to be muggy and hot in their clothes. As each summer seems to break the previous year’s high-temperature record, researchers are exploring different ways to produce effective cooling clothing.
Clothing and other garments can utilize non-electric cooling techniques such as ice, phase-change and radiation cooling. Early cooling clothing looked like actual ice vests that absorbed a person’s body heat as ice melted, causing a physically cool feel. A lot of modern cooling clothing, like those from LifeLabs, has infrared heat-blocking abilities that offer protection from the sun’s harmful rays.
But experts are even working out the kinks on smart cooling clothing powered by electricity. As we continue to experience high temperatures, it’s fair to expect more improvements and development to come from cooling garments.