Introducing ZonalAdapt: A New Era in Comfortable Performance Wear For Women

This innovation starts with an uncomfortable truth. 4 in 5 women say their clothing doesn’t move the way they do.*

MtnHaus, Berghaus’ new innovation space, set out to change just that.

When the MtnHaus team began exploring the connection between gear and comfort for women, we didn’t start with fabrics or seam lines. It started with how they feel.

Real conversations across hiking clubs, gyms, high-performance training groups, climbing circles, and dance studios revealed a recurring issue. Waistbands that dig. Leggings that roll. Trousers that cling in the wrong places.

Whether from bloating, IBS, fatigue or cycle-related changes, the discomfort was consistent. It all centred around one place: the midsection, from the mid-torso to the upper thigh — an area MtnHaus named The Zone. It’s where women reported experiencing the greatest share of physical discomforts that get in the way of enjoying time outdoors.

This is where the innovation for our award-winning ZonalAdapt legwear technology designs began.

Winner 2025 Fit Design Awards Winner 2025 Red Dot Awards

Tested By Over 100 Women, Everywhere They Move

Building something truly different starts with listening differently and deeply. So MtnHaus formed a Test Squad community that would do just that—bringing together over 100 women from across the UK and Germany, from hikers and performance athletes to new mums and office workers, to shape every step of the design journey. Their feedback became the blueprint for every design iteration.

There’s survey feedback, and then there’s sweating it out in real life. These women walked alongside each other, testing prototypes on long hikes, through post-workout sessions, and even after heavy meals to monitor how the gear adapted to real bodies in real conditions.

“Being part of this felt like the first time someone truly cared about what my body is telling me,” says Millie, a Test Squad member. “We shared everything — from cycle day bloating to back pain to the little annoyances that make outdoor gear uncomfortable.”

Their feedback shaped everything from waistband height to compression zones and seam placement. Every stitch was informed by honest, unfiltered conversations with women living in their bodies and this legwear, day after day.

“The sheer number of hours MtnHaus spent with us was incredible,” says Love Her Wild director Fiona Orrell. “For many of us, it was the first time our bodies’ needs had truly been heard.”

The Relief Zone waistband is a true proofpoint of that. A floating front panel that adapts to gut fluctuations, it reduces tightness while maintaining secure comfort, and was designed in response to women asking for less pressure without losing support.

“We’ve championed female empowerment every step of the way and felt it ourselves, creating solutions that work in the real world, not just on paper,” says Sarah Nyikos, Berghaus senior product developer.

Testing showed ZonalAdapt technology allowed more natural side-to-side and vertical movement than the market control, without increasing oxygen consumption. Monitoring participants’ body language showed a more positive response, proving the gear not only supports the body but boosts confidence and movement efficiency.

This is the level of comfort we were looking for, and this is the method that shaped the final designs in a way no lab alone ever could.

To move from anecdotal to anatomical, MtnHaus partnered with Dr Yasmin Carter, Associate Professor at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and Dr Iain Spears, Senior Lecturer in Sports Science at Newcastle University, to explore how the designs responded to the female form.

“I’ve never seen anyone do that before — come back to the very foundation and say, ‘what if everything we thought was wrong, and how do we get back to listening to the people who are actually living in these bodies?’” — Dr Yasmin Carter

One of the most powerful findings? Compressing the body in certain areas — especially across the stomach — does more than just feel uncomfortable. It can disrupt lymphatic drainage, increase fatigue, and reduce muscle efficiency. When your waistband fights your body, it’s physiologically counterproductive.

“We quantified every benefit with data, from limb volume to waistband movement under pressure,” says MtnHaus head of innovation, Rosie O’Sullivan

Lab testing showed that ZonalAdapt reduced swelling in the lower legs by up to 1cm compared to other market-leading leggings. More importantly, women’s bodies change throughout the day in ways men’s bodies don’t, and traditional activewear hasn’t caught up. With support in the right places — lumbar panels, muscle-aligned compression, unrestricted abdominal zones — test trials started to reveal a new approach for delivering comfort that wouldn’t compromise on performance

“We measure how the body moves and feels—from emotion to blood flow to compression, giving us a full 360° view to make leggings more comfortable and supportive than anything else out there.”  - Dr Iain Spears, Senior Lecturer in Sport & Exer Science, Newcastle University

Discomfort, it turns out, is measurable. And preventable.

ZonalAdapt legwear technology is Bergahus’ first responsive innovation designed to adapt with your body. Featuring:

Responsive waistband: Built to reduce pressure on the gut during bloating, without compromising on fit, grip or support.

Targeted compression zones: Designed to promote lymphatic drainage and support tired muscles.

Lumbar support panel: Grips the lower back to reduce movement and provide a supported feeling at the base of the spine.

Strategically placed seams: Follow natural movement lines, delivering structure without restriction.

Flexible waist adjusters: Positioned to avoid additional restriction of lymphatic drainage & fluid flow, providing more comfort on long days Shape

ZonalAdapt is the first innovation out of MtnHaus and already an award-winning innovation in both the 2025 Red Dot and Fit Design Awards.

But for the team, this is just the beginning.