Lymed materials

Lymed’s materials are highly exceptional in pressure garment manufacturing. High quality materials, hand-picked by Lymed, do not contain rubber or other known allergens. Fabrics are tested annually for durability, color fastness, and other properties. Fabrics pass the most gruesome tests – their resistance to abrasion is more than 150 000 Martindales! SPF of the fabrics is 98%. The back side of all Lymed fabrics are designed to be slippery, reducing extra friction during donning and doffing.

Lymed products are made from flat knitted warp knits. Warp knit tends to have better ability to form compression and build tight curves into a garment. One of the big benefits is the fact that it doesn’t unravel. Lymed products are made with three Oeko-Tex standardized polyamide-elastane knits, with a choice of seven different colors.

Strong fabric
The strongest fabric, P91, is recommended to be used across all product groups and compression classes from A to IV. It is best for items with frequent level of use and and higher compression classes. Is mostly used in the following product groups: Lymed Skin™, Lymed Compression™ and Sense™ support garments.

Medium fabric
Medium fabric, P07, is recommended in compression classes A-I, even in CCL II. Medium fabric is a good choice for kids’ garments. This fabric is not recommended for higher pressure classes or in high-wear items (e.g. a glove). Fabric is mainly used in the following product groups: Sense™ support garments, Lymed Compression™ and in standard sized Lymed Post-Operation™ products.

Light fabric
Light fabric, P50, is recommended primarily only for Interim & Light pressure garments. The fabric is used in parts of special solutions, for example in knee bends. The fabric is not recommended in high compression classes or high-wear items.

Recommended usages are general guidelines to guarantee the best possible wear and quality. The fabric of the garment is always chosen to support the care prescribed by the physician and the garment is constructed according to the treatment of the patient. Each garment is individually made according to specific needs. Unusual fabric choices are possible but can affect the durability of the garment. We do not compensate the product or repair the product without cost when using other that the recommended fabric.

Polyamide (Nylon)
Polyamide was historically developed as a synthetic substitute for silk. It is lightweight, drapes well, has low absorbency and dries quickly, and is resistant to dirt, chemicals and perspiration. One of the strongest man-made fiber, the use of polyamide can be found in apparel, home furnishings and outdoor equipment. Polyamide is extremely versatile and though it can stretch a lot, it quickly regains its original shape instead of bagging. It can be dyed in almost all colors and that is the reason why polyamide is also used to make clothes. It is a bit shiny and is very durable. It does not get damaged easily.

Elastane (Lycra, Spandex)

Elastane is a polyurethane that is formed into elastic fiber. Its most important attribution is stretchability: elastane can be stretched repetitively over 500% without breaking and it still recovers to its original length. The long amorphous segments in elastane create the elastic properties and the short rigid segments provide the structure when the fiber is stretched and released. Elastane is soft, lightweight and abrasion resistant. Elastane is used where a high degree of permanent elasticity is required, as in tights, sportswear, swimwear and in woven and knitted fabrics. Adding elastane just for couple of percent makes fabrics more comfortable to wear. Elastane is always used in a blend with other fibers.

Elongation on an elastane yarn is much higher than on a more rigid yarn, like polyamide on Lymed fabric. When stretching a knit, the elastane yarn would practically never get to its limits of the elongation. This means, in most cases, that the elastane would not determine the ultimate elongation in the knit: determination is made by the rigid yarns in the fabric. Also, the construction of the knit has effect on the stretchability: looser the knit, stretchier the fabric.

When evaluating the suitability of the material, it is important to pay attention to the ability of a material to recover to its original state. That makes up the actual compression and its “permanence”. More elastane content in a fabric does not mean that the fabric will have more stretch. By increasing the elastane content in the fabric, more resistance to stretch is created using the elastomeric material. More elastane means more powerful fabric.