Cooling Vest Reviews – What’s All This Hype about Ice Vests?
James
Purchasing a cooling vest for your work out routine is without a doubt the quickest, and most cost-efficient way to decrease recovery time and increase calories burned.
In this guide, we will go over the types, benefits, and uses of cooling/ice vests.
If you are in a hurry and are just looking for some quick cooling vest reviews we have made it easy for you and listed our best cooling vests below:
A Quick Glimpse at the Top Cooling Vests
To make it easy for you to compare and contrast the best cooling vests, we have rated each of the top products based on price and durability, and then give each one an overall rating out of 6. In the next section, we provide in-depth reviews of each product.
Techniche International HyperKewl Cooling Sports Vest
Flexi Freeze Ice Vest
NHI Cooling Vest
Glacier Tek Sports Cool Vest
Ultimate Direction PB2.0
HyperKewl Evaporative Cooling Deluxe Sport Vest
Ergodyne Chill-Its 6665 Evaporative Cooling Vest
Ice Water Circulating Cooling Vest Tan Detachable Bladder
HyperKewl 6529-KH-XL Evaporative Cooling Vest
Radians Cooling Vest
In a Hurry? The test winner after 9 hrs of research
Hyperkewl evaporating material
Cool Pax technology
Water repellent inner
10 Cooling Vests
1. Techniche International HyperKewl Cooling Sports Vest
Hyperkewl evaporating material
Cool Pax technology
Water repellent inner
Cooling effect diminishes over time
The Techniche International HyperKewl Cooling Sports Vest makes use of the unique patented HyperKewl evaporating cooling material.
It slowly releases water to cool your body through evaporation. This process supercharges the body against heat stress.
Read moreHow it works:
This process supercharges the body against heat stress. Cool Pax technology allows you to enjoy pre and post-exercise cooling. The Techniche vest is extremely lightweight, flexible, and durable. It has a v-neck and zipper, rather than velcro, enclosure so you get a secure front closing system.
Techniche International HyperKewl Cooling Sports Vest needs to be soaked for 5-10 minutes to provide 5-10 hours of cooling relief. It features a quilted nylon outer and a Hyperkewl fabric inner. A water repellant nylon inner and black polyester trim provide a stylish finish.
2. Flexi Freeze Ice Vest
Uses pure water
Very thin and lightweight
Neoprene fabric vest
Velcro front fastener inadequate
The FlexiFreeze Ice Vest is an impressively thin, lightweight, durable and functional cooling vest. It makes use of flexi freeze re-freezable ice sheets in conjunction with 96 ice cubes housed in 3.5 pounds of contain-ability.
Sit snugly on the body and distributes a nice balanced cooling effect, while allowing you to work on those muscles.
Read moreHow it works
This simple water option is a more effective cooling system than gel packs, so the FlexiFreeze will keep you cooler for longer. The neoprene fabric of the vest provides a soft, lightweight, and flexible insulator.
The lightweight make-up of the vest, which is less than one inch thick, provides a great deal of flexibility and mobility. Three removable panels are attached to the vest. When the ice sheets are removed, the vest can be machine washed.
All of this makes Flexifreeze the ideal choice for sports and exercise.
3. NHI Cooling Vest
Lightweight
Moisture resistant
Breathable
Cooling effect reduces with time
The NHI Cooling Vest is a lightweight, slimline design that incorporates four PCM cooling packs, less than 800gm with 4 fully loaded packs. The soft to the touch, durable material is breathable and moisture resistant.
Easy to prepare and sits comfortably on the body with excellent support at the shoulders, you can go about your training while staying cool for a prolonged period.
Read moreHow it works
Made from very durable material, this vest will keep pace with the demands you put on it during workouts.
The cooling packs can be rapidly frozen in ice-cold water in 20-25 minutes.
The NHI Cooling vest comes with an insulated carry bag, which is ideal for keeping your packs nice and cool and ready to use when you need them.
This product comes with a 100% lifetime warranty.
4. Glacier Tek Sports Cool Vest
Choice of hydration routing tubes
Lightweight
Weight distribution
No built in cool storage
The Glacier Tek Sports Cool Vest provides you with a running vest with a built-in hydration system to maintain a dry and comfortable condition while working out or playing sports.
Designed to sit comfortably and hug the body even under active conditions and to give an excellent beneficial cooling effect while you run or push yourself at a sports activity.
Read moreHow it works
The cooling pads powered by PureTemp recharge in just under 20 minutes in ice water, or you can keep them in the freezer for 1 hour to completely charge them. The vest is made from cool wicking mesh at the critical contact areas with your skin.
Glacier Tek Sports Cool Vest has been ergonomically designed to provide you with extra wide dual side elastic shoulder straps and can be easily adjusted by over the shoulders strap. It distributes the weight of the vest evenly across the upper body.
The Glacier Tek Sports Cool vest is a lightweight, minimalistic vest that is offered at an affordable price that provides a superior shape, construction, and fit. It is also available for children weighing between 30 and 90 pounds.
5. Ultimate Direction PB2.0
4 gel pack pockets
Quick reservoir access zipper
Stretch mesh
Phone pocket not large enough
The Ultimate Direction PB 2.0 is a multi-purpose adventure vest that is ideal for running, hiking and skiing. It features four gel packs pockets to keep you cool and burn extra calories.
It is a good performing vest which goes to another level, yes it is designed for sports, but it is also able to be used on tough hiking trips, very comfortable and packs an excellent range of vest features.
Read moreHow it works
There are two GPS and phone pockets, four electrolyte pockets and a pair of fully adjustable sternum straps. You’ll also appreciate the super soft Velvetex no-chafe binding material.
The Ultimate Direction PB 2.0 has a quick reservoir access zipper in the back, along with an internal bungee and gear separation panel. You also get secure lat pockets with secure stretch panels.
The use of stretch mesh has dramatically enhanced the durability of the vest, making it stronger and more durable.
6. HyperKewl Evaporative Cooling Deluxe Sport Vest
Maintains coolness for 5-6 hours
Crew neck style
Full zipper
Zipper pockets
A strange odor until ’ broken in’
The Hyperkewl 6530 Evaporating Cooling vest makes uses of a unique hyperkewl fabric that provides a cooling effect for 5-6 hours.
This minimalist vest has been designed for comfort, with a crew neck style collar and full zipper down the middle.
Read moreHow it works
Two zippered pockets keep your belongings safe and secure.
The Hyperkewl material will not bunch up or otherwise lose its shape or fit over time, unlike many lesser competitors. With this vest, you don’t have to contend with slimy residue, swelling gel, or crunchy chemicals.
You have a wide variety of sizes and colors to choose from.
7. Ergodyne Chill-Its 6665 Evaporative Cooling Vest
Quilted design
Comfortable
Good shoulder support/padding
Secure front zip
Ease of Use
You may need access to clean water during the day
This is a vest which claims to offer day-long coolness at an affordable price when thinking of sports, we are talking about cycling or other lighter sports, perhaps you would like to wear this if you are working outside in the heat.
This product requires full soaking in water, and it is ready for use. To top up the capability, find a water source and give it another soak.
The quilted design ensures a good capacity of water is held while also giving comfort, the vest is easily secured via a front zipper.
Read moreHow it works
The vest is made from materials which soak up a good volume of water and these materials work in combination with the retained water to assist the body at regulating the temperature.
The vest is designed to distribute the effect over the top half of the body, and this serves as a core point for regulating temperature.
The materials are chosen for quality and performance and do work very well for holding water for temperature control.
The effectiveness for use all day long revolves around the level of activity and the need to find a clean water source you need to soak the vest for continued use. The water weight will be noticeable while you wear this, though not heavy to the point of discomfort
8. Ice Water Circulating Cooling Vest Tan Detachable Bladder
Very good coolness distribution
Secure FIT
Comfortable FIt
Good performance
Durability
Effective
Preparation, though a good performance
A good design, a good method for distributing a cooling effect consistently. You get a detachable-bladder which holds near to two liters, the frozen water feeds coolness evenly over the upper half of the body.
This product is favored for sports and used by the military.
Designed in tubes supported by pumps, distribute cool water to regulate the body heat level.
The uses are multiple, medical, outside work under hot weather, sports, and the vest are designed to hug securely to the body.
Read moreHow it works.
The bladder will hold two liters, so it should not be filled as you need to allow for the expansion when the water is frozen. The vest has robustly designed in tubes to distribute cool water, and the water is pumped.
The performance of the vest is without a doubt excellent, and so long as you have access to re-freezing the water, it can be used for long periods.
The materials used for making this product are innovative and ensure that the water remains cold enough over a good extended period.
It is a well-designed product which FITs securely and comfortably and takes a more innovative approach towards vests which regulate our body temperature.
9. HyperKewl 6529-KH-XL Evaporative Cooling Vest
Comfortable
Easy to prepare
Durable
Good support at the shoulders
For long use, be near a water source
A basic standard design which does offer effective, easy to use cooling power, the makers suggest for between 5 or up to 10 hours.
Quilted for comfort and water absorption, this vest gives convenience and ease for use.
Soak it, put it on, and it is working to keep you cool. Made from a blend of materials which ensure performance and durability.
Read moreHow it works
The materials are a quilted construction, and the padding gives comfort while ensuring the vest can soak up a functional capacity of water. The quilt effect means that it will not dry out quickly and will retain water. Therefore the cooling effect is prolonged while the vest remains comfortable for wearing. The primary support of the vest is situated where it is needed over the shoulders.
A robust zip system closes the vest for comfort, and FIt and side panels will hold the vest securely in place.
Made from sixty percent Hyperkewl material and forty percent nylon, the durability factor is very good. For those looking for a vest which is easy to prepare and gives an excellent performance, this vest will hit the mark.
10. Radians Cooling Vest
Comfortable
Ease of Use
Standard design
Durability
No extra features
I am looking for a budget product which gives a decent performance.
It is the choice for you.
Constructed through three layers, with a quilt feature for absorption, This can be immersed in water, wear it, and you will get cooling benefits. There are not any extra features; the approach is standard, easy, and useful.
Read moreHow it works
You get three layers with external quilted design, this can be work after soaking, and it will give a cooling effect in hot weather.
Just a minute or so and it is ready for water, immerse it in clean water, and you are ready. For continued support be near to a water source. The FIt is comfortable; the design is basic and user-friendly — zip up at the front for FIT.
This vest does work.
Criteria Used for Evaluation
Comfort
Comfort means no distractions from your aims
We looked very closely at the comfort factor for these cooling vests.
When working out, running, hiking, or taking part in any sports activity, the last thing we want is constant distraction caused by discomfort. It is true to say that in a competitive sports event, you can be held back if you are constantly distracted by discomfort such as a badly fitting clothing item, friction against the skin caused by materials. Fittings, fasteners not staying secure, comfort must be a product which gives a good FIT, sits comfortably on the body and does not cause distractions.
We looked at how secure these products FIt, which features are designed in to ensure they sit comfortably on the body, do not work loose or start shifting around.
We looked at the materials used for making the cooling vest as we wanted evidence that these materials are gentle on the skin, that they allow breathability, that the materials do not retain moisture and then create wet friction on the skin.
We looked for secure support in the shoulder region because the shoulders carry most of the weight.
Our selection here passed our criteria for comfort and made their way into this guide to ensure a good choice of cooling vests.
Durability
Durability is a product which gives a good continuous performance.
Using our focused criteria for evaluation, we looked for durability in the materials to find evidence that these materials are capable of giving an excellent high level of continuous performance and not fail for the user at crucial moments.
We looked for evidence that the durable materials are friendly to the skin, allow ventilation and breathability, allowing sweat to evaporate, and very importantly, that the materials will not irritate the skin.
For containing ice, we looked to see that the materials can effectively hold the cooling capability and gently pass this on to the body. Stitching was checked wherever it is evident to ensure that robust, durable stitching has been used.
We checked to ensure that whichever type of faster used for closing up these vests, it has a design and functionality which sits within the aims of durable function.
This selection of vests sailed through in terms of acceptable durability when the cooling vests are used within the context for which they were designed.
Ease of Use
Ease of Use allows effective use
Ease of use was put under our criteria microscope; we wanted to see that regardless of the cooling system or method designed into the vest that it was easy to prepare and not time consumingly complicated.
Vests which we soak in water and then wear to help our bodies regulate temperature are an excellent choice and very easy for use provided that you are not taking part in a long drawn out sports activity under hot weather. If you are, then you need to plan and ensure that when the wet vest starts to dry out, you can get access to water to give it another soaking.
We checked that fasten and securing vests gave ease of use in that fasteners were easy to close up to secure the vest and unlikely to work loose during activity.
Ease of use for a cooling vest has a limited range of criterion, but that range is essential. We needed to confirm that preparing the colling functionality of the vest was easy, putting on and securing the vest is also easy and the vest wears comfortably and does not cause any distractions due to ill FIT or failure of performance for colling the body.
This impressive range of vests featured here, all gives a nice level of ease for use.
Effectiveness
Effectiveness assists performance and ensures comfort
Effectiveness in terms of offering cooling capability at a consistent rate for a given amount of time is significant.
The whole point of using a cooling vest is that it needs to be effective. With this thought in mind, we looked at the various options available for cooling vests.
We were impressed by ice gel packs when correctly prepared, they offer consistent cooling power, and it is fairly easy to know for how long the effect will continue. This method for cooling is excellent if the product says it works for around 5 hours; if adequately prepared, it will fulfill the promise.
Where water is frozen, and the vest has suitable insulation materials, the ice water system is extremally good and in many cases can outperform a vest cooled by gel packs.
We noted that the design for how the vests retain cooling capability, how the cooling factor is distributed to the body, the quality of the insulation pockets, these are all factors which decide just how effective the vest will be.
Through applying our criteria, we have come up with a very nice selection of effective cooling vests. Enjoy this selection and choose the model which best matches your sporting activity.
Value
Value is about money, materials, durability, comfort, ease of use, effectiveness, and performance
For value, we factored in all of our review criteria because the value is not only about the price we pay, or paying a lower price and hoping to get a good deal.
Firstly we did look at and cover the price we pay because this is foremost in the mind of all buyers, the prices placed against these vests did come over as standard and reasonable when factoring in all of the criteria for comparatively assessing these products.
As with any suitable product available on the market, we should look at companies which have established a strong, reliable reputation for producing products which meet the criteria used in this review and buying guide. With years of experience behind them, the resources to research and improve a p[roduct, known brand makers do offer a good range of tried, tested, trusted products, this can quickly be confirmed through reading customer feedback-reviews.
New manufacturers entering the market should not be ignored, but their product has to be carefully looked at to ensure it meets expected value and criteria.
This selection prepared for you does meet the broader range of the meaning of value.
Expert Interviews & Opinions
Comfort Durability Ease of Use Effectiveness Value
A cooling vest requires a degree of maintenance, this might seem strange but it is true.
Think about gel packs or ice packs, they are the core functionality for the vest, but over time they may wear or lose integrity, this falls under maintenance, so check that the product you choose can offer replacement gel or water packs.
Small but very important, look at the fastening systems designed into a vest, zippers, velcro, buttons, toggles, whatever they happen to be if they do wear and fail, can you source replacements?
Any features designed into the vest for support or adjusting for FIt need to be considered if the adjustable features fail, can you replace them or do you find that the vest fails for comfort and FIt when these features fail and cannot be replaced?
Take your time when making a choice for a cooling vest, compare the different products available on the market, look at criteria such as FIT, comfort, durability, effectiveness, and value but also factor in maintenance.
Think about which sport or activity you will be using the vest. Then carry out comparative research, you can do this easily online. Visit online stores, see the selection available, read customer reviews, both positive and negative.
Through some pure natural research, you are much more likely to select a product which gives you all the value points you want from a cooling vest.
Other Factors to Consider
Capacity
Capacity in this context means the source of the performance.
We factored in the criteria for capacity in the context of the source of the performance of the product. For the cooling vest, this means Gel Packs or Water.
Which gives better value and why it does, the gel packs are of course easy to prepare but so are water packs. Both options are good, and we felt that the performance of either is dependant on the broader design and features for the vest.
When an ice pack or gel pack is prepared, it needs to retain being cool while also distributing a cool effect to the body. It means that the pockets, or the cooling system housing the gel or ice source must be very well designed and have excellent insulation capability.
The better the pocket, pouch or holding system insulation, the longer the cooling effect will continue. It is a fact very well known to vest makers, and they all tend to reach to the very limits for the best insulation materials and designs.
Both ice and gel give an excellent performance; we found that how long the performance continues effectively will depend on the range of materials, insulation capability, and other features designed into the vest.
Frequently Asked Questions
q: Can good hydration work with the vest performance?
Yes, it certainly will, when taking part in sports in warm weather conditions, a cooling vest can be very useful. However, you need to be responsible and ensure a balanced, appropriate amount of liquid intake to keep your body hydrated. It means that your bodies natural ability to regulate your temperature will be able to work in balance with the cooling vest.
q: Which food assist body hydration during sports?
Before doing a challenging sport in warm weather, you should try food which contains a lot of water; this means vegetable, fruits are a favorite. These are natural foods, and the water content will be absorbed into your body and channeled to support your ability for your body to self-regulate overall body temperature.
q: How many vest options for coolling?
You get two main options, the type of vest which can carry frozen packs of gel or water, these are effective though they do mean you carry more weight. The alternative is a vest designed from materials which when left to soak in water, the vest will offer a period where it can aid your body to regulate your temperature.
q: Which is best Gel or frozen water?
The performance of water or gel when frozen is similar though many say frozen water last a bit longer. The performance of either will depend upon the design and the insulative qualities used for making the vest.
q: Which is best for Fit, a set size or adjustable?
I would choose a cooling vest which has designed in features to allow me to adjust the vest for FIT. When enjoying active sports, you may change your body movements at times for flexibility; an adjustable vest is perfect in such situations.
q: Gels packs, are they easy to prepare?
Yes, very easy, you need to have access to a fridge, place the packs in for the required amount of time and they are ready. It means excellent ease for preparation.
Sources
- , Best Cooling Vest Reviews January 2019 - Analysis of the Hype, Article-Reviews
- , Cooling Vests - Body Cooling | Polar Products, Article and Guide
- , Best Cooling Vests Reviewed (Updated Guide for 2019), Guide
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Techniche International HyperKewl Cooling Sports Vest
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Flexi Freeze Ice Vest
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NHI Cooling Vest
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Glacier Tek Sports Cool Vest
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Ultimate Direction PB2.0
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HyperKewl Evaporative Cooling Deluxe Sport Vest
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Ergodyne Chill-Its 6665 Evaporative Cooling Vest
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Ice Water Circulating Cooling Vest Tan Detachable Bladder
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HyperKewl 6529-KH-XL Evaporative Cooling Vest
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Radians Cooling Vest
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