The mesh that actually keeps you warm

MYOG & Design | 7 min read | Materials guide

When most people hear "mesh fabric," they imagine something thin, weak, and see-through. Usually something used inside cheap sportswear. That assumption is completely wrong for Polartec Power Dry Mesh.

This is a lofted technical mesh with real structure and physical body. Pick it up and it immediately feels different from standard flat mesh fabrics. The holes are not a weakness - they are the entire engineering concept.

"The open structure is not a sign of thinness. The holes are the engineering."

What lofted mesh actually means

Standard mesh allows airflow but creates almost no insulation. Air moves freely in every direction, including away from your body.

Lofted mesh works differently. The fibres are raised and structured into a three-dimensional construction that traps small pockets of warm air while still allowing excess heat and moisture to escape through the grid.

The result feels closer to a very breathable fleece than a traditional mesh fabric. You get warmth without the overheating problem that most fleece midlayers create.

The problem it solves

Traditional fleece midlayers trap heat extremely well. Sometimes too well.

During ski touring, trail running, fast hiking, or climbing, the moment intensity increases, traditional fleece often becomes too warm. Sweat builds up inside the garment, moisture accumulates, and eventually you become cold from the inside.

Power Dry Mesh solves this by combining light insulation with extremely high breathability. Moisture escapes before it builds up. Heat escapes before overheating starts.

"You stay comfortable across a much wider range of activity levels."

What Houdini understood

Houdini, the Swedish performance brand known for careful material selection, uses this exact fabric inside their Pace Flow Houdi.

The reason is simple: lofted mesh works extremely well during activities where body temperature constantly changes.

Fast uphill movement, stopping, cooling down, moving again - this is exactly where traditional fleece struggles and where Power Dry Mesh performs best.

The misconception worth addressing

What you can build with it

• Performance hoodies and technical midlayer jackets
• Ski touring and trail running layers
• Ventilation panels inside hybrid garments
• Lightweight activewear for cool conditions
• Technical linings inside outerwear and headwear

The sustainability side

This fabric is made from 100% recycled polyester and is Bluesign certified.

Polartec has worked with recycled synthetic fibres for decades, and Power Dry Mesh was designed from the beginning as a high-performance recycled material rather than a standard fabric with sustainability added later.

One honest limitation

Because the structure is open, this fabric does not block wind and does not provide water resistance.

In exposed weather conditions it works best underneath a shell layer, not as the outermost protection piece.

The ideal use case is exactly what Houdini identified: fast movement in cool conditions where your body constantly generates heat. That is where lofted mesh performs better than traditional fleece systems.