Studies: Comfort Should Be Priority for Workwear

Scientists at Hohenstein Institute developed a method to measure reaction time, concentration levels and error rates for people wearing different kinds of clothing in test scenarios requiring long-term, intense concentration. Findings indicated a strong correlation between the test subjects’ performance and their clothing. People wearing comfortable clothing performed considerably better on the tests. While comfort always has been a key consideration in athletic clothing design, the Hohenstein data confirms that the application to uniform and workwear design is extremely relevant, especially for people in the military, aviation, high-tech manufacturing, transportation, medicine, public safety, and other stressful and concentration-intensive occupations.
 
“Hohenstein has quantified the common belief that clothing affects performance,” says Dr. Sam Moore, managing director of Hohenstein Institute America. “Workwear and uniform companies now have the tools they need to confirm that their products contribute to outstanding performance and worker safety.”
 
In addition to validating the comfort and performance link, Hohenstein Institute also created testing technology to predict a fabric’s or garment’s effect on the wearer. Throughout the development process, Hohenstein helps manufacturers and designers engineer comfort into the product in ways that are pertinent for their intended use. Hohenstein has mechanical skin sensory models to evaluate wicking, body temperature regulation, drying time, moisture and wind resistance, as well as how the fabric feels against the skin. Hohenstein also can evaluate whether a fabric is hypoallergenic and unlikely to cause skin irritation during intense use. All of these assessments can be conducted under a variety of controlled conditions and environments, depending on the product’s intended use.

According to the institute, these tests are more cost-effective than the large-scale wear tests needed to produce the same volume of data, and results are objective, reproducible and usually available on a faster schedule.

For more information, visit hohenstein.us. — S.G.