Staying cool this summer may require putting on an extra layer – provided the extra layer is the InstantCool vest. The latest product to come out of Shenzhen, China-based company Volcanoes-Electronics, the InstantCool leverages technology developed by NASA that involves a network of microtubes containing chilled water. The result? According to the Volcanoes-Electronics team, you’ll be more comfortable and less overheated in just 10 seconds.
The vest is being branded as an invisible personal air conditioning unit for your body. By sending cold water across your chest, the vest claims to reduce your body temperature quickly and efficiently. And while there are other cooling vests on the market that promise a similar result, the InstantCool claims to be considerably cheaper than the alternatives.
“Active cooling vests have so many advantages over passive cooling vests, except they are too expensive and easily cost you several hundred dollars,” said Eddy Yue, Founder of Volcanoes-Electronics, “We’d like to bring a practical and comfortable cooling vest for everyone to use in daily outdoor tasks.”
The vest uses a battery-powered pump to circulate water from a reservoir through the microtubes. That should mean that you can consistently and continuously provide yourself with some relief from the heat, even if you’re wearing additional layers on top of the vest.
The InstantCool can be turned on or off with just the touch of a button so you always stay at the right temperature. And when you’re done wearing the garment for the day, cleanup purports to be a breeze as well – the vest itself can be washed, once you’ve pulled out the high-tech components, which include a USB port, mobile power bank, ice box, and water pump. And while this sounds like a lot of extra hardware, the team claims that you can disassemble the whole vest in 30 seconds.
The Volcanoes-Electronics team designed this vest for folks who spend a fair portion of their day in the out of doors or in hot environments, whether that’s railway workers, construction workers, couriers, airport groundstaff, or bus drivers. Of course, you should always exercise caution when backing a crowdfunding campaign, but should you be interested in the vest, the InstantCool is being offered at the early bird price of $99. Delivery is slated for June 2018.