Ancient man had to rely on animal skins for keeping warm at night. Then, people learned how to weave fabrics from wool. Later, we discovered how to stuff feathers or down from geese and ducks in between two layers of fabric to provide a thick layer of insulation. Then there were those awful years when polyester was all the rage. Today, we are likely to be using a faux fur throw blanket on our beds.
Faux fur is a type of synthetic fabric. Synthetic coverings used to feel thin and somewhat scratchy or plastic. They did not breathe and so were uncomfortable in that they provided a sort of greenhouse effect. Today's synthetics are soft, fluffy and addictively comfortable. They are also easily affordable, so everybody in the house can have their own, and a household can have several back-up throws for company or for picnics, camping, putting in the car, etc.
These wonderful objects are not only produced in a huge range of colors, they are available in a variety of prints and patterns, from floral or geometric to ersatz animal skins. They come in all sizes, from baby-size to king-sized bed sized. Today's coverings are also easier to launder than yesterday's duck-down duvet. Instead of trudging to the dry cleaners with a bulky duvet or comforter, faux blankets can go into the washing machine and tumble-dried or hung up outside on the washing line.
If we ever get tired of our blankees, what do we have to look forward to? Materials science is advancing rapidly, and there are lots of new fabrics, especially in outerwear, that could be adapted for bedtime. Loft, for example, is a measure of a fabric's functional thickness. It relates specifically to down- or feather-filled materials. A new fabric is being made that has two or even three times the thermal efficiency of a duvet without the bulk. This is zero-loft aerogel.
A zero- or low-loft fabric has an advantage over insulated materials in that it is less bulky. Insulating comforters become less effective when they are wet. Their ability to retain heat depends on having lots of insulating air spaces. If these fabrics get wet, they become compressed and lose their heating loft.
Another up and coming material is hydrophobic down. This material is coated in a water repellant chemical. Hydrophobic down holds as much as 80 percent of its loft even after being soaked in water for as long as three minutes.
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.
Faux fur is a type of synthetic fabric. Synthetic coverings used to feel thin and somewhat scratchy or plastic. They did not breathe and so were uncomfortable in that they provided a sort of greenhouse effect. Today's synthetics are soft, fluffy and addictively comfortable. They are also easily affordable, so everybody in the house can have their own, and a household can have several back-up throws for company or for picnics, camping, putting in the car, etc.
These wonderful objects are not only produced in a huge range of colors, they are available in a variety of prints and patterns, from floral or geometric to ersatz animal skins. They come in all sizes, from baby-size to king-sized bed sized. Today's coverings are also easier to launder than yesterday's duck-down duvet. Instead of trudging to the dry cleaners with a bulky duvet or comforter, faux blankets can go into the washing machine and tumble-dried or hung up outside on the washing line.
If we ever get tired of our blankees, what do we have to look forward to? Materials science is advancing rapidly, and there are lots of new fabrics, especially in outerwear, that could be adapted for bedtime. Loft, for example, is a measure of a fabric's functional thickness. It relates specifically to down- or feather-filled materials. A new fabric is being made that has two or even three times the thermal efficiency of a duvet without the bulk. This is zero-loft aerogel.
A zero- or low-loft fabric has an advantage over insulated materials in that it is less bulky. Insulating comforters become less effective when they are wet. Their ability to retain heat depends on having lots of insulating air spaces. If these fabrics get wet, they become compressed and lose their heating loft.
Another up and coming material is hydrophobic down. This material is coated in a water repellant chemical. Hydrophobic down holds as much as 80 percent of its loft even after being soaked in water for as long as three minutes.
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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Buy luxury and low priced faux fur throw blanket directly from the online store. We highly recommend this reputable supplier's website at http://www.furaccents.com
