Courtesy photo
London-based Vollebak in the past has sold apparel embedded with high-tech materials like ceramic and graphene. Now, it releases a T-shirt laced with material “normally reserved for use in missiles, jet engines and the world’s fastest cars.”
The adventure apparel brand launched the Carbon Fibre T-Shirt this month. Yes, the material renowned for high-end mountain bikes and aerospace products now lives in a shirt you can wear to get coffee and donuts.
Why carbon fiber? Because, according to the brand: “The entire surface area of the T-shirt is abrasion-resistant. Every square centimeter has carbon fiber running through it. (And) whether you’re lugging climbing rope over your shoulder, you come off your bike on a downhill track, or your bag is shifting up and down on your back on a long run, that’s all abrasion.”
While the shirt is laced with carbon fiber, it’s primarily constructed of stretch synthetic fabric. Yet somehow, Vollebak manages to put a football field’s worth of carbon fiber into each shirt — nearly 400 feet of it.
As a performance garment, the shirt remains lightweight (just under 6 ounces), wicks moisture and boasts high breathability. However, the big selling point is abrasion resistance — Vollebak calls it “ripstop to save your skin” — and the brand promises the fibers will never wash out or scratch off.
All that tech comes at a price. The Carbon Fibre shirt runs $110 — but like many Vollebak garments, this will likely sell out fast.
Stephen Regenold writes about outdoors gear at http://www.gearjunkie.com