If you suffer from multiple sclerosis, the need for cooling vests is an obvious one. Heat exacerbates our symptoms. Most MSers in the US wisely first turn to the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (www.msaa.com), which offers a number of vests for free if you qualify financially. There's only one problem. All of the vests offered by the MSAA are somewhat bulky and heavy—most are 5.5 lbs or heavier—and are not ideally suited for the active MSer. That’s why we at ActiveMSers looked for a better answer … and found it with Australian-made Arctic Heat cooling vests.
Any cooling vest worn by England’s World Cup soccer, er football, squad is by itself heady praise. It doesn’t hurt matters that the Arctic Heat vest is worn by Australian Football League teams, branches of the military, and is the #1-selling cooling vest for those with multiple sclerosis in Europe and Australia. With those credentials, we were optimistic, and for good reason.
The Arctic Heat vest is unlike the traditional cooling vest, where ice or gel packs are frozen and then inserted individually into the vest. Nor is it an evaporative cooling vest, which does poorly in humid conditions. Instead, the vest, which weighs barely as much as a T-shirt when “uncharged,” is soaked in cool/cold water for 10-15 minutes. This “charges” the vest, which contains a unique, non-toxic, biodegradable viscose gel that absorbs water.
The ribs on the vest swell up when this gel is activated. (The company, incidentally, reports that the gel keeps its temperature for up to three times longer than similar products. We have not tested this claim.) Once the vest is in its “charged” state, remove from water and pat dry or, better yet, put it in your washing machine on the spin cycle to remove excess water. Now charged and dry, you can put the vest right on, toss it in the refrigerator to make it cooler, or put it directly in the freezer for maximum cooling.
The Cool, Cool Results
The Arctic Heat cooling vest has a number of advantages, particularly in sporting applications. It weighs only 2.2 lbs or less—considerably lighter than other vests, at least half the weight—and the way it is worn hugs the body, making it good for cycling, rowing, horseback riding, etc. The manufacturer claims it cools the skin by as much as 63 degrees F, or 54 degrees if you wear a T-shirt underneath. We believe it.
We tested the vest mountain biking (cloudy, low humidity, 85 degrees), exercising (indoors, humid, 75 degrees), and playing baseball (sunny, low humidity, 95 degrees). I also wore the vest with a cotton shirt, a quick-dry shirt, and shirtless.
In general, based on our tests, expect the vest to stay cool for 30-60 minutes if refrigerated (or soaked in ice water), and up to two hours if frozen and conditions are ideal. If you are working out in a climate-controlled environment the vest will stay cool, obviously, for a longer period of time than if you wear it outside in roasting temperatures. During our tests, working out indoors doing cardio and weights, the vest stayed cool for nearly two hours, while it lost its frozen state in under an hour while playing baseball in 100-degree temps. Humidity made no difference in the vest’s effectiveness.
As for the common complaint of getting wet while wearing a cooling vest (due to condensation or water), we found the Arctic Heat “Smartwool” lining kept condensation to a minimum in its frozen state, and with thorough drying prior to wearing, our shirt barely got damp. But this is not the vest to put over your blouse or suit, unless it's a bathing suit.
Tips & Tricks
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If I’m wearing the vest outdoors for awhile, I like mine rock solid frozen. If I’m working out at home or in the garden, the fridge-cool gel state is my preference, as it is a bit more comfortable.
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I’d put the vest in a zip-lock bag before cooling so you don’t smell of yesterday’s leftovers.
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One time when my washing machine was in use, I pulled a MacGyver and used my salad spinner. (Patty and Selma would have flipped. If you didn’t get this joke, go out and rent the The Simpsons. Seriously, it’s funny. MSers need to laugh.)
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Buy one size smaller than you think you might need. The vest should fit snuggly for max cooling efficiency.
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I often wear my vest with a quick-dry t-shirt (synthetic, not cotton). Even if my shirt gets lightly damp, my T dries within a few minute.
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The trick to keeping all of your shirts dry? Right after you charge and dry the vest, put it on over a cotton shirt before you chill it. Wear it for 15 minutes, letting your shirt soak up any extra moisture. Then toss the vest in the fridge. Voila. As long as you return the vest to the fridge after wearing it (meaning no need to recharge), it'll stay dry and you'll stay dry.
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If you leave the vest exposed to room temp for a couple of days (i.e., not in the fridge), the gel crystals may dehydrate. Re-activate by soaking for 5-10 minutes. If you want to pack the vest, allow it to dry out completely before packing.
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If the vest sticks together after you pull it out of the freezer, give it a light spritz of water to open it up (or better yet, before you freeze the vest, fold it so it will open easily and maybe place a plastic baggie in between).
ActiveMSers Bottom Line:
Based on our tests, the Arctic Heat cooling vest is a good choice for MSers who want to use the vest for athletics (hiking, gym, etc.); no other vest that we've researched is as light with as much cooling power. My vision goes wacky when I get hot, and putting it on before exercise kept my eyesight from wigging out as much and brought it back to normal (well, as normal as it gets, anyway) quickly. Other vests may have more straight cooling power (which may be better for less active pursuits), but you pay for that with added weight, which for high-energy sports can be an issue. Sold in the US under Arctic Heat USA (www.arcticheatusa.com), the vest runs $220. They also offer several other products, including a cooling hat, cooling tubes, neck wrap, and wrist bands.
Buy It!
Arctic Heat USA
201-829-0026
www.arcticheatusa.com
