HIGH POINT, N.C. — June 2, 2021 ─ Culp Inc. — together with its consolidated subsidiaries “CULP” — pairs innovation and dedication to its sustainability efforts with Culp Home Fashions’ new line of mattress fabrics, ChillSense powered by REPREVE®. This innovative fabric is a result of the continued partnership between CULP and Unifi Inc. The new mattress fabric line answers consumer demand for cooling performance while keeping sustainability features top of mind.
According to Unifi, fabrics made with ChillSense fibers transfer heat from the body to the fabric more quickly, creating a cool sensation to the touch. ChillSense powered by Repreve is a unique mattress fabric, currently exclusively available through CULP. The fabric is made with ChillSense and at least 30-percent Repreve, a fiber made from recycled plastic bottles with U TRUST® verification to certify recycled content claims.
“The cooling technology is inherent within the yarn, not requiring the addition of chemicals,” stated Jeff Veach, vice-president of sales and marketing for Culp Home Fashions. “ChillSense powered by Repreve combines performance and sustainability elements in one fabric and represents an affordable offering for our customers and consumers to make a sustainability-based buying decision. Since 2019, Culp has helped divert over 63 million plastic bottles from going into waste streams by incorporating Repreve recycled fiber into its mattress fabrics and upholstery fabrics products, including the ChillSense powered by Repreve line. We are excited to offer two great technologies in one.”
Understanding the consumer demand for cooling technology in fabrics, Unifi created the ChillSense fiber, which has an instantaneous sensation of coolness to the touch. Brian Moore, vice-president of global brand sales for Unifi, explained: “Fabrics made with ChillSense fibers have a high thermal effusivity — the rate at which a material can absorb heat. Fabrics with high effusivity represent the ability of a textile to exchange thermal energy with the skin.”
Another unique feature of the partnership between Culp and Unifi is their combined global capacity to navigate the current supply chain issues. Commenting on this, Veach stated, “CULP has the redundancy to produce and scale this new fabric line. The raw material can be made locally in Reidsville and it can also be made overseas, in concert with Culp’s expansive fabric formation capabilities.”
The Unifi Repreve Mobile Tour truck will be stationed at the corner of Main Street and Commerce Street during High Point Furniture Market for anyone interested in learning more about fabrics made with Repreve. Culp and Unifi are hosting a “Sustainable Sip and See” industry happy hour at the Repreve Mobile Tour truck for Market attendees on Saturday, June 5th from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Posted June 8, 2021
Source: Culp
