Keela Trail StayFresh Kit | Review

Can Keela’s anti-odour tech do what it says on the tin? We tried out some of their t-shirts and trousers to find out

I’ve used a bunch of different products from Keela over the last few years, including their hugely impressive Keela Munro jacket and also the excellent-value-for-money Pinnacle jacket, and what I’ve come to notice about the brand is that they seem to do a lot of thinking outside of the box. Their waterproof fabric, System Dual Protection, is a case in point. It’s waterproof protection done differently – and with great results.

Will using the Keela Trail Short Sleeve Top

Now they’ve just released a range of trekking t-shirts and trousers that are built to prioritise long distance comfort, primarily with the use of something they call StayFresh technology. Both the Trail Pro Trousers and Trail Pro t-shirts come with this treatment, which was developed by Polygiene, embedded within their fibres in order to keep the garments feeling and smelling fresh.

Does the Technology Work?

I’ll jump straight to this for you and tell you that yes, the technology works and it works well. I’ve used numerous garments with this Polygiene technology over the years, in socks, t-shirts, jackets and more, and I’ve always been impressed by just how effective it is. With this Keela kit things are no different. I wore the t-shirt over four days of hiking in Pembrokeshire, for instance, and by the end of the trip it still felt and smelt fine – my partner confirmed this for me too!

Up top, the Trail T-Shirt. Down below, the Trail Pro Trousers. Photos: Dave Macfarlane

I recorded a video a while back. It’s old, but it will give you an idea of the tech’s effectiveness. In it, I wore a pair of socks every day for a week – and even ran to work in them – and they really didn’t get anywhere near as smelly as an untreated pair of socks would.

How it Works

Keela’s Stayfresh kit all uses what’s described as a reaction mass of titanium diocide and silver chloride. It’s embedded within the actual fibres of garments, as opposed to being applied on top, and it’s designed to last the lifetime of the products – in other words, it won’t wash out. Initially developed for use in hospitals, it works by preventing the growth and multiplication of odour-causing bacteria – the kind of stuff that thrives and spreads when you sweat. Polygiene, which is behind the StayFresh tech, states that its stuff is 99.9999% effective against bacteria and that all of its products have undergone extensive sensitivity testing and are completely safe.

Environmental Benefits

There are of course the environmental benefits too. Studies have found that skipping every other wash can save as much as 3,800 litres of water a year, that’s along with all the energy required for those washes too. Fewer washes also mean less microfibre shedding and fewer microplastics finding their way into delicate ecosystems too.

There’s the longevity aspect as well, because bacteria from sweat accelerates the biodegradation of fibres. So if you cut out the spread of that bacteria, you’re protecting your garment and prolonging its lifespan. 

In our correspondence with Keela when sourcing this kit, they also filled us in on a new initiative that they’re supporting called I Prefer 30. It’s a campaign group that’s encouraging people to wash their kit at less than 30 degrees and also for brands to advise this on their labels too. The group states that washing at 30 degrees is not only adequate for most clothing these days – due to advances in washing machines and detergents – but it’s also better for clothes as it’s a temperature that’s far less aggressive on the fibres. 

Other Details

I had the Keela Trail t-shirt in a UK medium, my usual size, and it fitted perfectly. It’s loose fitting but not in a baggy or flappy way and it does have a fresh and light feel to it, with plenty of breathability and airflow throughout it. It’s made mostly from Polyester, so it wicks away moisture well and dries very quickly, and a bit of Spandex within the weave gives it a touch of stretchiness. 

The Trail Pro Trousers are equally fresh feeling and very lightweight at just 220g. They’re made from a blend of Nylon and Spandex resulting in a weave that feels light but that’s also durable enough to withstand a bit of scrapeage on rough rock or vegetation at the ankles. There’s a bit of wind resistance, but I’d say these trousers are designed with airflow and breathability in mind. They have zipped hand warmer pockets – the left of which has a little zipped pocket inside it – and there’s a zipped pocket on the rear. I’ve found the handwarmers are just the right size for an OS map that’s folded in half. 

There are belt loops and a press stud but there’s no elastication at the waist, nor is there any adjustment at the ankle cuffs. I tried these in a men’s size Small, which is a 32 regular (my usual size) and the fit was perfect. 

Verdict

As I write this things are just starting to heat up with summer just around the corner and I can see these t-shirts and trousers from Keela as being ideal for hot weather hiking. The fit is good, they’re comfortable and perform well and ultimately the StayFresh aspect makes them perfect for the day-after-day wear that I tend to put my trekking kit through. 

What I liked: fit, eco-aspects, price, comfort and performance
What I didn’t like: trousers lack ankle adjustment and it’d be nice to have some elasticity at the waist

OM editor Will testing the pack out on along the Pembrokeshire coast.

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