Upcycle® Baselayer

Marmot UpCycle® products minimize our impact on the environment by using natural, organic, and recycled or discarded materials that would otherwise end up in landfills.

As part of Marmot’s efforts to utilize more eco-friendly materials, we partnered with Polartec, LLC in an exclusive relationship to develop the latest technically advanced baselayer through natural means, using Polartec® PowerDry® Cocona® Technology, instead of using chemical treatments.

Marmot UpCycle®
Marmot UpCycle® products utilize the discarded waste materials from manufacturing processes in the creation of new products in order to minimize our impact on the environment. Marmot’s entire fall 2007 collection of men’s and women’s baselayer is made from Polartec® PowerDry® fabric with Cocona® performance technology – a Marmot Upcycle® product.

What is Cocona®?
Cocona® is derived from would-be discarded or “upcycled” Coconut shell husks. The husks are then processed into activated charcoal carbon and blended into a polyester matrix, which is spun into a fiber and then knit into a baselayer fabric. Cocona® is integral to the fiber, naturally occurring and cannot wash out.

Benefits of Cocona®
1) Dries incredibly fast – 25% faster, addressing the user’s needs these days with shorter trips requiring maximum performance
2) Controls odor naturally – no anti-microbial treatment
3) Provides UV protection – resists UV rays, rated UPF 40+
4) Outstanding comfort – soft hand, luxurious next to skin
5) Natural & Permanent – naturally enhanced performance that lasts a lifetime!

Cocona® vs. Bamboo Carbon
Activated carbon molecules from Cocona® have two distinct characteristics which make it superior to bamboo carbon. First, the larger pore size in activated Cocona® carbon molecules adsorb odor better and refreshes easier and faster. Bamboo carbon molecules, with their smaller pore size, trap odor molecules. Second, because of Cocona’s larger pore size, there is also greater surface area. This surface area, enough to cover 1.5 football fields, transfers and spreads away moisture and dries faster.