After much research and counting pennies, I finally selected the Arctic Heat cooling vest. There was a 20% July discount and an updated review at Active MSers that finally sealed the deal.
Why a cooling vest? Like many MS patients, I can melt in the heat. Texas summers generally range from 95-105 degrees any given day between May and September.
I also liked the less bulky appearance of the Arctic Heat vest. I do not really want to walk around in public looking like I have on a ballistic vest. I really don’t want to deal with the looks, the sneering or the questions.
Financials: At $220, the price of the vest isn’t cheap and not covered by any insurance carriers. It is also not part of the MSAA cooling vest program (http://www.msassociation.org/programs/cooling/) so you are on the hook for the entire amount.
Couple the high price with a less than stellar return policy and I was HOPEFUL the company or reviews were truthful.
Sizes: I was concerned about ordering the right size since the vest comes in 2" increments. Fortunately, I measured twice before ordering and found the vest to be true to size.
The online ordering was process was easy enough. The vest shipped quickly without any hassles.
Initial impressions:
The vest arrived neat and tidy in its package. It really does resemble a t-shirt being very light weight and compact. I have some build quality concerns about the zipper. It’s plastic and has a little “hitch” on the bottom. For $220, I don’t want to end up with a busted zipper from routine use. Again, their warranty is rather weak.
Time to test drive my vest:
I follow the instructions and wet the vest. At this point, you realize it’s wet, like wet. You can use a salad spinner or the dryer (no heat) to remove some of the moisture, but that still leaves the vest damp at best.
Getting the vest wet causes gel inserts to activate and swell up. There goes the “style” of the garment. Yes, you can wear the vest under other garments, but there are issues here. First off, when wet the vest resembles the stillsuits from the movie Dune. When you put on a shirt over the vest you can still swelling and all chances to remain discrete are gone. The vest is clearly visible under clothing and may resemble a ballistic jacket or back brace.
Cooling Power:
The main reason for anyone wearing this vest is to remain cool. The main reason for a Multiple Sclerosis patient to wear this vest is survival. Unfortunately, Arctic Heat does not differentiate between athletes looking to stay cool and Multiple Sclerosis patients attempting to maintain some level of normalcy.
This is my first vest, so I do not have others to compare it too. I bought this vest to take the edge off and it does exactly that. The vest is cooling well for about 2 hours in 105+ degree temperatures. I also wanted to attend soccer games and be able to walk afterwards. The vest meets these expectations fairly well, but I still wonder if another product would have met my needs better.
I have found wearing an undershirt makes the vest more tolerable since I do not like the regular dampness.
Suggestions for Arctic Heat
1. The neck could plunge an inch or two lower to conceal the top of the vest.
2. Consider Velcro closures that may be easier to put on, allow for weight fluctuations, and still permit proper fit.
3. Install heavy-duty ribbing in the stomach area to resemble six-pack abs
4. Install ribbing around the collar to help cool the neck (they do have neck products)
5. Consider offering medical patients a different program than your athletes that may just want to look cool at the track.
6. Consider changing zippers to metal ones, or warranty defects for a full year.
Summary: The vest cools well for a couple of hours. It is lighter weight than most of the other vests I researched. Unfortunately, the vest is expensive and completely out of pocked. The manufacturer has a very limited warranty and return policy. The manufacturer also has no programs specifically tailored for Multiple Sclerosis patients. I believe this vest is cost-prohibitive for many in our community.
The vest fits a niche-market for cooling vests and I find myself in that niche. I have time-limited exposure to heat during a soccer game or other outdoor events and the vest will certainly help there. I think the vest would have VERY LIMITED benefit after and over 2.5 hours. Then again, when temperatures are 108 nothing provides full relief. I am glad I have my first cooling vest and it has helped me, but I am not convinced this vest is a good value proposition.
MSAA Cooling Vest Program
-> http://www.msassociation.org/programs/cooling/
Why a cooling vest? Like many MS patients, I can melt in the heat. Texas summers generally range from 95-105 degrees any given day between May and September.
I also liked the less bulky appearance of the Arctic Heat vest. I do not really want to walk around in public looking like I have on a ballistic vest. I really don’t want to deal with the looks, the sneering or the questions.
Financials: At $220, the price of the vest isn’t cheap and not covered by any insurance carriers. It is also not part of the MSAA cooling vest program (http://www.msassociation.org/programs/cooling/) so you are on the hook for the entire amount.
Couple the high price with a less than stellar return policy and I was HOPEFUL the company or reviews were truthful.
Sizes: I was concerned about ordering the right size since the vest comes in 2" increments. Fortunately, I measured twice before ordering and found the vest to be true to size.
The online ordering was process was easy enough. The vest shipped quickly without any hassles.
Initial impressions:
The vest arrived neat and tidy in its package. It really does resemble a t-shirt being very light weight and compact. I have some build quality concerns about the zipper. It’s plastic and has a little “hitch” on the bottom. For $220, I don’t want to end up with a busted zipper from routine use. Again, their warranty is rather weak.
Time to test drive my vest:
I follow the instructions and wet the vest. At this point, you realize it’s wet, like wet. You can use a salad spinner or the dryer (no heat) to remove some of the moisture, but that still leaves the vest damp at best.
Getting the vest wet causes gel inserts to activate and swell up. There goes the “style” of the garment. Yes, you can wear the vest under other garments, but there are issues here. First off, when wet the vest resembles the stillsuits from the movie Dune. When you put on a shirt over the vest you can still swelling and all chances to remain discrete are gone. The vest is clearly visible under clothing and may resemble a ballistic jacket or back brace.
Cooling Power:
The main reason for anyone wearing this vest is to remain cool. The main reason for a Multiple Sclerosis patient to wear this vest is survival. Unfortunately, Arctic Heat does not differentiate between athletes looking to stay cool and Multiple Sclerosis patients attempting to maintain some level of normalcy.
This is my first vest, so I do not have others to compare it too. I bought this vest to take the edge off and it does exactly that. The vest is cooling well for about 2 hours in 105+ degree temperatures. I also wanted to attend soccer games and be able to walk afterwards. The vest meets these expectations fairly well, but I still wonder if another product would have met my needs better.
I have found wearing an undershirt makes the vest more tolerable since I do not like the regular dampness.
Suggestions for Arctic Heat
1. The neck could plunge an inch or two lower to conceal the top of the vest.
2. Consider Velcro closures that may be easier to put on, allow for weight fluctuations, and still permit proper fit.
3. Install heavy-duty ribbing in the stomach area to resemble six-pack abs
4. Install ribbing around the collar to help cool the neck (they do have neck products)
5. Consider offering medical patients a different program than your athletes that may just want to look cool at the track.
6. Consider changing zippers to metal ones, or warranty defects for a full year.
Summary: The vest cools well for a couple of hours. It is lighter weight than most of the other vests I researched. Unfortunately, the vest is expensive and completely out of pocked. The manufacturer has a very limited warranty and return policy. The manufacturer also has no programs specifically tailored for Multiple Sclerosis patients. I believe this vest is cost-prohibitive for many in our community.
The vest fits a niche-market for cooling vests and I find myself in that niche. I have time-limited exposure to heat during a soccer game or other outdoor events and the vest will certainly help there. I think the vest would have VERY LIMITED benefit after and over 2.5 hours. Then again, when temperatures are 108 nothing provides full relief. I am glad I have my first cooling vest and it has helped me, but I am not convinced this vest is a good value proposition.
MSAA Cooling Vest Program
-> http://www.msassociation.org/programs/cooling/
AS THAT WOULD MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE.
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