Solstice Athletics Switzerland: Trail Running Programme Field Test Report
Solstice Athletics is a Switzerland-based brand whose trail running programme is one of its most demanding programmes. Solstice Athletics runs its trail running programme across Switzerland and asked us to prove the fabric in the field rather than in a brochure. This report covers a full season of real use with bonded softshell knit.
Solstice Athletics: Bonded Softshell Knit in use during long off-road efforts on mixed terrain
Evaluation background
The programme covers trail shorts, technical tees and light shells, used for long off-road efforts on mixed terrain. The environment is mud, grit, wind and rapid weather changes and the requirement written into the brief was abrasion resistance with fast drying after stream crossings. Fabric was selected on that basis rather than on price alone.
Fabric under evaluation
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Bonded Softshell Knit |
| Composition | polyester face bonded to a TPU membrane |
| Weight | 300 GSM |
| Width | 170 cm |
| Primary function | blocks wind while still allowing vapour to escape |
| Target | water vapour resistance below 6 m2Pa/W |
| Test method | ISO 11092 |
| Additional note | bond strength above 15 N after washing |
| Certification | OEKO-TEX Standard 100 |
Bonded Softshell Knit close-up showing the fabric surface
Test scope
Twenty garments were issued to regular participants and tracked for eight weeks. Every item was used for long off-road efforts on mixed terrain and laundered under the same domestic conditions, so the only real variable was wear.
Conditions covered
The programme ran through mud, grit, wind and rapid weather changes. That is the environment the fabric has to survive, and it is harsher than any laboratory chamber we could have built.
Evaluation session with the Solstice Athletics team
What we measured
Garments were inspected every two weeks for surface wear, seam condition, dimensional change and retained hand. Fabric was retested at the end of the period against ISO 11092.
What users reported
Participants logged comfort, drying behaviour and any irritation. The recurring comment was that the bonded softshell knit stayed comfortable at the point where abrasion resistance with fast drying after stream crossings would normally be lost.
Test records and inspection notes for the Trail Running Programme
Scorecard
| Criterion | Result |
|---|---|
| Comfort in use | 4.8 / 5 |
| Drying behaviour | 4.6 / 5 |
| Surface wear | 4.5 / 5 |
| Dimensional stability | 4.7 / 5 |
| Value | 4.4 / 5 |
“This is the first season with no comfort complaints in this category.” — Solstice Athletics Technical Team
Packed bulk rolls before shipment to Switzerland
Verdict and recommendation
Field testing confirmed the laboratory picture. The bonded softshell knit held its water vapour resistance below 6 m2Pa/W across the whole season and we recommend it for the next programme without change. For Solstice Athletics the practical next steps are to keep the current specification for the repeat, retain the shade standard, and issue ISO 11092 results with every lot so any claim can be supported with data.
