Coffee Ground Yarn for Performance Socks: Wear Trial Report

We ran a controlled wear trial on performance crew socks built with Coffee Ground Yarn to answer one question: does the odour-control value hold up in real use, not just in a laboratory dish?

Trial design

Twelve wearers used the same performance crew socks for running, hiking and court sports over four weeks. Every garment was worn at least twice between washes, which is the condition where smell complaints normally appear. The sweat zone for performance crew socks is the sole and the toe box, which is where the treatment has to sit.

Odour assessment method

Three trained judges scored each garment on a five-point scale after eight hours of wear. Their scores were compared with ISO 17299-2 deodorant test carried out on the same fabric. Every lot is measured against ISO 17299-2 deodorant test before the fabric is released for cutting.

Results

The treated fabric reached odour reduction above 75% with recycled content above 3% by weight, and the panel score stayed two points better than the untreated control at the sole and the toe box. The gap widened after week two, when the control garments began to retain smell. Cost impact is a yarn premium of about 10%, which is usually recovered through fewer returns across a season.

Wash durability

Performance was re-measured after permanent, because the additive sits inside the fibre. Because the fine carbon structure traps odour molecules and adds recycled content, the value declines gradually rather than disappearing, so the wearer notices a slow change instead of a sudden failure. Wear trials were run under running, hiking and court sports rather than in the laboratory alone.

Practical conclusion

Coffee Ground Yarn is worth specifying where performance crew socks is worn repeatedly between washes. Set the target of odour reduction above 75% with recycled content above 3% by weight on the tech pack and ask for ISO 17299-2 deodorant test per lot, so a good sample does not hide a weak bulk delivery. The care label states standard home laundering with mild detergent, and that wording is the condition behind permanent, because the additive sits inside the fibre.