4.06.2016

Faux Fur Throw Blanket - What Comes Next

By Elizabeth Collins


One hundred years ago, people were very limited in what sort of fabric they used to keep themselves warm at night. Blankets were usually made from wool or from patches of material sewn together and then layered with other fabric to produce a quilt. Today, the faux fur throw blanket is a popular alternative to conventional blanketing fabric.

Faux fur is a man-made fabric. Natural furs are controversial and expensive. Previously available synthetic materials did not breathe, felt itchy and plastic and were not at all comfortable. Today's fabrics are much fluffier and snuggly. They are also easily affordable, so that every member of the family can have their own. It is even possible to have spares to put on living room furniture or use for camping and picnics.

These wonderful objects are not only produced in a huge range of colors, they are available in a variety of prints and patterns, from floral or geometric to ersatz animal skins. They come in all sizes, from baby-size to king-sized bed sized. Today's coverings are also easier to launder than yesterday's duck-down duvet. Instead of trudging to the dry cleaners with a bulky duvet or comforter, faux blankets can go into the washing machine and tumble-dried or hung up outside on the washing line.

If we ever get tired of our blankees, what do we have to look forward to? Materials science is advancing rapidly, and there are lots of new fabrics, especially in outerwear, that could be adapted for bedtime. Loft, for example, is a measure of a fabric's functional thickness. It relates specifically to down- or feather-filled materials. A new fabric is being made that has two or even three times the thermal efficiency of a duvet without the bulk. This is zero-loft aerogel.

A zero- or low-loft fabric has an advantage over insulated materials in that it is less bulky. Insulating comforters become less effective when they are wet. Their ability to retain heat depends on having lots of insulating air spaces. If these fabrics get wet, they become compressed and lose their heating loft.

Another up and coming material is hydrophobic down. This material is coated in a water repellant chemical. Hydrophobic down holds as much as 80 percent of its loft even after being soaked in water for as long as three minutes.

Gore-Tex was all the rage for a while, but skiers and other cold, wet weather-people find it does not allow them to breathe. This means they accumulate moisture on the inside which is most uncomfortable. New, air-permeable materials do not have this disadvantage. Could this technology translate well into the bedding sector?

Technology as regards fabrics is evolving rapidly. Today's fake fur throw may end up as tomorrow's dishcloth. What lies ahead? Maybe the next generation of bed coverings will sing lullabies, emit lavender and other sleep-inducing scents. Maybe they will respond to temperatures of the sleeper and the room to keep user at the right temperature for optimum sleep.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment