INNOVATION
BY UVEA
First zipper that changes color depending on UV intensity.
Textile innovation serving UV protection
At UVEA, textile innovation is designed as a practical tool for protection and awareness against the effects of the sun. For several years, the brand has been developing UV-protective clothing designed to meet real-life needs, particularly for children and outdoor activities.
This approach goes beyond UPF 80 certified textiles, engineered to effectively block harmful ultraviolet rays, and also includes visible and educational innovations that help everyone better understand their sun exposure.
A unique textile innovation: the UV-reactive zipper
UVEA has developed an original textile innovation: a zipper that changes color according to the intensity of ultraviolet rays.
Integrated directly into the garment, this UV-reactive zipper makes it possible to instantly visualize sun exposure, without any device, application, or special handling. As UV intensity increases, the color of the zipper changes, providing a simple and intuitive visual signal that is immediately noticeable by the wearer.
A playful technology to better understand the effects of the sun
This innovation was designed as an educational tool, particularly for children, and is especially well suited to children’s UV-protective clothing. The color-changing zipper helps raise awareness of solar radiation intensity in real time, in a playful and non-alarming way.
It encourages the adoption of good sun-safety habits: covering up more, seeking shade, or limiting exposure when UV intensity becomes higher. Sun protection thus becomes more understandable and more visible, even for the youngest users.
How a UV-reactive zipper works
The UV-reactive zipper is based on the use of photosensitive pigments specifically engineered to react to ultraviolet rays.
Unlike a simple decorative dye, these pigments change color when exposed to UV radiation, independently of temperature. When sun exposure decreases, the color gradually returns to its original state. This reaction provides a reliable visual indication of UV exposure, directly integrated into the garment.
Textile innovation and more responsible sun protection
By helping to better visualize UV exposure, this textile innovation contributes to a more thoughtful and informed use of sun protection. It makes it easier to anticipate moments when enhanced protection is needed, particularly during prolonged exposure.
This approach is part of a vision of durable protection, based on garments designed to be worn over time, washed regularly, and used repeatedly, while maintaining their UV-protective properties.
A different vision of UV protection
The textile innovation developed by UVEA illustrates a different way of approaching sun protection: more educational, more visible, and more sustainable. The UV-reactive zipper embodies this desire to make UV protection accessible, easy to understand, and fully integrated into everyday use.