It was Andre 3000 on Outkast’s 2003 hit, Hey Ya, who famously asked, “What’s cooler than bein’ cool?” The answer was a resounding, “ICE COLD!”
Ask this same question of the folks at Imperial Headwear and you’ll likely get a different answer — one that is an enthusiastic, “COOLCORE!”
Just in time for the dog days of summer, Imperial has released its new Coolcore® line of hats and visors to help us beat the heat. Coolcore is a revolutionary material that takes traditional performance fabrics to the next level. At this point, we are all familiar with the same ol’ mantra about high tech fabrics. They are lightweight and wick moisture and they transport moisture away from the skin to speed drying. Coolcore does all of these things, plus it regulates the evaporation of the moisture to provide a cooling effect.
What you may not know about most technical fabrics is that they are treated with things like chemicals, polymers, gels, crystals and other materials to give them their high performance qualities. We’ve all had that favorite shirt or hat that lost its performance, but gained some stink over time. This is the result of those chemicals washing out of the fabric and killing its performance. Coolcore, though, doesn’t get its cooling powers from chemicals or polymer crystals, so its performance won’t degrade over time. Not to mention, it is a healthier option for you and the environment, as well.
As long as the Coolcore fabric is wet or you are sweating, it will keep on cooling. Water is absorbed into the fibers’ hollow core and air circulates around the fiber, which activates the cooling technology. These same fibers then regulate the evaporation of moisture to create a prolonged cooling effect. According to Imperial, the Coolcore technology lowers fabric temperature up to 30% below skin temperature.
So, does it actually live up to the hype?
Well, one thing I learned from wearing the Imperial Coolcore hat is how lucky I am to live in the temperate climate of Northern California. I hit the links with the hat a few times over the last couple of weeks only to find out that I couldn’t muster up enough sweat to activate Coolcore’s powers.
Obviously, I needed to take this to the next level, so I dipped the hat in hot water, waved it around a few times and slipped it on my head. (A risky move considering I have slightly more hair than a golf ball.) The result was a significant decrease in fabric temperature. Next, I took it to the gym for a CrossFit workout. This definitely got the sweat going, allowing the Coolcore technology to kick in. Clearly there was something going on here, and I liked it!
The important thing to remember about Coolcore’s performance is that it helps to regulate and normalize skin temperature. It is not the equivalent of sticking your head in an icebox. It cools, but it isn’t cold. When you really think about it, this is exactly what you want. Who wants an ice cream headache for 18 holes, especially when you haven’t even had the pleasure of eating the ice cream?
Imperial is the first brand to bring Coolcore technology to the links, and I can’t think of a better product to start than with hats. The Imperial Powered by Coolcore® collection consists of nine headwear styles, over 50 SKU’s, and ranges from caps and visors to small fit and sun protection hats. They are just hitting pro shops now, so ask your pro when you can get your hands on one. And remember, cooler heads will prevail.
Imperial on the web: ImperialSports.com
Imperial on Facebook: ImperialInc
Imperial on Twitter: @ImperialHats
Imperial on Instagram: @imperialhats
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