Equinoxx Stage 3 / K2 Factoid #3 of 5: The Material Really Does “Breathe”

In Factoids #1 and #2, we discussed how Stage 3 (for wearing body armor) and K2 Thermal (full protection of the core for not wearing body armor) provide full thermal protection by keeping you warm, blocking wind, and resisting rain.

However, Stage 3 and K2 Thermal have an important added benefit that you don’t get with bulky winter coats or the soft polyester fiberfill jackets used in skiing and other outdoor activities: Stage 3 and K2 are breathable so that you don’t overheat when you come in out of the cold.

Customers say:

The shirt has kept me warm in 15 degree weather and has kept the mobility up that I expected from it....I've recommended it to co-workers and they have enjoyed the warmth and freedom this shirt provides as well. Somehow the shirt does not overheat you while indoors as well. —Adam R.

I don’t know how you did it! I wore the shirt around the house without getting overheated after it arrived, so was admittedly skeptical of how warm the Stage 3 would be in the cold on duty….To my amazement I was completely comfortable for the entire range day without compromised mobility. —Ryan A.

I absolutely love it. I have the level 3 and I am a police officer in Ohio where it can be quite cold. Super comfortable and breathable. 100 times better than any under armor item I’ve ever purchased. —Korey K.

Why the Material Needs to Breathe

You’re overheating because you’re going back out in the cold and it’s too inconvenient to remove your thermal apparel. When you overheat you sweat, and this moisture on the skin freezes the moment you go back out in the cold, giving you the chills and possibly risking hypothermia, which is when the body loses heat quicker than it can produce it, causing a dangerously low body termperature.

While overheating is an issue for many people who work and play outdoors, it’s a special problem for police officers, who are constantly getting in and out of patrol cars and buildings. And for police and others who wear body armor, overheating and sweating at the core is a problem even in cold weather. So we designed Stage 3 with different material covering the core—a thinner, moisture-wicking, polyester/ spandex blend.

But even this may not be enough to prevent overheating underneath body armor, which is why we recommend use of our Maxx-Dri Vest for body armor ventilation. Maxx-Dri Vest is just as beneficial in cold weather as it is in hot weather.

To learn more now, please see our Equinoxx Stage 3, K2 Thermal and Maxx-Dri Vest product pages.