Dope Snow materials: Built for technical performance
Your outerwear has to handle a lot in the mountains. That’s why our gear combines technical performance with epic style in Dope Snow materials… created responsibly, of course. Want to know more? Read on.
Flimsy materials just don’t cut it in the mountains. That’s why we focus on producing high-performance fabrics that handle it all. From first-day freshies to last-day laps.
We make sure to combine performance with responsibility, though. And that means working with a reliable and safe supply chain to create durable gear that lasts multiple seasons, if not a lifetime. Want to discover more about our mission to preserve the winters we all love? Check out our Sustainability Hub.
What makes Dope Snow fabrics different?
You work hard when charging down slopes, lapping the park, and floating through fresh powder. And your outerwear does, too. In fact, our effective two-layer construction provides waterproof, windproof protection alongside breathability to keep you warm, dry, and comfortable all day:
Woven shell fabric
A tight, dense weave fabric, typically made from recycled polyester yarn is the first line of defence. Approximately 90% of the polyester we use is made from recycled materials, transforming PET plastic bottles into fibers for our jackets, pants, and base layers. This is then treated with a bluesign® APPROVED, PFAS-free DWR finish is added (HeiQ EcoDry), that is a lightweight, invisible coating that causes water to bead up and roll off the material rather than soak in.
Bonded membrane
Made from TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), a thin, powerful, PFC-free film is bonded to the inside of the shell fabric. This micro-porous material with millions of microscopic pores simultaneously allows sweat to escape and prevents external moisture from penetrating the material (even after 10 washes).
How we measure performance in our fabrics
Our results speak for themselves! Using industry tests and our own stringent standards, we can confirm that Dope Snow exceeds the minimum performance requirements across various categories, including waterproofness, breathability, abrasion resistance, water repellency, and tear strength.
For example, in the industry waterproofness test (ISO 811-2018), 10,000mm is considered a ‘good’ waterproof rating. Dope Snow’s score? A hefty 15,000 mm! Our gear also smashed the abrasion resistance test. The industry’s minimum requirement is that there’s no yarn breakage after 30,000 cycles on the testing machine. Our results? No yarn breakage after 60,000 cycles on the testing machine (main fabric) and 40,000 cycles for our lighter-weight fabrics! Want to know more about our industry testing? Check out our insights here.
Ensuring consistency
When producing our custom-developed fabrics, we champion consistency over variability. So, the last Dope jacket in production will perform to the same high standards as the very first one, and every other in between. We do this through sticking to internal benchmarks and ensuring every bulk fabric produced meets our own strict standards (or falls within 10% of our mark).
We also rigorously test in pre-production by lab testing every material, color, and batch, collecting over 25,000 data points, and checking each report before any fabric goes into production. If that wasn’t enough, we check the recycled polyester from our suppliers using an NMR (Nuclear Molecular Resonance) test. That way, we can confirm with 100% certainty that it meets the high standard stated in the paperwork.
Performance with responsibility
We combine performance and responsibility through factors such as our Leadership & Sustainability (L&S) partnership. This partnership helped us develop a custom evaluation system to compare and assess suppliers fairly. Using this approach empowers us to track progress, identify gaps, and drive improvements with our chosen suppliers.
We work exclusively with suppliers that have adopted the Amfori BSCI Code of Conduct. This upholds core principles, including fair remuneration, occupational health and safety, and environmental protection. 61% of our suppliers are also bluesign® APPROVED, and we’re committed to increasing this percentage. Regular factory visits and weekly communication help us foster strong, long-lasting relationships with our suppliers, supporting high working standards across our entire supply chain.
Wrapping up
At Dope Snow, quality means more than delivering technical, high-performance gear. It signifies that every twist and weave is built responsibly for riders, people, and the planet, so that you can shred in gear that goes beyond seasons.
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