Faux Fur Throw Blanket The Next Generation

By Elizabeth Collins


One hundred years ago, people were very limited in what sort of fabric they used to keep themselves warm at night. Blankets were usually made from wool or from patches of material sewn together and then layered with other fabric to produce a quilt. Today, the faux fur throw blanket is a popular alternative to conventional blanketing fabric.

Fake fur is exactly what it sounds like, a synthetic fabric. Yesterday's synthetics didn't feel quite right. They lacked breathability and did not feel comfortable against the skin. Now they are luxuriously fleecy and inviting. They are also low in price, so it is possible to have every member in the family with a bed covering in their choice of color. They are also useful to put over furniture to protect it from pets or to hunker down into while watching television.

Today's man-made fibers are made in any color the customer could ask for, as well as a range of different patterns, including animal prints. They are made in all sizes for wrapping baby, to protecting the furniture and for using as bedding. Whereas a comforter, which may be stuffed with goose feathers or duck down, has to be dry cleaned, today's synthetic can be laundered along with the sheets and towels. Instead of schlepping a heavy duvet to the dry cleaners or laundromat with a heavy-duty washing machine, just throw it in the washing machine at home and either hang it on the washing line outdoors or use the clothes dryer.

So, what comes next? Here are some new fabrics used for outerwear that could reasonably adapted to use in bedding. One possibility is zero-loft aerogels. The term loft refers to the thickness of a fabric, like a down duvet. These are filled with compressible insulating material. New zero-loft aerogels provide two or three times the thermal performance of a down- or feather-filled duvet without the clumsy bulk. Some people like the bulk, and may have to get used to something thinner.

Zero-loft aerogel has the advantage over feathers or down in that it is not as bulky. Also, aerogel is better when wet. Feathers and down compress when they are wet, losing the insulating layer of air. Aerogels do not have this problem.

Hydrophobic down is another fabric material that is undergoing development for commercial use. Here, the down is coated with a water repellant. Hydrophobic down can retain as much as 80 percent of its loft after three minutes in water.

Gore-Tex was all the rage for a while, but skiers and other cold, wet weather-people find it does not allow them to breathe. This means they accumulate moisture on the inside which is most uncomfortable. New, air-permeable materials do not have this disadvantage. Could this technology translate well into the bedding sector?

Materials technology is advancing all the time. Today's comfortable bed covering could turn out to be tomorrow's polishing cloth. Who knows what we will be throwing onto our beds and snuggling underneath in tomorrow's world. Maybe they will be pleasantly scented to encourage sleep, adjust the temperature to keep the occupant not too hot or not too cold in the changing conditions, maybe they will play a pleasant melody to drift off to sleep to.




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