TransDRY Cotton Review

Despite the slow economy, a few companies introduced new technologies at the 2010 Winter Outdoor Retailer Show. I was immediately interested in the new TransDRY technology from Cotton Incorporated. Believe it or not, this technology allows cotton to wick moisture from your skin to the outside of the fabric where it can evaporate. The details of how the technology works were not released, but I've been testing out a baselayer shirt made with TransDRY and the new technology does work.

TransDRY Baselayer

TransDRY allows for a one-way movement of moisture away from the skin to the outside of the fabric. This allows the fabric to dry much faster than traditional cotton. Also TransDRY helps reduce the clinging found when you get a regular cotton t-shirt wet. After a few cross-country ski outings and trail runs, I was able to experience the quick dry time of the fabric. I still had the shirt soaking wet after a solid run, but it air-dried within a fifteen minutes of exercising.

With all the other moisture wicking fabrics on the market, TransDRY is now allowing cotton to get into moisture management clothing. I think you'll see more garments made from this fabric in the near future. Remember it's still cotton, it does wick moisture away much better than traditional cotton, but it will still loose it's insulating factors when wet. That said, it's probably best to purchase TransDRY clothing used for warm weather activities.

TransDRY Fabric Close-Up

The TransDRY shirt I tested out was a touch thicker than a t-shirt. It reminded more of the material used in polo style shirts. As you can see the fabric has a grid-like weave to it, which helps distribute the moisture from you skin to a surface of the fabric where it can evaporate.

You can learn more at the TransDRY website.