Kåre

Retina® is the group name for our Polyamide backpack fabrics that fulfil our strict requirements for sustainability and quality.

Polyamide (Nylon) is a synthetic fiber creating extraordinarily strong and versatile fabrics with high abrasion resistance, very good resilience to wear and tear, and a high breaking extension. Retina® fabrics are based on polyamides but geared toward use in backpacks, which places different requirements on the fabrics. As opposed to fabrics made for apparel, the focus here is heavy wear and strength. Breathability is of less importance, so we often use a PU coating or a TPU laminate on the inside as wall.

The polyamides we use are derived from recycled, bio-feedstock and virgin sources. Please see ‘Polyamide’ for more info about the different choices regarding the origin of our Retina® fabrics.

ECONYL® is a recycled yarn we use across our collection in our effort to make our products more sustainable. ECONYL® is made from 50 percent post-consumer recycled and 50 percent pre-consumer recycled polyamide. The system uses recovered plastic waste from fishing nets and carpet flooring, together with pre-consumer plastic from industries, factories and fabric scraps. It is then sorted and cleaned, and as much nylon as possible is extracted, ready for use in our products.

This unique purification process means the waste is regenerated back to the same purity as virgin nylon. What this means is that it has the potential to be recycled again and again, while maintaining its original quality.

Skylcoat® is our own PU coating we use on backpack front fabrics to make them water repellent.

Skylcoat® has an increased abrasion resistance compared to a standard DWR treatment, making it highly suitable for backpack fabrics. Any product using a Skylcoat® coating will stay dry and protected for many years.