Not every insulated product is designed around the thinnest possible construction.
In many applications, designers prioritise softness, loft and long-term comfort alongside thermal performance.
This is where hollow polyester fibres offer important advantages.
By trapping large volumes of still air while maintaining resilience after repeated compression, hollow polyester fibres help create insulation that feels soft, recovers well and performs consistently throughout the product’s lifetime.
Within the MEIDA range, hollow polyester fibres complement polypropylene rather than replacing it, allowing different insulation solutions to be developed for different product requirements.
Unlike solid fibres, hollow polyester fibres contain one or more internal air channels.
These microscopic cavities increase the amount of trapped air inside the insulation without significantly increasing weight.
Because still air is the primary insulating medium, hollow fibres can contribute to improved thermal efficiency while creating a softer, loftier construction.
The result is insulation that combines warmth with comfort and volume.
Loft describes the thickness and volume created by an insulation material.
Higher loft generally creates a softer product while increasing the amount of trapped air available for insulation.
Loft influences:
For many products, loft is not simply an aesthetic feature—it is an important part of the overall performance.
Insulated products are repeatedly compressed during normal use.
Examples include:
An insulation material should recover its original volume after compression as efficiently as possible.
Hollow polyester fibres are well known for providing good resilience and helping maintain loft during repeated use.
This contributes to more consistent insulation performance over time.
More loft is not always better.
Some products require the thinnest possible insulation.
Others benefit from additional volume.
This is why different insulation technologies exist.
A lightweight glove often prioritises dexterity.
A quilted outdoor jacket may prioritise softness and loft.
The best insulation depends on the performance requirements of the finished product rather than a single material property.
Rather than choosing between polypropylene and polyester, modern insulation systems often combine both fibre types.
Polypropylene contributes:
Hollow polyester contributes:
By combining the strengths of both materials, insulation can be tailored to different product categories.
MEIDA Soft combines polypropylene microfibres with hollow polyester microfibres.
The polypropylene component provides the core thermal platform, while the hollow polyester fibres increase loft and softness.
The result is an insulation designed for products where comfort, resilience and volume are prioritised alongside thermal performance.
MEIDA Ceramic builds on the same construction by integrating FIR technology into the insulation platform.
Both products share the same MEIDA philosophy but are designed for different priorities.
Choose MEIDA Original when your objective is:
Choose MEIDA Soft when your objective is:
Both solutions offer high thermal performance—the difference lies in how that performance is achieved.
Hollow polyester fibres contain one or more internal air channels that increase loft while maintaining low weight.
They help create volume, softness and thermal efficiency by trapping additional still air.
Loft describes the thickness and volume of an insulation material.
Loft contributes to comfort, softness and thermal insulation by increasing the amount of trapped air.
Not necessarily. The best insulation depends on the intended application, available space and required product performance.
Recovery describes how well an insulation material returns to its original thickness after being compressed.
Good recovery helps maintain insulation performance and product appearance throughout repeated use.
Yes. They are designed to provide volume without adding excessive weight.
Neither material is universally better. Each offers different advantages depending on the application.
Polypropylene is known for low weight, low moisture absorption and thin constructions. Hollow polyester is known for loft, softness and resilience.
Outdoor apparel, workwear, bedding, footwear and many insulated products benefit from increased loft and softness.
Polyester absorbs more moisture than polypropylene but significantly less than many natural fibres.
Yes. Combining both fibre types allows insulation systems to balance warmth, loft and moisture performance.
MEIDA Soft and MEIDA Ceramic both incorporate hollow polyester microfibres.
The combination allows polypropylene to provide lightweight thermal performance while hollow polyester adds loft and softness.
Both products offer excellent insulation. The choice depends on whether low bulk or increased loft is the higher priority.
Yes. Loft and softness are important characteristics in bedding products.
Yes. Many outdoor products benefit from insulation that combines warmth, comfort and recovery after compression.
Choose Original for maximum thermal performance in the thinnest possible construction. Choose Soft when loft, softness and resilience are more important.
Yes. Insulation that maintains its loft over time can contribute to more consistent comfort and long-term product performance.
Whether you’re developing apparel, footwear, gloves or bedding, our specialists are ready to help.