Decathlon's Passion Brands products are subject to rigorous testing before they can be approved by Stratermic.

The thermal qualities of the components are tested first, followed by the finished product’s resistance to cold in an environmental chamber.

Finally the products are subjected to usage tests several months before they are marketed.

Stratermic’s policy on scientific tests is very strict. Stratermic tests the durability of materials and products after usage and washing. Repeated washing, for example, should not change the fabric's properties, thickness or aspect.

As well as weight and thickness inspections, each material undergoes specific tests. Fleeces and swanskin, for example are subjected to colourfastness or pilling tests.

For quilting and down, our experts measure the resilient compressibility, which is their capacity to expand back to their initial thickness following compression, thus providing better protection from cold.

The quilt's uniformity is also studied: the warm material in Stratermic fabric must be distributed perfectly and evenly throughout the garment to fight against body heat loss.

Down is a natural material and is meticulously tested by our experts: its composition and its cleanliness are rigorously inspected. Nothing is overlooked: its moisture and fat content, its power to inflate as well as its bacterial and microbiological condition are studied in detail before the garment is approved and assembled.

To ensure that products are suitable for sporting conditions, Stratermic assesses each material’s thermal resistance in an environmental chamber. Each component must provide a thermal value corresponding to a specific use, the sporting activity and its intensity.

Stratermic then measures the thermal resistance of sweaters, jackets, gloves, shoes… The products are placed in the environmental chamber on mannequins with heated hands or feet. Their resistance to cold in dry or wet conditions is observed, at different wind speeds (up to 40 km/h) and at temperatures to -40° c.

The products are studied in detail to find the most appropriate thermal insulation for your sporting activity and environment: neither too hot nor too cold, but perfectly insulated: that's the principle behind Stratermic thermal comfort!

Stratermic products which have passed laboratory tests successfully must still undergo a final test: the usage tests.

Test missions are organised worldwide with Decathlon's Passion Brands range. The products are then tested under actual usage conditions. A panel of expert sportspeople test them out for several days, with sensors positioned on their bodies to measure their thermal property values.

Indeed, even if a product obtains good results in the environmental chamber, our experts feel it is essential that they should undergo field tests so that they can be used and assessed by sportspeople.

When a Stratermic product is delivered to the store, it has already been tested several months before its distribution, so that we can be sure that no mistakes have been made.