Evaluating the Air Permeability Properties of Summer Cooling Towels

Abstract

Air permeability is one of the thermal comfort properties of clothing and fabrics. This study evaluated the air permeability properties of summer cooling towels of different brands available in the market, “Perfect Fitness”, “N-rit” and “Cooldyxm” and an anonymous ice towel. The air permeability function of the cooling towels was evaluated instrumentally. Other than the air permeability property, other fabric specification such as fiber composition, fabric type, fabric weight, fabric thickness, yarn linearity and fabric density were measured. Some specifications were found to have good statistical correlation with the air permeability. Based on the experimental results and statistical analysis, the sample of Perfect Fitness was found to have the poorest cooling effect, whereas N-rit, Cooldyxm and Ice Towel samples had comparable air permeability properties. The best performance of air permeability was seen in N-rit sample. The underlying reason could be ascribed to the fabric structure and thickness. This study can provide some information for choosing cooling towel for practical use.