A single piece of climbing apparel generated 2.8 billion yuan in sales on major e-commerce platforms in Q1 2026, a 37% year-on-year surge. More critically, a significant portion of that growth came from consumers who never set foot in a climbing gym—they bought the gear for commuting, leisure, and light outdoor activities.
When the 'use boundary' of professional equipment is redefined by urban life, the product logic of upstream fabric suppliers must be restructured accordingly. From down jackets to sun-protective clothing to climbing wear, the 'lifestyle-ization' of outdoor categories is no longer a trend but an ongoing structural shift.
Consumer scenario disruption forces fabric logic transformation
Traditional climbing wear fabric indicators focus on extreme-environment protection: high elasticity, abrasion resistance, breathability. But in daily urban scenarios, consumers demand additional features: soft touch, sharp silhouette, multi-season wearability, and even some thermal retention. This means upstream suppliers can no longer only target the extreme needs of 'hardcore players'; they must develop an 'intermediate' fabric—one with professional protection at its core but everyday comfort.
The industry calls this 'lifestyle softshell fabric,' with modular film technology as its core. By combining different films, suppliers can achieve multi-scenario adaptability from light spring/summer to warm fall/winter. Kunshan Huayang New Materials, for example, has developed three film types based on modular technology: PU microporous film four-way stretch for spring/summer climbing, with stable elasticity at low temperatures; PU graphene composite film integrating antibacterial and far-infrared thermal functions for mid-to-high-end performance wear; and PES biodegradable film balancing non-toxic flame retardancy with high breathability for green product lines. The three-in-one softshell fabric combines film, four-way stretch, and thin micro-fleece for protection and softness.
This technology route is reshaping the competitive landscape of traditional textile clusters like Keqiao.
Keqiao fills the gap: from conventional to high-end composite fabrics
Keqiao's textile cluster has long excelled in conventional woven and knitted fabrics but had a clear gap in high-end composite functional fabrics. The demand explosion from climbing wear's crossover has opened a window for local companies to enter this high-value-added segment.
Kunshan Huayang has introduced its full range of film composite functional fabrics to the Dong Sheng Road Outdoor Functional Fabric Zone in Keqiao. Chairman Zhang Zirui stated this move aims to 'land polymer film core technology in Keqiao to connect with national outdoor apparel brand demand.' Its subsidiary Nantong Dongyi High-Tech Fiber has strategically positioned itself in the Light Textile City, holding 120+ fabric patents, directly filling the local technology gap in high-end composite climbing fabrics.
Meanwhile, the Light Textile City's AI Cloth mini-program is transforming the efficiency of fabric development and selection. Its four smart agents—Good Fabric Matching, Fabric Try-On, Fabric Visual Creation, and Tech Quick Search—allow suppliers to upload samples of PU composite film or three-in-one softshell and automatically match with downstream climbing wear or urban performance apparel buyers. The fabric try-on function generates one-click virtual try-on images, showcasing the texture of high-elasticity and thermal fabrics across scenarios, significantly reducing physical sample waste.
The combination of digital tools and new material technology is shortening the chain from fabric R&D to finished garments.
Three trends converge, driving demand for high-end functional fabrics
The climbing wear explosion is not an isolated short-term dividend. Urban light outdoor popularity, performance-oriented dressing, and fabric technology innovation are resonating. From the consumer side, the demand for 'one-piece-multiple-uses' has transitioned from a slogan to actual purchasing power. A climbing jacket that works for weekend rock walls and seamlessly fits into Monday morning commutes is the fundamental driver of its cross-over appeal.
From the supply side, lightweight, multi-functionality, and green low-carbon are becoming hard standards for outdoor apparel. Innovation fabrics centered on polymer film technology, with customizable performance and biodegradability, have vast growth potential. The industry predicts the market for lifestyle softshell fabrics will eventually surpass traditional extreme-scenario hardshell fabrics, becoming the mainstream outdoor fabric track.
For Keqiao textile companies, this means accelerating the shift from 'selling rice' to 'selling bread'—no longer just supplying basic fabrics, but offering integrated functional composite fabric solutions.