Clothing Insulation and
Temperature Ratings for Outdoor Clothing

Property:
Resistance to dry heat transfer (insulation value) provided by clothing systems

Method:
ASTM F 1291 "Standard Test Method for Measuring the Thermal Insulation of Clothing Using a Heated Manikin"
ISO 15831 standard “Clothing – Physiological Effects – Measurement of Thermal Insulation by Means of a Thermal Manikin"
ASTM F 2732 "Standard Practice for Determining the Temperature Ratings of Cold Weather Clothing"

Instrument:
Thermal manikin in an environmental chamber; test can be done with the manikin moving, standing, or sitting

Specimen number and size: 1 or 3 sets of garments sized to fit the manikin

Cost:
$550 for 3 replications in a row on one set of garments;
$650 for replications on 3 garment samples of the same type

Temperature Ratings:
Heat transfer models are used with the insulation value to determine the temperature ratings for comfort at different activity levels. No additional charge for these calculations.

©2011 Institute for Environmental Research