Helly Hansen presents Lifa Infinity Pro

Helly Hansen presents Lifa Infinity Pro technology: waterproof, breathable, sustainable. The Norwegian brand’s revolutionary DWR-free technology sets a new standard of sustainability in waterproof and breathable clothing for skiing and outdoor activities.

For 140 years, athletes and professionals have relied on Helly Hansen to protect themselves from the elements under the most demanding conditions. The Norwegian brand has made innovation the tool to challenge and exceed the conventional standards of the outdoor industry. But offering products that meet the evolving needs of professionals is not the only goal. Preserving the natural environment in which these professionals work, live and enjoy themselves every day is equally important. For the Fall/Winter 2020 season, Helly Hansen presents Lifa Infinity Pro, a revolutionary technology that challenges the conventions of the outdoor industry, setting a new standard for sustainability in waterproof and breathable clothing.

With a virtuosity of textile engineering, Helly Hansen’s research and development team was able to create a three-layer laminate using only hydrophobic fibers from Lifa, the Norwegian brand’s proprietary technology based on the hydrophobic properties of polypropylene, a material the Norwegian brand has developed since the 1970s, when it created the first technical underwear in the history of the outdoor industry. The result is a three-layer laminate with no concessions to performance in terms of impermeability and breathability, whose production minimizes the impact on the environment.

From Pfc-Free to Dwr-Free
The current solutions available on the market to make the outer surface of waterproof and breathable jackets water-repellent, with the characteristic effect of water droplets, are based on the DWR – Durable Water Repellent treatment. The overcoming of the traditional DWR treatments based on PFCs (perfluorocarbons), which persist in the environment and are potentially hazardous to health, has so far been based on the adoption of PFC-free treatments, i.e. without PFCs, which, however, have shown limits both in performance for the most demanding uses and in durability, so they need to be periodically renewed.

The outer fabric of the Lifa Infinity Pro laminate is made from 100% polypropylene fibers, a hydrophobic material that does not retain water, so it is water repellent without the need for any chemical treatment. With this innovation Helly Hansen is the first brand in the outdoor industry to switch from a PFC-Free solution to a DWR-free solution. This means both a reduction in the chemicals applied to the fabric and the energy needed to periodically regenerate traditional DWR treatments that lose their effectiveness over time.

The state of the art of sustainability
To the revolutionary DWR-free solution, Helly Hansen has added state-of-the-art sustainability manufacturing processes, such as the microporous polypropylene membrane, which can be produced without the use of solvents.

Lifa Infinity Pro fabrics are dyed using solution-dyed technology, which involves dyeing the fibers before they are extruded. This avoids the presence of chemicals in the wastewater as in the traditional dyeing process, and the dyeing is permanent.
Finally, compared to the polyester fibers commonly used by the outdoor industry, the production of Lifa fibers allows to reduce the environmental impact by 16% with a saving of 18% of CO2.