Next of Kin: Comfort+ and the Astronauts

You probably don’t hear any heart-stirring crescendo of trumpets and timpani when you put your Comfort+ breast form in your bra every morning. But you could, if you’re of the movie-soundtrack persuasion, because Comfort+ has a connection to one of the most profound and meaningful achievements in human history – space exploration. 

Comfort+ was born of a proud partnership with Outlast® Technologies and utilizes phase change materials (PCM) that absorb, store and release heat for optimal thermal comfort. Originally developed for NASA, for use in space gloves to protect astronauts from extreme temperature fluctuations, this PCM is now integrated into many different applications and products that we use in everyday life. 

The Outlast difference? It’s proactive

Outlast technology provides extra-sensory comfort to Amoena breast forms and apparel – and to astronauts, as well – by proactively working to manage the build-up of heat and moisture. A key differentiator of Comfort+ is that it's a preemptive technology; it works to balance temperature before the body begins to sweat, unlike reactive technologies that only work once the body has started to sweat to wick the moisture away. 

In other words, Comfort+ goes beyond 

Forty years ago when the first silicone breast forms were developed, Amoena’s main focus was to create a shape and softness that was as close as possible to a natural breast. But we continued to develop beyond the status quo. Women told us they felt hot between the breast form and their chest wall, so we began testing different methods to alleviate the problem. Then in 2008, we partnered with Outlast to introduce Comfort+ breast forms. Unlike other solutions, Comfort+ forms: 

• Absorb – they pull heat away from the chest wall; 
• Store – they keep that heat in the form, until there is a decrease in temperature; and 
• Release – they allow the heat to return to the body, to maintain a near-constant body temperature as a woman wears them. 

Today we’re adding the temperature-equalizing capability not only to breast forms, but also to some of our textiles and fashion products. 

Continued performance 

We like to think of it this way: The greatest thing to happen to breast forms is closely related to one of the greatest adventures in human history. It’s more than just a comfortable solution to help you manage your everyday life – it’s a truly historic achievement. 

This article was previously published in our Amoena Life magazine, the latest copy of which can be read online here. To make sure you hear about our new releases as soon as they're available, sign up for our e-newsletter.