UV-Protection Built Right In
Milliken & Co. has introduced a lightweight UV-protective fabric for use in outdoor apparel.
Fabrics made from its SolarBAN provide UPF 50+ sun protection and are quick-drying, lightweight and highly durable, according to the company.
Simms Fishing Products, a Bozeman, Mont.–based maker of fishing waders and apparel, is among the first companies to use the fabric. Its Superlight Fishing Shirt is now made with SolarBAN. The shirt was introduced a few years ago using a different UV-protective fabric, but has been updated with SolarBAN.
“Sunscreen lotions don’t offer enough protection,” Brenda Burris-Drake, Milliken’s merchandising director, said in a statement. “The advantage of SolarBAN clothing over sun lotion with UPF is that these fabrics provide permanent protection from both UVA and UVB rays, even after clothing gets wet.”
Milliken also is offering SolarBAN fabrics with its proprietary Visa treatment, which provides enhanced wicking and stain-resistance properties.
Spartanburg, S.C.–based Milliken, a 141-year-old manufacturer of textiles and chemicals, has about 11,000 employees worldwide and operates nearly 50 manufacturing facilities in the United States, as well as in eight other countries. —Alison A. Nieder
