nanoTRAINO: Outdoor emergency stretcher sled gets lighter

October 1, 2023  |  Swatches

When you’re backpacking or cross-country skiing, every ounce counts. Nano Adventure’s latest version of the nanoTRAINO portable stretcher and sled is lighter, more compact and, at the same time, more durable than the first iteration, due to a change in its fabric. It weighs about a pound and rol…
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Scratch-Resistant and PFAS-Free

October 1, 2023  |  Ask the Expert

In March 2023, an automotive aftermarket manufacturer launching a new line of flexible vinyl tonneau covers for pickup trucks approached APV Engineered Coatings with a request: help them improve the durability of their product while maintaining its matte finish. APV went a step further by engineerin…
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Catching Up With Sunbrella: Introducing Charlie Withers 

October 1, 2023  |  Ask the Expert

Get to know the newest member of the Sunbrella team, Charlie Withers. With 20 years of experience with Taylor Made Fabrics, Charlie joined Glen Raven in June 2023 as the Shade and Marine Sales Director. 
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TruRain tester uses just 1% of the water because of recirculating unit

October 1, 2023  |  Swatches

Reducing water and energy use in textile manufacturing is top of mind in the industry, and the new water repellency tester from James Heal aims to make a difference there. 
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Flexible pumps offer upgrade to wearable technology

October 1, 2023  |  Swatches

Most fluid-based wearable technologies require a large, inconvenient pump that is difficult to incorporate into clothing. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland, have developed a solution: flexible, fiber-like pumps that can be woven or sewn into textiles.
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From farm to mattress

October 1, 2023  |  Swatches

The mattress brand Avocado, based in Los Angeles, Calif., is on a mission to increase sustainability in the mattress industry.
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Enzymes power cotton-polyester blend separation

October 1, 2023  |  Swatches

In 2018, of the 146.1 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) disposed into landfills, rubber, leather and textiles made up 11.1%, or 16.2 million tons, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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Airbags make military equipment deployment faster

October 1, 2023  |  Swatches

In remote regions when time is of the essence, a new airdrop system using reusable U.S.-made airbags will potentially get soldiers out of harm’s way faster.
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AI reimagines the couch but human designers still essential

October 1, 2023  |  Swatches

In collaboration with Panter&Tourron, the IKEA design lab SPACE10 set out to use artificial intelligence (AI) to reimagine the couch to make it more sustainable and light enough for one person to carry. 
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Andrea Lynn on how shade sails have kept her creative

October 1, 2023  |  Features, Perspective

It takes less than a five-minute conversation with Andrea Lynn to appreciate her earnest enthusiasm for shade sails—which is why her reflection on a decades-long career in the industry may come as a surprise. “I jumped into the business with rose-colored glasses on,” she muses. “This journey…
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