Patagonia Wavefarer® Bucket Hat

Although we’ve been using recycled polyester in our garments for 20 years, for some reason locked deep in polymer chemistry, nylon is more difficult to recycle than polyester. After years of research, development, and testing, we’re finally finding some recycled nylon fibers that are suitable for apparel.

Some of the recycled nylon we use comes from post-industrial waste fiber, yarn collected from a spinning factory, and waste from the weaving mills that can be processed into reusable nylon fiber.

We’re diligently searching for a success story with recycled nylon. The challenge lies ahead of us, and we’re committed to discovering the best methods to recycle nylon fiber, but it appears this evolution will take many years.

Lacking fur, feathers or scales, we humans have to think up clever ways to protect ourselves from the sun. Products with the UPF designation provide built-in sun protection that won’t wear off.

UPF stands for “Ultraviolet Protection Factor.” This value represents the fractional amount of the sun’s harmful UV rays that pass through a fabric. A rating of “25” indicates that only 1/25th , or 4% of the UV rays pass through the garment.

Patagonia products with rated UPF protection are tested independently to meet Australia/New Zealand or AATCC protocols. A rating of 15-24 earns a product a rating of “good”; a rating of 25-39 is "very good"; and a rating of 40-50+ is “excellent.” *

* When tested in accordance with Australian/New Zealand test methods AS/NZS 4399 or USA test methods AATCC 183/ASTM D6603/ASTM D6544.