Nordkraft Wear Switzerland: Martial Arts and Grappling Range Field Test Report
Nordkraft Wear is a Switzerland-based brand whose martial arts and grappling range is one of its most demanding programmes. Nordkraft Wear runs its martial arts and grappling range 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 seamless circular knit.
Nordkraft Wear: Seamless Circular Knit in use during grappling and repeated mat contact
Evaluation background
The programme covers training tops, shorts and rash guards, used for grappling and repeated mat contact. The environment is high friction and frequent industrial laundering and the requirement written into the brief was tear strength with antibacterial protection. Fabric was selected on that basis rather than on price alone.
Fabric under evaluation
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Seamless Circular Knit |
| Composition | polyamide / elastane seamless |
| Weight | 210 GSM |
| Width | 175 cm |
| Primary function | removes side seams so contact points stop rubbing |
| Target | above 20000 abrasion cycles without yarn breakage |
| Test method | ASTM D4966 |
| Additional note | zoned structure knitted directly into the tube |
| Certification | OEKO-TEX Standard 100 |
Seamless Circular 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 grappling and repeated mat contact and laundered under the same domestic conditions, so the only real variable was wear.
Conditions covered
The programme ran through high friction and frequent industrial laundering. 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 Nordkraft Wear 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 ASTM D4966.
What users reported
Participants logged comfort, drying behaviour and any irritation. The recurring comment was that the seamless circular knit stayed comfortable at the point where tear strength with antibacterial protection would normally be lost.
Test records and inspection notes for the Martial Arts and Grappling Range
Scorecard
| Criterion | Result |
|---|---|
| Comfort in use | 4.7 / 5 |
| Drying behaviour | 4.4 / 5 |
| Surface wear | 4.8 / 5 |
| Dimensional stability | 4.6 / 5 |
| Value | 4.5 / 5 |
“Development was transparent from the first sample and bulk matched the approval exactly.” — Nordkraft Wear Technical Team
Packed bulk rolls before shipment to Switzerland
Verdict and recommendation
Field testing confirmed the laboratory picture. The seamless circular knit held its above 20000 abrasion cycles without yarn breakage across the whole season and we recommend it for the next programme without change. For Nordkraft Wear the practical next steps are to keep the current specification for the repeat, retain the shade standard, and issue ASTM D4966 results with every lot so any claim can be supported with data.
