PrimaLoft P.ONE (original PrimaLoft insulation)

PrimaLoft P.ONE (formerly plain PrimaLoft ONE or Synthetic Down) is the original synthetic-down non-woven that Albany International developed in 1983 on behalf of the US Army Natick Labs to give soldiers a down-like but water-tolerant insulation. The batt consists of polyester microfibres (typically 0.7–2 dtex) with high crimp and permanent hydrophobic treatment.

The fine fibres form the same millions of air pockets that natural down is known for — high loft, small pack size, high warmth-to-weight ratio. The decisive advantage over down: according to the manufacturer, PrimaLoft P.ONE retains 96 % of its insulating performance when wet and dries three to four times faster. In the product hierarchy P.ONE (later PrimaLoft Gold) sits at the top, followed by Silver and Black as lighter and cheaper variants, plus the sustainable lines Gold Insulation Eco and PrimaLoft Bio (100 % recycled and biodegradable). L. L. Bean launched the first commercial jacket with it in 1989; today Patagonia, Arc'teryx, Adidas and many more use the fibre. Certified to bluesign, ISO 11092 (thermal testing) and OEKO-TEX Standard 100.

• Origin: US Army 1983, Albany International (patent US4'588'635, 1986)
• Structure: PES microfibres, permanently hydrophobic, highly crimped
• Wet property: 96 % thermal performance when wet, 3–4x faster drying
• Certificates: bluesign, ISO 11092, OEKO-TEX Standard 100