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THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT SILVER FABRICS vs SWISS SHIELD FABRICS
OEKOTEX 100 CERTIFICATION
Swiss Shield fabrics are free from any harmful substances, according to the testing done to STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, Annex 4, product class I. This product class includes products for babies, which has the strictest requirements and limit values.
Some silver fabrics may have OEKO-TEX® certification; look for a label indicating so.
SILVER-PLATED NYLON
Many silver RF shielding textiles & fabrics use a silver-plated nylon string/line (monofilament polyamide). Nylon is soft, but silver is harder. When bending a silver-plated nylon fabric (e.g., movement in washing machine, drawing curtains, getting in & out of bed canopy), the silver layer will eventually crack and – sooner or later – it will fall off. Even though you cannot see these crackles, the electrical conductivity on the fabric will reduce over time, and the RF shielding effectiveness will reduce as well.
CONTACT WITH SILVER
Fabrics made with silver-plated nylon have silver on the surface, meaning a user will come into contact with silver when directly touching these materials. Some individuals may be more sensitive to direct silver contact than others.
With Swiss Shield fabrics, at no time will you be in contact with silver. The copper and silver found in Swiss Shield fabrics is lacquered and insulated with a surrounding material (e.g. cotton, viscose, polyester).
DISCOLORING
When silver oxidizes, it can turn to a wide variety of colours: black, blue, purple, yellow, red. This is a common problem with all fabrics made from silver-plated nylon yarn. However, these stains should not have any impact on the shielding effectiveness.
Swiss Shield fabrics do not discolor, unless severely damaged by the user.
DURABILITY
Silver fabrics tend to have a relatively short lifespan before shielding is significantly reduced – usually a matter of months (possibly longer with extra care and attention). See the “SILVER-PLATED NYLON” section above.
Swiss Shield fabrics are expected to have an extremely long lifespan. They can be treated like any other fine cotton fabrics (polyester in the case of Daylite, EcoVeroTM viscose in the case of Ultima Arbour).
SMELLS
People sleeping in a bed canopy made from silver-plated nylon fabric sometimes complain about bad smells. It is not exactly known why this smell occurs; but it is surmised that the oxidation process may be a cause.
Smells are not a commonly reported issue with the Swiss Shield fabrics. The Daylite fabric may have an odour upon opening, as it uses polyester instead of cotton; but this usually fades with time and/or washing.
NANO PARTICLES
Some producers use nano-particles in the silver-plating process of their fabrics. Nano particles are concerning to human health, as they may enter the body through skin and lungs.
Swiss Shield does not use silver-plated monofilament polyamides in their fabrics, as they are free from harmful substances.