HeiQ technology offers increased warmth-to-bulk ratio

HeiQ has launched a radiant barrier technology designed to allow outerwear, mid-layers, sleeping bags and other products to maintain warmth and breathability while reducing bulk by as much as 50 percent, the company says. HeiQ XReflex employs an ultra-thin reflective surface, applied through a vapor deposition process, which reflects the body’s radiant heat.

The company claims that by using one layer of the product, a saving of 25 percent in bulk can be expected. And with two layers, the bulk can be reduced by up to 50 percent while maintaining the same level of thermal resistance. HeiQ notes an environmental footprint savings as well: one insulated jacket may save 6 liters of water, 280 grams of CO₂ and 10 megajoules of energy.

HeiQ XReflex is created through a collaboration between HeiQ and Xefco, an Australian textile technology company that is a partner of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and Deakin University.

HeiQ was founded as a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH).  It creates high-performance effects for the textile industry.