Global Cooling Fabrics Market – Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast Segmented By Type (Synthetic and Natural), By Textile Type (Woven, Nonwoven, Knitted, and Others), By Application (Sports Apparel, Protective Wearing, Lifestyle, and Others), By Region, By Competition Forecast & Opportunities 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 2.72 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	7.47%
Fastest Growing Segment	Natural
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 4.19 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Cooling Fabrics Market will grow from USD 2.72 Billion in 2025 to USD 4.19 Billion by 2031 at a 7.47% CAGR. Cooling fabrics are specialized textiles engineered to regulate body temperature and manage moisture through advanced technologies such as wicking, evaporation, and phase change materials. The market is fundamentally supported by increasing global participation in physical fitness activities and stricter occupational safety mandates requiring protective apparel for workers in high-temperature industrial environments. These distinct drivers ensure sustained demand for thermal regulation solutions across both consumer activewear and commercial safety sectors, independent of transient fashion trends.

The sector demonstrates significant economic magnitude as it scales to meet these demands, yet it faces obstacles related to production complexities. According to the Taiwan Textile Federation, in 2024, the export value of fabrics which encompasses high-performance functional textiles reached USD 4.78 billion. Despite this robust trade activity, a significant challenge impeding broader market expansion is the volatility of raw material costs which creates pricing instability and compresses profit margins for manufacturers of these technical synthetic textiles.

Key Market Drivers

The expansion of athleisure and functional lifestyle apparel serves as a primary catalyst for the cooling fabrics sector, fundamentally altering textile production priorities. Consumers increasingly demand garments that offer thermal regulation and moisture management properties traditionally reserved for high-performance sportswear, forcing brands to integrate these features into everyday clothing. This shift compels manufacturers to innovate with synthetic blends and phase-change materials to maintain market competitiveness against standard cotton alternatives. The financial success of specialized activewear brands highlights this trajectory and the critical role of performance textiles. According to Lululemon Athletica Inc., March 2024, in the '2023 Annual Report', the company reported that net revenue increased 19% to $9.6 billion, reflecting sustained consumer appetite for technical apparel designed with performance attributes. This revenue growth underscores the necessity for textile supply chains to scale the production of cooling substrates to meet the stringent specifications of major apparel conglomerates.

Concurrently, rising global temperatures and the associated intensification of occupational heat risks are compelling industries to adopt advanced cooling textiles for workforce protection. As climate conditions worsen, regulatory bodies and employers are prioritizing personal protective equipment that actively mitigates heat stress for outdoor and industrial laborers, moving beyond basic safety gear to functional heat-management solutions. According to the International Labour Organization, April 2024, in the 'Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate' report, data indicates that more than 70% of the global workforce is likely to be exposed to excessive heat at some point during their work. This widespread exposure necessitates the integration of cooling technologies into industrial uniforms to maintain productivity and safety compliance. The commercial viability of meeting such functional demands is evident in the performance of major retail holdings that rely heavily on temperature-regulating product lines. According to Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., in 2024, the parent company of Uniqlo achieved a consolidated revenue of 3.10 trillion yen, demonstrating the immense economic scale of functional clothing markets.

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Key Market Challenges

The volatility of raw material costs acts as a significant constraint on the Global Cooling Fabrics Market. Production of these technical textiles depends heavily on synthetic fibers and specialized chemical treatments which are derived from petroleum feedstocks. Consequently, fluctuations in global oil prices cause immediate instability in the cost of essential inputs like polyester and nylon. This unpredictability makes it challenging for manufacturers to maintain consistent pricing strategies, leading to compressed profit margins and a reluctance to commit to the large-scale production cycles necessary for broad market expansion.

The impact of this cost instability is widespread across the textile manufacturing sector and directly affects the ability of companies to scale. According to the International Textile Manufacturers Federation, in 2024, 27 percent of industry respondents cited high raw material costs as a primary concern for their business operations. This prevailing economic pressure forces companies to prioritize cost mitigation over research and development, directly stalling the innovation required to advance cooling fabric technologies. As a result, the market struggles to achieve its full potential as manufacturers are forced to operate defensively rather than aggressively pursuing growth opportunities.

Key Market Trends

The Adoption of Bio-Based and Recycled Cooling Fibers is fundamentally restructuring the market as manufacturers strive to decouple from volatile fossil-fuel supply chains and address escalating sustainability mandates. This transition involves replacing conventional virgin synthetics with high-performance fibers derived from post-consumer plastics or agricultural biomass, ensuring that thermal regulation efficiency is maintained while significantly lowering carbon emissions. This shift allows brands to mitigate the risks associated with raw material price instability while appealing to environmentally conscious consumers. According to Textile Exchange, October 2025, in the 'Materials Market Report 2025', the global production volume of recycled polyester, a primary substrate for eco-conscious cooling textiles, increased to approximately 9.3 million tonnes in 2024, highlighting the sector's rapid shift toward circular production models.

The Emergence of Biomimetic and Passive Radiative Cooling signifies a critical technological evolution, moving beyond standard moisture-wicking mechanisms to fabrics that actively reject solar radiation and emit thermal energy. These advanced textiles utilize engineered nanostructures and biopolymers to manipulate infrared emissions, providing substantial cooling capabilities without external energy inputs or reliance on perspiration, which is vital for extreme climates. This trend prioritizes preventing heat absorption at the molecular level rather than simply managing body heat after it accumulates. According to the University of South Australia, June 2025, in a study published in 'Cell Reports Physical Science', a newly developed bioplastic metafilm for wearable applications demonstrated the ability to passively reduce temperatures by as much as 9.2 degrees Celsius during peak sunlight, underscoring the potential of radiative technologies to revolutionize heat management.

Segmental Insights

The Natural segment is recognized as the fastest-growing category in the global cooling fabrics market, driven by increasing consumer demand for environmentally sustainable and biodegradable alternatives. This expansion is supported by stringent guidelines from regulatory bodies like the European Chemicals Agency, which aim to limit harmful chemical additives frequently utilized in synthetic material processing. Consequently, manufacturers are shifting focus toward raw materials such as cotton and bamboo to ensure regulatory compliance. This transition addresses rising environmental concerns and positions natural fibers as a preferred solution for long-term market growth.

Regional Insights

North America maintains a dominant position in the Global Cooling Fabrics Market, driven by widespread adoption across commercial and institutional sectors. The region’s leadership is anchored in the robust demand for high-performance activewear, fueled by a strong culture of fitness and recreation. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Defense plays a pivotal role, actively investing in cooling textile technologies to mitigate heat stress for military personnel and improve operational readiness. This institutional support, combined with substantial research and development in synthetic fiber manufacturing and healthcare applications, ensures the region remains the primary hub for market expansion.

Recent Developments

• In February 2025, Noble Biomaterials and Coolcore announced a strategic partnership to introduce a new advanced performance textile known as COOLPRO. This collaboration integrated Noble’s silver-based antimicrobial yarn technology with Coolcore’s proprietary chemical-free thermoregulation fabric structure. The resulting material was engineered to deliver permanent odor control alongside moisture-activated cooling properties that do not degrade after washing. Both companies debuted this innovation at the Performance Days trade fair, targeting the activewear and outdoor sectors. The joint venture aimed to provide apparel brands with a multifunctional solution that simultaneously addresses consumer demands for enduring freshness and effective temperature regulation.
• In November 2024, Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd. developed a next-generation comfort material designed to provide both contact cooling and the prevention of sweat stickiness. The new fabric featured a specialized dual-layer knit structure that alternated between hydrophobic and hydrophilic yarns to manage moisture effectively. This design allowed the material to absorb perspiration rapidly while preventing the fabric from adhering to the skin, thereby maintaining a dry and cool sensation for the wearer. The company revealed plans to market this innovation for the 2026 spring and summer sportswear collections, addressing the growing need for multifunctional activewear suitable for increasingly hot global climates.
• In August 2024, HeiQ Materials established a strategic cooperation with GQ Apparel to introduce a biobased cooling technology into the denim market. This partnership resulted in the launch of the GQ Cool Tech Jeans, which utilized a dual-action cooling treatment applied specifically to the garment's leg zones. The technology was designed to deliver an immediate cool-to-the-touch sensation upon contact and provide continuous evaporative cooling to regulate skin temperature. The companies positioned this development as a significant breakthrough for making heavy fabrics like denim comfortable in hot and humid environments, combining sustainability with high-performance functional attributes.
• In July 2024, The LYCRA Company highlighted the application of its thermal management technology in the official uniforms for the Brazilian Volleyball teams at the Summer Games in Paris. The apparel incorporated COOLMAX EcoMade fiber, which is manufactured entirely from recycled textile waste. This fiber was engineered to transport moisture away from the body to the fabric's surface for rapid evaporation, enabling athletes to maintain a cool and dry physical state during intense competition. The initiative demonstrated the company's ability to combine high-performance cooling capabilities with circular manufacturing practices on a global platform.

Key Market Players

• Asahi Kasei Corporation
• Balavigna Weaving Mills Pvt. Ltd.
• Columbia Sportswear Company
• Everest Textile Co., Ltd.
• Formosa Taffeta Co., Ltd.
• Heiq Materials AG
• Hong Li Textile Co., Ltd
• Lee Yaw Textile Co., Ltd.
• Nan Ya Plastics Corporation
• Sun Dream Enterprise Co., Ltd.

By Type	By Textile Type	By Application	By Region
Synthetic and Natural	Woven Nonwoven Knitted Others	Sports Apparel Protective Wearing Lifestyle Others	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Cooling Fabrics Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Cooling Fabrics Market, By Type:

• Synthetic and Natural

• Cooling Fabrics Market, By Textile Type:

• Woven
• Nonwoven
• Knitted
• Others

• Cooling Fabrics Market, By Application:

• Sports Apparel
• Protective Wearing
• Lifestyle
• Others

• Cooling Fabrics Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE