I was trying to suss out whether there are products already on the shelves containing Alexicool and/or competing phase change material. As it turns out there is another product in the market called ProCool. As far as I can tell, it takes the form of a proprietary fibre product.
Cool touch pillows are currently sold in the UK based on ProCool -- the ProCool comprises a proportion of the pillow fill and the pillow is covered by I beleive conventional cotton.
At 39 pounds, its not cheap. As a cheaper (I assume) topical chemical application, surely AlexiCool would compete aggressively. There are also ProCool phase change cooling pads and associated vests that claim a 14 deg C cooling effect.
Sealy also sell a "Cool Touch" pillow. The only hint as to the technology is this quote "nano temperature-regulating fabric". Could this be something Pegasus has input into?
Probably not, $135 per pillow doesn't sound like it would be AlexiCool. Again, AlexiCool's price competitiveness should kill this one off pretty quickly.
Finally there's another product "Cool Touch Outlast" by DownLite. Downlide it a US (Ohio) based company of some 30 years in the business (same as Pegasus -- could they be related).
From that, it seems their PhaseChange technology takes the form of proprietary thermocule (PCM blob) infused fibers and a method of infusing thermocules onto flat fabric (think of it as a dot matrix printer laying dots of PCM over the fabric"
Quote "Matrix Infusion Coating An advanced formulation of Outlast® Thermocules™ is finely printed onto flat fabric. This process is ideal for brands seeking a larger volume program using their own fabrics. Outlast® MIC is intended for products worn next to skin and is perfect for the active, casual and sportswear markets. It can also be used on many fabrics."
So.. what did I get out of this exercise?
1. Still don't know what brand of pillow product will get the AlexiCool divinity..
2. The competing PCM's to date are mostly proprietary polymer fibres with infused PCM thermocules.
3. Alexium's disruptive status, beyond perhaps price point, as far as I can see seems to be the applicability of its technology to a wide range of textile fabrics, like AlexiFlam. I also suspect that AlexiCool is inherently PCM as opposed to a composition of binding agent and PCM thermocules. Someone else might have to conform that, but if it's correct, that would validate the claim by Pegusus in the announcement that AlexiCool is the most effective PCM solution on the market, and I love the sound of that statement.
Coincidentally, Belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all here whom I stalk
AJX Price at posting:
67.5¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
