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Vollebak jacket changes color depending on type of light

Swatches | June 1, 2024 | By:

Vollebak took its Solar Charged Jacket to another level by adding two fluorescent layers to three phosphorescent ones. The new Firefly Jacket changes color based on light, from orange to copper to “kryptonite” green—and fluorescent yellow when under a blacklight.
Vollebak took its Solar Charged Jacket to another level by adding two fluorescent layers to three phosphorescent ones. The new Firefly Jacket changes color based on light, from orange to copper to “kryptonite” green—and fluorescent yellow when under a blacklight. It requires no lag time to charge. Images: Vollebak/Sun Lee

Vollebak materials scientists have developed a coat that changes color based on ambient lighting, going from orange in bright sunlight to glowing “kryptonite” green at night after being charged with a bright flashlight or car headlights.

The Firefly Jacket’s fabric is composed of five ultra-thin alternating layers, three of which are translucent polyamide mesh. The other two are the color-shifting membranes, one of which is phosphorescent, the other fluorescent. The phosphorescent and fluorescent compounds in those membranes absorb and reemit the light, giving the jacket its glow-in-the-dark effects.

Indoors, on a cloudy day or under low-light conditions, the jacket is copper-colored. Under a blacklight, it glows yellow. Vollebak released its first glow-in-the-dark jacket in 2017, the lightweight Solar Charged Jacket, for running.

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