There's been a war on hemp in the USA for the past couple of decades, but that's all about to end. We just wish Hemp was more popular for it's benefits not only to anyone wearing it but to the planet, and growers. Hemp is a very sustainable crop and every part of the plant can be used from healthy hemp seeds for eating to hemp stalks being used for construction. It also needs no chemicals to grow and actually replenishes the soil while being farmed.. Anyway the list goes on and on but we're here to tell you the top 5 reasons why this material is so great for sports wear.
But first, what does it feel like.
Hemp fabric is similar to the popular linen. When we use it in our technical sports apparel the end result is a fabric that feels like a mixture of soft cotton and brushed linen, something similar to a thin tower that get softer the longer it's on.
1. Hemp keeps your body temperature regulated,
doing what you wish your skin could, keeping your comfortable in a wider range of climates.
In cycling we experience a wide variety of changes from cold winds to blistering heats, rain showers and let's not forget about everything going on under the jersey, the part against your skin with all the sweat, body heat and other elements. Our technical hemp fabric more than any other fabric has been a stand out in maintaining a comfortable climate under the jersey in all these changes. From 10-30°C / 50-85°F it keeps you feeling like you're in a comfortable room temperature setting. And that's including going down a mountain on a chilly Spring morning.
2. It's naturally UV protective and anti-microbial
This means that unlike polyester and nylons hemp isn't treated with harsh chemical to create those protective properties. They are there naturally and bound to the hemp and will never wash away like they eventually will with synthetics petroleum based fabrics.
3. Hemp's strong
I (Andrew Gonzalez) once wiped out in San Francisco on cobbles landing on my elbow, the jersey was still in tact with no rips to be found.
4. Comfort
Our jerseys wrapped around your body in a complementary way feeling softer than synthetics fabrics and yet still giving you the benefits your expect and then some from technical apparel. The hemp jerseys have all around stretch and enough give for freedom of movement, a snug aero fit and a solid feel that doesn't encourage back pocket sag. There's a good amount of cotton in the jerseys as well which is a surprise for some people when hearing about all these properties. But that's what also contributed to some of the softness of the fabric.
5. Good on a wet day.
The hemp fibre is highly porous and on misty, light rainy days here in Vancouver the jersey has stayed dry. I believe the jersey isn't allowing the rain to settle in the fibres due to my bodies heat and sweat being pulled away from the skin and onto the surface of the jersey and eventually evaporating off of the jersey and away from the jersey and body.
On pouring wet days the fabric does retain more water and weight but it's still more comfortable than a synthetic fibres, holding onto your bodies warmth for a longer period of time keeping more comfortable on the wet days.
