Our Technologies

At Moondream, our Research & Development team is dedicated to studying the various possible uses of fabric in harsh conditions. The aim: to discover new domestic comfort solutions. Our study, coupled with technological advancements, has unearthed great diversity, so much so we now speak of fabrics and not just of fabric in the singular. Industries ranging from professional sports to architecture, transportation to healthcare, even design to contemporary art, have learned how to craft material.

The origin of fibers is more and more diversified. We count among them glass, carbon and plant fibers - linen, glycine, and hemp. The advent of nanotechnologies has also made it possible to use new fibers to create intelligent fabrics. Designed to adapt to different environmental conditions, they now have the capacity to become biosensors, thermal regulators, antibacterial, hydrophilic, and therapeutic. These fabrics are so technologically advanced they can even communicate, register physical reactions, provide GPS tracking, and change color based on mood! What's more, these new fabrics have become much more environmentally friendly in both their design and use. They allow us to actualize comfortable living in a way beneficial to both the planet and ourselves due to their propensity to minimize energy consumption.

Moondream is a pioneer in the development and distribution of high-technology drapes such as blackout, thermal, among others. Moondream is devoted to increasing the potential performance of all its fabrics to enhance comfort and well-being in your home. Although drapes remain its main area of expertise, the Moondreamlab is also committed to exploring other applications of its advanced technology, the first of which will be comforters. Paying particular attention to connected fabric experiences, and new behaviors associated with the Quantified Self (an advanced way of collecting data about an individual's life using technology in order to facilitate self-improvement), the Moondreamlab is exploring different solutions that can be adapted to domestic use. Yet our brand spirit is not focused solely on the pursuit of innovation for innovation’s sake.

For Moondream, Research & Development is pursued with only one aim: to provide our customers with beautifully simple and safe products. At Moondream we disregard complicated, awkward or intricate innovations - however modern or daring they may be. To us, this focus on simple innovation is the mark of a good product, and the guarantee that it'll last for years to come.

The Moondream brand is positioned around three key statements:

Drapes, linings, curtains and others need not be just strips of fabric. With added technology they can be transformed into barriers against unwanted intrusions such as glaring lights, extreme temperatures, pesky insects and noise.
Fabric represents an economic and stylish solution to decorating needs, and has the added benefit of providing homes with the privacy they require.
The need for environmentally conscious behavior has encouraged us to seek out alternatives to energy-hungry solutions, like heating and air conditioning, or costly home improvements, such as double or even triple glazing. The Moondream spirit is centered on a core belief that achieving comfort in your home is an absolute necessity, and anything that can realize this simply and effectively way will always be the best solution.

FROM LIGHT TO TOTAL BLACKOUT CURTAINS - Visual comfort

Traditional blackout curtains are made using several layers of thick coating, a process that makes them heavy, cumbersome and rough to the touch. In contrast, Moondream blackout curtains offer several blackout solutions that don’t compromise the quality of fabric.

Moondream's technological solution

The range of Moondream blackout curtain solutions vary depending on the desired visual effect. They consist of either a flexible coating to the surface of an opaque product, or a straight interlaced weave of different fabrics, for example: a satin fabric mixed with a black weave on the inside. In other words, the desired blackout intensity of a curtain can be chosen based on the model: light or total blackout. Regardless of the type of solution chosen, each Moondream blackout curtain is light, elegant, and features the soft flowing movement of traditional high quality curtains.

Proven efficacy

Tests performed by an independent laboratory (Report No. M109 of the ENVEHO research consultancy of June 2011). Comparison of the amount of daylight infiltrating a single glazed window, a window dressed with a standard curtain, and a window with a Moondream light or dark blackout curtain:

Single glazed window: 85,000 lux (the lux is the unit of light intensity)
Standard curtain: 19,000 lux
Moondream light blackout curtain: 18 lux
Moondream dark blackout curtain: 0 lux

THE MOONDREAM THERMAL CURTAIN - Winter & Summer comfort

Thermal insulation fabrics, such as those used in emergency blankets, have been around for a long time, thus proving their efficacy at conserving heat. Unfortunately, as they are designed from an aluminum coated plastic film, they are often very stiff and noisy. In contrast, the Moondream thermal drape lining retains all the thermal insulation benefits present in a traditional thermal fabric, while still remaining supple and quiet like a regular fabric.

Moondream's technological solution

Inspired by nanotechnologies, Moondream has become the first ever company to industrially metallize fabric by injecting microscopic aluminum particles into woven thread. In addition to being truly soft to the touch, this type of fabric also offers a thermal performance comparable to one found in emergency blankets or astronaut suits. This exclusive process, protected under an internationally recognized patent, applies to linings which can then be combined with any standard curtain or directly incorporated into lined curtains.

Proven efficacy

An independent laboratory tested the performance of Moondream thermal curtain linings, for both the "summer" and the "winter" lining.

Refresh by Moondream curtain lining (Report No. PE116 of the ENVEHO research consultancy of March 20, 2009). Comparison of temperatures in a room exposed to the sun equipped with a single glazed window, a window dressed with a standard curtain, and a window with a Refresh by Moondream lined curtain:

Single glazed window: 93°F
Standard curtain: 90°F
Curtain with a Refresh by Moondream lining: 80°F

Eco by Moondream winter economical curtain lining (Report No. M101 of the ENVEHO research consultancy of September 2, 2009). Comparison of savings in heating costs measured in a room exposed to the sun equipped with a single glazed window, a window dressed with a standard curtain, and a window with an Eco by Moondream winter economical lined curtain:

Single glazed window: 0%
Standard curtain: 26.1%
Curtain with an Eco by Moondream Winter Economical lining: 46%

Single glazed window: 0%
Standard curtain: 26.1%
Curtain with an Eco by Moondream Winter Economical lining: 46%

THE MOONDREAM SOUNDPROOF CURTAIN - Acoustic, thermal & visual comfort

There is no other way to improve levels of acoustic comfort than to block a greater amount of decibels. For a drape, this is achieved by increasing the density of the fabric. However restrictive this solution may seem, we at Moondream have used it to our advantage. Rather than make a single layer of fabric heavier, Moondream devised a method of layering multiple fabrics together. Each one of these layers then acts as a barrier to sound, and gives the drape an added advantage of increased opacity and thermal protection.

Moondream's technological solution

This new, multifaceted (U.S. Patent No. 9,475, 260) process from Moondream combines three different components to create a drape capable of offering soundproofing, blackout and thermal insulation effects.

Interior chosen from among a range of dense fabrics that encourage a full blackout effect
Exterior made of brushed cotton, selected for the density and high quality of the material
Sandwich layer made from an insulation fabric sits between the interior and exterior layer to guarantee the acoustic and thermal performance of the drape

Proven efficacy

Sound performance

a reduction of up to 7 decibels* (Test performed by Kietudes in accordance with EN ISO 10052). *a decibel is a unit used to measure the intensity of sound based on a scale that differs from normal measurements (the scale is a base-10 logarithm scale). For example, if a washing machine has a sound level of 55 dB, two machines running simultaneously will not have a level of 110, but of 58 dB. On the contrary, each time sound energy decreases by 3 dB it is divided by two! Moondream sound-insulating curtains also reduce the reverberation of sounds within the room. For a surface area of approximately 20m² (around 215 square feet), the reverberation time is reduced by 0.4 seconds (test by the Experimental Center for Building and Public Works Research and Studies (CEBTP), experimental report no. BEB2.E.6039-1). The resulting acoustic environment is warmer and cosier.

Single glazed window: 70 dB
With a Moondream sound insulation drape: 63 dB* * Meaning that the acoustic level has been reduced four-fold. Test performed by an independent laboratory

Thermal performance

Up to a seven-fold difference (Report No. PE116 of the ENVEHO research consultancy of March 20, 2009). Savings of up to 37% on heating costs (Report No. M101 of the ENVEHO research consultancy of September 2, 2009).

Blackout performance

Up to 0% luminosity / Up to 100% less light (Report No. M109 of the ENVEHO research consultancy of June 2011) Also exists in a Room divider curtain version. With identical fabric on either side, it’s the perfect solution for organising your space and creating partitions.

THE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD SHIELDING CURTAIN - Comfort, tranquility, well-being

Windows themselves don't provide protection from external electromagnetic frequency emissions. Neither do drapes, whatever their thickness. However, the ubiquitous use of mobile phones (with increasingly strong signals) and Wi-Fi has caused a surge in the impact of these invisible emissions, given off by neighborhoods' relay antennas. Faced with this issue, Moondream has come up with an advanced lining that minimizes the entry of electromagnetic frequencies into your home.

Moondream's technological solution

The technology was developed by the aeronautical and medical industries for which electromagnetic shielding is of crucial importance. Made from a polyester support and coated with an alloy of copper and nickel (CuNi2, 50% alloy, 50% polyester) the lining forms a highly efficient barrier against external radiofrequencies to minimize the exposure of indoor spaces to magnetic radiation.

Proven efficacy

Unlike most tests undertaken to measure the efficiency of other EMF Shielding products, Moondream decided to test the performance of its lining under real conditions! In fact, it is often the case that results reported in laboratory tests are based on abstract conventions - generally conducted inside a box sealed off against magnetic fields (Faraday cage). Based on the assumption that few of us live inside a Faraday cage, Moondream chose to test its EMF Shielding curtain lining in a standard home, located in a normal urban environment. The results from this test were compelling, but don’t just take our word for it as you too could experience the benefits of Moondream EMF Shielding technology.

Results

Measured reduction* of about 10dB on average within a range of 800MHz to 5200MHz. Tests performed under real conditions. The Moondream EMF lining and curtains provides highly significant reduction of waves that pass through windows. And it provides yet better protection when used with other protective measures on walls and floors.

*Reduction provided by the drapes: Comparison of waves passing through a window alone and those detected through a window equipped with the Moondream EMF lining or curtain.