Kailas, TengFei, 361° & Co.: 6 Sports Brands From China You Should Know

Patagonia, Nike, Salomon or Mammoth. Brands that are immediately familiar to every active athlete. They stand for quality and innovation and set standards in the European and North American markets.

In China, of course, these brands are also largely represented, but have strong competition. Chinese companies have long since caught up and are also entering the race with top products. In order to get to know each other a little better, ISPO.com presents some of the aspiring companies from China:

Kailas is a true giant in China. Founded in 2003, the company has its origins in mountain sports, especially climbing. In addition to ropes, carabiners and climbing harnesses, Kailas has gradually expanded its repertoire to include the entire outdoor sector: extreme clothing for the high alpine area, tents, sleeping bags and mattresses as well as complete outdoor collections for women and men.

The latest collection of the Chinese goes into the booming field of trail running. The Fuga Pro Trailrunning shoe became the 2019 ISPO Award Winner in the category Outdoor / Equipment.

Also the next Hidden Champion is only supposedly hidden. 361° was, among other things, the outfitter of all volunteers at the Summer Olympics and the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. The company, like Kailas founded in 2003, is something like the Chinese Nike.

The main focus lies on running and fitness products, and 361° also has a basketball collection in China. In 2019, the brand's latest development, the Beat Cold AFI-001 Down Parka, was awarded Gold Winner at the ISPO Award in the Health & Fitness / Apparel Smart Outer Layer category.

Completely unknown in Europe and North America, MobiGarden is one of the experts for tents and sleeping bags in China. China's third-largest outdoor company was also able to win the ISPO Award in 2019.

The "Professional Sleeping Bag" was awarded as winner in the category Outdoor / Equipment. What's special about this sleeping bag is that the 3D design reduces down migration and prevents heat loss while moving around in the bag.

If MobiGarden is only known to a few, then TengFei should fly completely under the radar. The specialists for sportswear produced in 3D printing are a technology company that also sets standards in the wearables sector.

In cooperation with BodyPlus, TengFei developed a fitness tracker that also functions as a GPS tracker and is integrated in the base layer without seams. Technology and workmanship were so convincing that, for example, the traditional Swiss company SIGG equipped its base layer of the running collection presented at ISPO Beijing 2019 with the BodyPlus sensor.

This company also convinced with an ISPO Award Winner in 2019. The LC10 Portable Magnetic USB Charger was awarded in the Outdoor category and describes only a small part of Nitecore's portfolio. The Chinese are also specialists in flashlights, headlamps and rechargeable batteries.

Nitecore's products are not only highly appreciated by outdoor athletes, but are also used by many action forces and back staff in the Asia-Pacific region.

When you talk about camping equipment in China, you mean Fire-Maple. The offer ranges from camping furniture to cooking utensils such as pots and cutlery to gas stoves. Fire-Maple has received several awards, including the ISPO Award Gold Winner 2013, especially for its extremely small yet powerful cookers.

Most recently, Fire-Maple received the ISPO Gold Winner Award for his Panna Titanium Kettle in 2016/17.