What temperature regulation in clothes actually means

Short answer: A fabric cannot heat or cool on its own. What is called temperature regulation is about how quickly the fabric moves moisture away from the skin and how much air it holds.

Moisture decides the feeling

Wet fabric against the skin draws heat away from the body. That is why a fabric that moves moisture away feels cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

Air between the layers

A layer of air between two thin layers insulates better than one thick layer. That is why layering works.

What bamboo viscose does

The fibre takes up moisture and carries it away from the skin. That is the property people experience as cooling.

What it does not do

The fabric does not change temperature on its own and does not react to the weather. Marketing that promises more than that promises too much.

At night

Under the duvet the temperature changes all night. See bamboo and temperature regulation.

In winter

A thin base layer does more than an extra jumper on top. See bamboo vest as a base layer.

The range

See the base layers in bamboo vest for women.

Frequently asked questions

Can clothes cool the body?

Not actively. They can move moisture away, and that is experienced as cooling.

Why does bamboo feel cool?

Because the moisture is moved away from the skin and because the fibre surface is smooth.

Does layering work better than one thick jumper?

Yes, because the air between the layers insulates.