With over a hundred years of experience in textile manufacturing, Seyntex is a global leader in personal protective clothing. With a large client base spanning more than twenty countries and multiple government contracts, the company specializes in combat clothing, sleeping bags, rucksacks, bulletproof jackets, tents, and more.
A Century of Hi-Tech Textiles
The history of Seyntex began in 1908 when Arthur M. Seynaeve established his first flax weaving mill in rural Belgium. Three decades later during World War II, Seynaeve’s company became a canvas supplier for the British Army. In the years that followed, a period of intense research and development led to the creation of a wide range of specialized equipment not only for the military, but also for police and firefighters.
Today, all Seyntex’s products – from parade uniforms to combat clothing systems – are tested in their in-house lab to ensure the highest quality control and maximize the user’s safety. As the company’s focus is ballistic protection, a variety of state-of-the-art tools are deployed to assess fabrics and ready garments for their tear resistance and tensile strength, dynamic resistance, bursting strength, and more. Beyond that, the lab houses an R&I team of experts tasked solely with new development.
The Lightest Bulletproof Vest
2014 brought about another milestone in Seyntex’s history. Five decades of experience in designing and manufacturing body armor protection systems, including bullet, shrapnel, knife, and spike protection, led to the launch of the COLUMBUS® vest. It is the lightest, most comfortable bulletproof garment in the world, and it is used by the Hungarian, German, Austrian, and French police, as well as the Belgian army. Thanks to its extreme flexibility and svelte structure, the COLUMBUS® is ideal for discrete use under a uniform or civilian clothing.
Belgian Defence Clothing System
In 2019, Seyntex became part of the SSC Consortium, formed with Sioen, a world leader in coated technical textiles, and renowned US military gear producer Crye Precision™. The three companies, chosen for their unparalleled experience and proven track records in the development and manufacturing of protective clothing, were tasked with the creation of the new Belgian Defence Clothing System (BDCS), and have secured a fifteen-year contract with the Belgian armed forces.
The BDCS is a fully integrated, durable, operationally, and technologically updated clothing and equipment range, including a new camouflage pattern, created to meet the highest quality and comfort requirements of the modern military. Thanks to an intense collaboration between the different development centers of the three consortium partners, the BDCS combines optimal deployment of innovative raw materials with progressive design.
Climashield® and the BDCS
The CORPS high loft pants and jacket are the BDCS’s warmest external layer designed for protection against the coldest, harshest environments on the planet. The weight and volume of both garments have been reduced while ensuring extreme durability and an optimal warmth-to-weight ratio. Thanks to the use of Climashield® APEX continuous filament insulation with AQUABAN®, the CORPS pants and jacket maintain their insulator properties even when wet. The synthetic insulation is not only wear-and-tear-resistant, but can also withstand multiple washing cycles, and allow the garments to be compressed with no detriment to their capabilities.
The results of comprehensive lab and field testing of both CORPS pants and jacket emphasized their comfort, ease of wearing, and versatility.
A Sustainable Future in the Outdoors
Today, Seyntex remains in the hands of the Seynaeve family under the management of Maureen Seynaeve, the great-granddaughter of the company’s founder. Under her leadership, Seyntex focuses on furthering its environmental policies, including meticulous audits of its offices, production facilities, and mapping energy-saving possibilities.
In addition, a passion for countryside living has led Maureen to explore the possibilities of utilizing Seyntex’s military experience in the creation of high-end hunting, horse riding, and fishing garments.
