Halden Works Ireland: Odor-Free Cycling Jerseys Built on Bamboo Charcoal Filament Yarn
Halden Works is a Ireland-based activewear label whose cycling jerseys programme sells directly to consumers and through selected retail partners. The team asked us to rebuild the fabric from scratch because a scented finish masked the smell for two washes and then stopped working. The target was a permanent mechanism rather than a fragrance.
Halden Works: odour-control swatch set for the cycling jerseys programme
The challenge
The smell built up at the back panel under the pockets, where sweat sits longest during a session. The previous fabric was a standard synthetic knit with no odour strategy, so bacteria broke the sweat down on the fabric and the smell became permanent after a few weeks. A retailer review that questioned the wording of the claim made the problem urgent: the brand needed a fix before the next bulk booking, not a new supplier search.
The fabric solution
We built the programme around Bamboo Charcoal Filament Yarn on a polyester filament knit base. The mechanism matters: the porous carbon structure adsorbs odour molecules instead of masking them. Keeping the base at polyester knit with mesh side panels and 130 GSM meant the hand, the stretch and the cover stayed exactly where the design team wanted them, because odour control changed the chemistry and the construction rather than the silhouette.
Wear trial and fit approval of the polyester filament knit fabric
Development and implementation
- Week 1: brief agreed, sweat zone mapped, target set as bacterial reduction above 95% with odour adsorption above 75% by JIS L 1902.
- Week 2–3: laboratory knits produced and tested; add-on level adjusted until the target was met with margin.
- Week 4–5: wear trial on finished cycling jerseys, assessed after eight hours of wear.
- Pre-production: wash durability confirmed at permanent inside the fibre, care wording written as standard laundering, nothing is applied to the surface.
- Bulk: fixed recipe, consolidated dye lots, JIS L 1902 repeated on every lot.
Specification delivered
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Product | Cycling Jerseys |
| Base construction | polyester knit with mesh side panels, 130 GSM |
| Odour-control system | Bamboo Charcoal Filament Yarn |
| Performance target | bacterial reduction above 95% with odour adsorption above 75% |
| Test method | JIS L 1902 |
| Service life | permanent inside the fibre |
| Added cost | a 10% yarn premium |
| Certification | OEKO-TEX Standard 100, REACH compliant inputs |
Results
Smell-related returns fell by 71% inside one season, and the style moved onto a fixed repeat recipe with test reports issued per lot. The odour value was re-measured on bulk fabric rather than on the approval sample, so the result reflects what customers actually received. The programme is now on its third repeat with the same recipe.
“The wear trial convinced our buying team faster than any certificate could have.” — Halden Works Product Team
Inline inspection and packing before the cycling jerseys shipment
Key takeaway
Sustainability and performance were not in conflict here. Choosing the right mechanism satisfied the compliance team without asking the customer to accept less protection. For Halden Works, that turned a recurring complaint into a feature the brand could sell.
