How PrimaLoft Cut its Emissions in Half…and Field-Testing the famed synthetic insulation high in the San Juans
The guides at Red Mountain Alpine Lodge move through winter terrain off the summit of Red Mountain Pass between Silverton and Ouray the way most people walk to the coffee shop on a sunny day, casually, with a mission and a bounce in their step, knowing they can handle anything that comes their way. When in fact they are heading into some of the most awe-inspiring and deadly backcountry terrain in the Lower 48.
On a January morning with temperatures hovering around 6 degrees, we’re sitting around the fire and the table discussing snow stability and route options while I’m focused on whether I’ve got the right layers and if I’ll be able to keep up with a group that all seem to be about 20 years younger than me. Typical.
The stunning Red Mountain Alpine Lodge sits at 11,000 feet between Silverton and Ouray. It operates as a backcountry skiing destination and as in our case, a proving ground for outdoor gear. I’ve been lucky enough to ski with these guides a couple of times — this time on assignment with global insulation ingredient brand PrimaLoft, along with a few of their partner brands including Black Diamond and RAB.
PrimaLoft, the synthetic insulation company that has quietly filled jackets and gloves since developing water-resistant alternatives to down for the U.S. Army in 1983, recently completed a manufacturing overhaul. Their P.U.R.E. technology (Produced Using Reduced Emissions) cuts carbon emissions during production by 50 percent or more while maintaining the same thermal performance. At the time of our trip PrimaLoft had converted its flagship Gold Insulation entirely to this process, affecting more than 400 brands.
From Military Spec to Manufacturing Innovation
But P.U.R.E. actually traces back to 2015, when Patagonia approached PrimaLoft with a challenge: develop insulation that would dramatically reduce both energy consumption and water usage during manufacturing. The collaboration required PrimaLoft’s engineers to completely rethink manufacturing, which relies on slow-moving, high-heat ovens to thermally bond fibers.
“Throughout 2015 together we figured out how to build a product,” Andrea Paulson, PrimaLoft’s Senior Vice President of Innovation and Technology, explained to me over the phone. “Our technology teams worked very hard together to meet the high standards of the Patagonia teams.”
After completing a comprehensive environmental assessment, PrimaLoft identified thermal ovens as the primary opportunity for emissions reduction. The initial version of P.U.R.E., launched with Patagonia’s exclusive use in 2019, utilized a patented fiber recipe that eliminated the need for energy-intensive ovens, but the technology created unexpected production challenges. Increased manufacturing times led to reduced capacity and elevated costs, threatening to limit adoption beyond a handful of committed brands. A 2021 relaunch focused on the production process itself, incorporating renewable energy sources and more energy-efficient equipment. This approach has proven more scalable while maintaining the original emissions reduction targets.
Field Testing the Technology
One of my favorite products of all time, Black Diamond’s Guide Gloves, which combine 170 grams of PrimaLoft One with boiled wool insulation, provided a useful reference point during Red Mountain ski days. A removable liner construction means the gloves’ warmth depends on insulation performance. During a day that involved snow study, route evaluation, and hours of exposure at elevation, the gloves maintained warmth through the combination of quick-drying synthetic fill and moisture-wicking wool.
The First Light Stretch Hoody, another Black Diamond piece using PrimaLoft Gold Active, operates differently. Designed as an active insulation layer, much like the original PrimaLoft military specs, it addresses temperature regulation during variable-output activities. The breathable synthetic insulation allows moisture vapor to pass through while maintaining core warmth, reducing the cycle of overheating during climbs and cooling during descents.
RAB Equipment, sponsor of the concurrent Ouray Ice Festival which was next on our hit list, builds much of its technical line around PrimaLoft insulations. Their approach uses different weights and fiber types strategically within single garments, placing more insulation where static warmth matters and less where breathability takes priority.
Manufacturing Impact
P.U.R.E.’s environmental impact, verified by independent third-party SGS North America, demonstrates significant emissions reductions when applied at scale. The current version of P.U.R.E. manufacturing results in carbon emissions reductions as high as 99 to 100 percent for some production batches.
Brand adoption expanded from Patagonia’s exclusive use in 2019 to five brands by 2020. By 2021, 24 brands had committed to P.U.R.E. technology. The acceleration continued through 2022, reaching 35 brands by 2023. With the January 2025 conversion of PrimaLoft Gold complete, more than 400 brands now utilize this technology.
PrimaLoft’s conversion strategy follows a timeline designed to maximize impact. After the 2025 conversion of Gold insulation, the company plans to transition Silver and Black insulations to P.U.R.E. manufacturing this year. These represent PrimaLoft’s highest-volume products.
The company maintains strict oversight of its supply chain through partnerships with leading certification organizations including bluesign, Oeko-Tex, and Cascale’s Higg Index, along with Textile Exchange and the Global Recycled Standard.
Understanding P.U.R.E.’s impact requires grasping the scale of synthetic insulation manufacturing. Paulson describes facilities where machines the size of basketball courts produce continuous sheets of batting or loose-fill plumes. Within these operations, thousands of variables affect the final product, from conveyor speeds to curing temperatures to the precise blend of fibers being processed. “Manufacturing is where the majority of the emissions are produced,” Paulson said. “Also how and where it’s made.”
The current P.U.R.E. approach addresses both. On the efficiency side, PrimaLoft and its manufacturing partners refined production variables, determining where ovens can be turned down, when conveyor speeds can be adjusted, and how to optimize every aspect without compromising product quality. The energy sourcing component proved equally critical. “Whenever we can we pull from the solar panels and wind turbines, hydroelectric,” Paulson said.
Transitioning from a single factory producing P.U.R.E. insulation in 2019 to five facilities globally by 2024 required significant investment. These facilities, spread across Southeast Asia, Europe, China, Vietnam, and some domestic, each required customized approaches based on local energy infrastructure.
Testing in Ouray
The Ouray Ice Festival, an epic ice-climbing celebration held each year in late January, draws climbers from across the country to test skills on ice formations created and enhanced in the depths of the famed Ouray Ice Park. RAB’s presence as a major sponsor meant their full technical line was on display, much of it insulated with PrimaLoft, and people got to see, touch and test the technology.
Conversations between laps on ice walls standing with crampons in the shadows of the falls revealed patterns in gear selection. Those focused on mixed climbing or efficiency choose lighter, more breathable options, while others were bundled with multiple puffy, hooded layers, a common thread is synthetic insulation’s performance when wet, or potentially wet.
Later that evening the Western Hotel, an astounding historic renovation by Denver-based Zeppelin Development and reopened in 2023, provided a welcome base in downtown Ouray. The building’s restoration preserved its 132-year history while incorporating modern amenities and features, including an incredible basement Nordic spa, carved from rock beneath the hotel, features hot and cold saltwater plunge pools that proved perfect for recovery after days battling record cold at elevation. Chef Nic Weber’s wood-fired restaurant serves dishes that reference agricultural practices of homesteading pioneers and Ute traditions.
Industry Transformation
Since officially introducing recycled content in insulation products in 2006, PrimaLoft has pushed sustainable material science boundaries. By 2015, they had converted their most popular products to 100 percent recycled content. Seventy percent of current PrimaLoft product is made with 100 percent recycled content; and since 2015, the company says it has diverted more than 950 million water bottles from landfills and waterways. The company has never used PFAS chemicals in its products, a significant differentiator in an industry still grappling with forever chemicals.
Back at Red Mountain Lodge, we were able to discuss with the guides and other media and brand reps which combinations of base layers, insulation, and shells work best for specific conditions. The connection between P.U.R.E.’s manufacturing improvements and field performance may not be direct — reducing emissions during production doesn’t make insulation warmer, lighter, or more durable — but what it does accomplish is maintaining performance characteristics while addressing the environmental cost of manufacturing.
In the global insulation market, PrimaLoft competes primarily against non-branded synthetic insulation manufacturers who compete on price rather than performance or sustainability. The company has positioned itself as an ignitor brand, whose innovations influence the entire outdoor segment. Paulson also brings an unusual perspective to material science innovation, holding a degree in kinesiology with applied psychology rather than the traditional engineering or chemistry background. “How it affects the end user and application is where thermodynamics and thermophysiology tie in,” she says.
The transformation from those first conversations with Patagonia to today’s global manufacturing network spans a decade, and P.U.R.E. demonstrates that significant emissions reductions in manufacturing are possible without sacrificing performance or dramatically increasing costs. For brands like Black Diamond and RAB that build technical products around PrimaLoft insulations, the P.U.R.E. conversion provides a manufacturing story that aligns with their own ethos. When a brand specifies PrimaLoft Gold in a high-alpine shell or expedition glove, that insulation now comes with a significantly reduced carbon footprint. The technology’s adoption by brands ranging from luxury fashion houses to mainstream outdoor suggests that sustainable manufacturing has moved from differentiator to expectation.
High up in the San Juans, the guides at Red Mountain Lodge don’t think much about manufacturing processes, but they do care whether the insulation works when temperatures drop and moisture builds up inside your layers. And for the 400 brands now tapping into PrimaLoft’s P.U.R.E. technology, that’s the measure of success.
PHOTOS BY BLAKE GORDON
—Definitely Wild is a column by EO Contributing Editor Aaron Bible. He has been writing for Elevation Outdoors and Blue Ridge Outdoors, among other outdoor publications, for more than two decades, covering cycling, skiing, gear, adventure travel and mountain life. The opinions expressed here are his own. Follow him on Instagram at @DefinitelyWild.
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