World's First Graphene Jacket Promises to Repel Bacteria and Moisture and Absorb Heat

Since graphene won a Nobel Prize in 2010, scientists have been excited about the material's potential. An ultrathin, bi-dimensional form of graphite, graphene is a superconductor that's 200 times stronger than steel and lighter than paper. It could be used to develop sophisticated medical treatments, solar cells, and electronics in the future, but for now, it's being made available to the public in the form of a $695 jacket.

As Fast Company reports, the graphene jacket from Vollebak is the world's first jacket made from the coveted material. The reversible piece of outerwear looks futuristic—with shiny, gray graphene making up one side and nylon composing the other—but the real draw is what it can do.

Graphene is the most conductive material known to science, which means the jacket is gradually warmed by your body heat the longer you wear it. The graphene bonds with the jacket's nylon layer in the production process, lending the fabric its conductive properties, so the jacket absorbs your heat whether you're wearing the nylon or the graphene side against your skin.

Sweat is a different story. Instead of trapping any excess moisture against your body, the jacket disperses it, keeping you warm and dry. It's also incredibly easy to keep clean, due to the fact that it's impossible for bacteria to multiply on graphene.

These unique features aren't the only reasons for the high price tag. Graphene is still difficult and costly to manufacture, which means any commercial product that's made from it will be expensive. But scientists are working hard to make graphene more cost-effective, so an affordable graphene clothing line may be a reality in the future.