What Is Icefil And How Does It Work?

With longer days & warm weather sticking around for awhile, we are all admittedly excited to continue riding more. We thought we’d take a minute to talk about our best selling shirts. Sun shirts of course, with Icefil technology. You hear about Icefil a lot, but what do you really know about it? 

Tailored Sportsman, Kerrits or R.J. Classics, whichever your favorite happens to be, they all contain proprietary versions of Icefil Technology in addition to offering SPF sun protection. We’re sure you’ve heard that IceFil lowers your body temperature by up to 5 degrees. This is no marketing gimmick; it’s science, but what exactly is this stuff?

What is Icefil Fabric?

Icefil fabric is treated with Xylitol. You can find Xylitol as a sugar substitute in many of your favorite sugar-free foods like gum, peanut butter & other sugar-free foods. Xylitol is naturally occurring in small amounts in plums, strawberries, cauliflower & more. Humans and animals also create small amounts of Xylitol when metabolizing carbohydrates.

Xylitol itself is colorless to a white crystallized chemical substance often used as an artificial sweetener. That refreshing cool pop when chewing a sugar-free gum like Trident or Orbit? You can thank our friend Xylitol.

Scientists discovered fabrics specially treated with Xylitol have a cooling effect on the human body. When you begin to overheat, your body sweats the IceFil fabric wicks away your sweat. The Xylitol application absorbs the sweat while quickly and effectively being converted to cooling energy lowering your body temperature by 5 degrees. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you have on your show clothes that 5 degrees can mean the difference between being comfortably hot or roasting to death in a flat class!

The fabric is available in a feather-light & breathable UPF 30+ shirt weight as well as a slightly heavier UPF 50+ durable 4-way stretch fabric that is currently being offered in breeches by Kerrits & Ariat.

Another great feature of IceFil fabric is that it is these pieces are easy to care for in your home washer & dryer. Machine wash on cold & tumble dry on low. The Icefil treatment lasts 30-50 washes and even after the cooling technology has been washed out, the apparel still offers UPF protection from the sun’s harmful rays. 

Icefil is the perfect summer fabric for all of your riding needs & it's available now available in kids & mens style as well, to keep the whole family cool & protected from the sun.