Pulse Meridian Ireland: Odor-Free Compression Base Layers Built on Silver Ion Antibacterial Finish
Pulse Meridian is a Ireland-based activewear label whose base layers programme sells directly to consumers and through selected retail partners. The team asked us to rebuild the fabric from scratch because the existing fabric passed every laboratory test yet still failed in wear trials. The target was a solution validated by wear panels rather than by a certificate alone.
Pulse Meridian: odour-control swatch set for the base layers programme
The challenge
The smell built up at the back and the underarm, 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 negative review thread on the brand's own product page 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 Silver Ion Antibacterial Finish on a nylon/spandex knit base. The mechanism matters: silver disrupts bacterial metabolism so the bacteria that create body odour cannot multiply. Keeping the base at plated knit with 12% elastane and 190 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 nylon/spandex knit fabric
Development and implementation
- Week 1: brief agreed, sweat zone mapped, target set as bacterial reduction above 99% after 10 washes by ISO 20743.
- 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 base layers, assessed after eight hours of wear.
- Pre-production: wash durability confirmed at 30 home washes, care wording written as wash at 30 degrees without fabric softener.
- Bulk: fixed recipe, consolidated dye lots, ISO 20743 repeated on every lot.
Specification delivered
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Product | Compression Base Layers |
| Base construction | plated knit with 12% elastane, 190 GSM |
| Odour-control system | Silver Ion Antibacterial Finish |
| Performance target | bacterial reduction above 99% after 10 washes |
| Test method | ISO 20743 |
| Service life | 30 home washes |
| Added cost | USD 0.40 per garment |
| Certification | OEKO-TEX Standard 100, REACH compliant inputs |
Results
Repeat orders rose by 34% year on year for the treated style, and the untreated version was retired from the range. 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.
“Two seasons on, the odour value is still there. That is why the style stayed in the range.” — Pulse Meridian Product Team
Inline inspection and packing before the base layers 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 Pulse Meridian, that turned a recurring complaint into a feature the brand could sell.
