The technology that supports hitoe™

“hitoe” is a highly conductive fabric created by impregnating a knit nanofiber fabric with a conductive polymer—a polymeric compound that allows electricity to pass through.

The nanofiber that constitutes the fabric of “hitoe” is extremely thin, 1/140 of a human hair, and is even thinner than microfiber, which is called an ultra-fine fiber.

When normal polyester fiber is impregnated with conductive polymers, there is a wide gap between fibers, and the conductive polymers easily peel off as a result of wear and laundering.

In “hitoe”, however, the conductive polymers are firmly anchored in the minute spaces between nanofibers, so they are able to withstand long wear and repeated laundering.

Normal fabric
—The conductive polymer peels off easily.
—Wide gap between the fiber and the skin
Nanofiber fabric
—The conductive polymer does not peel off easily.
—Narrow gap between the fiber and the skin

In addition, because “hitoe” is made from nanofibers, it has a soft hand and may be given adequate breathability and moisture-retaining properties by applying a special coating to the back side. Even after hours of wear, the fabric will not irritate the skin, providing comfortable wearability.