According to the company’s website news release on November 21, 2022, Toray Industries, Inc., announced that it is rebranding its Dermizax™ brand of waterproof breathable fabric for sports and outdoor wear. With some exceptions, Dermizax™ is a laminated waterproof, breathable fabric. Dermizax™ will become available in three varieties. Dermizax™ Protect will be highly waterproof. DermizaxTM Balanced will offer stretch, waterproofness, and breathability. Dermizax™ Breathe will combine high breathability and waterproofness.
Toray is deploying new materials for the rebranded range. In-store sales should start from the fall/winter 2024 season. The sales target is 2.5 million meters for the fiscal year ending March 2023, rising to 4 million meters a year later.
Toray has long developed waterproof breathable fabrics, has created and rolled out waterproof breathable fabrics with varying features and specifications to match market needs. The sports and outdoor wear markets have boomed since the COVID-19 pandemic began, particularly for running and cycling. Demand has grown for better waterproofness, lightness, and breathability for the prime Dermizax™ applications of winter sports, outdoor activities, and golf.
The Built for Purpose brand tagline for Dermizax™ expresses Toray’s commitment to developing and delivering optimal fabrics for the right purpose to meet myriad functionality requirements. The rebranding aims to position Dermizax™ as the premier line for waterproof breathable fabrics, offering the most suitable versions in readily understood ways to offer the professional grade features that increasingly consumers demand today, including for new applications.
In keeping with the rebranding, Toray is broadening its product lineup by offering three fabric categories. The company is responding to rising interest worldwide in safeguarding the environment by expanding sales of such eco-friendly offerings as ECODEARTM bio-derived polymer materials and products and &+™ polyester made from used plastic bottles and other recycled materials.
For waterproof and moisture permeable fabrics, Toray is also using these materials to develop new products, bringing out new waterproof and breathable fabrics with a range of eco-designs for each category. They include offerings that repel water but whose membranes do not use fluorine, yet durable. A mono-material type employing a highly moisture permeable polyester film, with everything from the shell to the membrane and lining made of polyester to make it easy to recycle. Another type uses nanofibers to achieve air permeability, enhance performance and washing durability.
In keeping with its commitment to innovating ideas, technologies, and products that deliver new value, Toray has dedicated itself to providing incredibly comfortable, leading-edge eco-friendly fabrics for sports and outdoor wear that help all athletes and consumers pursue new challenges. It will keep contributing to social progress by pioneering technologies and advanced materials for better living.
New waterproof and moisture permeable fabrics
Product features
- Three new categories based on waterproof performance
- Diverse product range combining such eco-friendly specialty Toray offerings as ECODEAR and &+
Technology overview
- A type that delivers high water pressure resistance by optimizing the arrangement of non-fluorinated water repellent agents on pore inner walls in a highly durable microporous polyurethane film layer
- A type offering high durability by incorporating optimal compounding agents for highly moisture-permeable polyester film
- A uniquely designed high-density nano-fiber sheet with outstanding water pressure resistance and improved washing durability, air permeability.
Patent applications: Two filings, including for related patents
Launch timing:From fall/winter 2024 season
Sales targets: 2.5 million meters in year ending March 2024 and 4 million meters in year ending March 2025
Related websites
Dermizax™
https://www.sportstextiles.toray/en/brand/dermizax/
Toray Sports Fabrics
