Cooling Vest Showdown! Best and Worst

Comparing an evaporative vest, ice vests, an ice-water circulation vest, and an air vest. My insights into the challenges of vest based cooling.
I was not paid to promote these vests, but some were provided as samples. Amazon Associates links:
#1 Hyperkewl evaporative vest: amzn.to/2OWeUHE
#2 Thermapparel ice vest, wear under clothes: amzn.to/2ZXB8z9
#3 Old-school blue vest is no longer available
#4 GlacierTek Ice Vest: amzn.to/2D6cbZc
#5 A Different Circulating Ice Water Vest: amzn.to/3aGHfQo
#6 Bonus ... The Air Jacket: • Video
#coolingvests #coolingapparel #icevests
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Some of my other cooling related videos:
✯ Cooling Gear on Amazon: • Stay Cool -- Best Cool...
✯ Evaporative vs. Ice Vests: • Evaporative vs. Ice Co...
✯ 3 Tricks to Beat the Heat: • 3 Cooling Tricks to Be...

[@Mr1ssalinas]

You either put the fans backwards in the jacket, or the polarity is reversed, I can see how they're sucking air out of the jacket and they're not supposed to do that, but the opposite: Blow outside air into the jacket and your own perspiration will do the cooling.

[@shadowx089]

I agree that looked like it was sucking. lol

[@brianmi40]

@@shadowx089 Do keep in mind that evaporation is required for the cooling effect, in high humidity such clothing (like an evaporative cooler in a home) will not be effective at all. When I lived in CA as a kid, we had an evaporative cooler, and it worked well since it was fairly dry. But in Florida where I live now, they are a complete waste of money, no one owns one at all. In extreme areas like Arizona, evaporative cooling is all you need.

[@licensedprofessional4742]

By far the best and most honest product review channel ever, thank you! 🎉

[@metaspencer]

thanks for checking it out!

[@bunberrier]

I am considering one for a brutal summer commute in full riding gear on my motorcycle. This was VERY helpful. Wonderful homestead you have there.

[@metaspencer]

Sounds like a hot ride ... but nice to be able to do it on the moto! Good luck out there man ... precool and it'll be all the better

[@beepbop6697]

Just checking in to see what you came up with for motorcycle cooling. Would appreciate any tips (central TX, 100+ days). Thanks!

[@bunberrier]

​​​@@beepbop6697 I bought a piece of 1000 denier nylon and sewed together two fabric panels, one for chest, one for back, with shoulder straps. Each panel has three vertical pockets closed at the bottom, open at top. Middle, left, and right. Inside each pocket is placed two Nordic Ice gel pouches, one at the bottom of the pocket, the other sitting on it above it in the pocket So I have 6 nordic ice packs on front, and 6 on back. Over this I wear the shell of a winter coat, liner removed, to keep the cold IN. Weight of the ice packs is about 16 lbs. This stays cold for my entire 1 hour ride to work, stays cold in the side case, and still partially frozen to wear home if I want, after sitting in the FL sun from 2pm until nightfall, then to midnight. Freeze and repeat.

[@beepbop6697]

@@bunberrier appreciate the response. 16lbs of ice packs is a lot, pretty cool that you made your own jacket for them. I've been looking at ezcooldown's phase change "ice" packs -- they are designed to freeze at higher temps (they have options for 59°, 70°, and even 84°) -- would think their 70° packs would be perfect -- though you'll only get about 4 hours out of them before needing to recharge in a refrigerator or sink of ice water. There's a guy on KZbin that shows how to make these temperature specific packs at home: search for "DIY Supermaterial Could Save You From Heatstroke: Salt based PCMs".

[@guigacaixetaf]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with this richness of detail. Now I think I understand much better what I need

[@metaspencer]

Glad it was helpful! Good luck out there

[@allencasey6981]

I'm sitting in my air conditioned house in Texas watching you in Michigan (?) trying to deal with the heat. Makes me smile. As long as you could keep wetting it, I bet that evaporative vest would work well in Arizona or New Mexico where the humidity is almost always low. Thanks for the off-beat, informative and very entertaining video, my friend.

[@metaspencer]

Staying cool in Texas, that's excellent! Yeah it's been pretty humid up here in Illinois, but mornings and evenings are pretty nice. Take it easy!

[@allencasey8269]

Ahh. Illinois! 👍

[@NoThankUBeQuiet]

As someone in FL I've had just as bad heat intolerance in upstate NY (basically Canada) as I have here. When your body can't handle heat it can't handle heat.

[@metaspencer]

@@NoThankUBeQuiet So true

[@kellymoses8566]

the most effective method I have found and is to swallow α bunch of ice. The phase change from solid to liquid absorbs α huge amount of heat from your body.

[@metaspencer]

Wow, ice swallowing! I swear by ice water but haven't gone that far. Great idea. I completely agree that cool liquid inside the body is the key

[@thorwaldjohanson2526]

How I cooled off as a student, living in a room directly under an non insulated roof. Frozen berries, some ice cubes and a bit of milk. Blend it into a kind of soft serve / sorbet consistency and consume like a liter of it. That cools your whole body down from the inside.

[@jason_r_]

Qore Performance Ice Plate is the best. A little pricey, but really nice and they provide hydration.

[@metaspencer]

I'll have to check it out. Sometimes shelling out the $$$ is worth it

[@gymnast8865]

Thank you so much. Your video was very helpful in finding a vest for someone with multiple sclerosis

[@metaspencer]

Be well and hang in there

[@kevinclark6289]

I mean this as a high compliment there are a lot of irritating videos reviews really way too much but anyway your video was informative and relaxing to watch thank you for posting.

[@metaspencer]

Thanks for checking it out! Stay cool this summer

[@manouchk38]

This was very cool!! The insulation between ice and the body is an adjustment. With no insulation we would feel too cold and the energy would be transfered too fast. The problem is that you can't adjust this insulation and as you say, ice generally don't last one hour. I also like more the evaporative cooling vest. Maybe some day I will try a vest with a circulating liquid.

[@Victoriaghh]

I wear a hazmat suit all day in a factory that sits around 43c in the summer. It's gotten unbearable, and I'll find myself fainting and getting covered in rashes. So glad to see this content! Im going to cave and buy one that'll last at least half of the day.

[@metaspencer]

Hang in there! That sounds like a tough job!

[@Victoriaghh]

@@metaspencer It really is, but the guys I work with are great, and I really enjoy the physical workout the job gives me! Just can't handle the heat anymore 🤣

[@ellenmuthexperiments2254]

I had to watch your story when I saw that you went 17 yrs before getting an accurate diagnosis because when it was first brought up by my PCP "maybe it's MS" I started thinking back to when I first experienced certain symptoms which have worsened over time, and thought, "No, that started in 2006 and it's 2024 now." As I see more videos on MS stories I realize that it is surely a posibility that it started that long ago and that's why I'm experienced worsening of the symptoms now that I'm 43. So, Thank you for sharing. I, too, wondered about the therapeutic value of the drugs available or lack thereof. I'm wondering if, since it's been awhile since you made that video, you've started any medications or treatments of any kind and whether anything has or has not helped you?

[@metaspencer]

No drugs for me just and anti-inflammatory diet and vitamin D -- doing great. I post updates over on my other channel: www.youtube.com/@SpencersMSStory ... be well!

[@ChimericSign]

as someone with a back issue that only activates in heat, sure they might be weird or "gizmos" as i heard other people talk about it but anything is better than looking like a crack addict scratching my back and a tiny handheld fan wont help much, but from my own experience fan ones are better for that cool breeze feeling, i really like your video! i really like your tips per type of vest, i'm probably going to get one of those air conditioned hoodie/shirt things mixed with that water one at the start, but my main concern is that it wont die off in around 3 hours and be a all rounder for versatility

[@metaspencer]

stay cool out there! I'm sure you'll find the right piece of gear for your particular needs

[@ChimericSign]

@@metaspencer thanks for replying and i really like how informative your video was and how you explained how long they lasted and the perks and draws, it might persuade me getting one for it since i just have a fan

[@cloudyclo]

Thank you so much Spencer! I am buying the Hyperkewl evaporative vest in light of your review!

[@metaspencer]

Most excellent! Stay cool

[@catalystsymphony2708]

Hahah the last cooling jacket IS supposed to inflate as it blows air in. I think you might have the fans inside out.... I modeled for Fooxmet and tried it out, and was surprised it actually felt really good (looked a little funny, but felt good). And yes, it inflated the jacket. I can't compare it to other vests since I've never tried any before then - and I didn't get to keep the fooxmet jacket and try it more often - but from the short time I did use it, I actually liked it and kinda wished I could have kept the jacket instead of the money for the shoot lol.

[@metaspencer]

I think you're right: fans were inside out in my case as the vest came with little or no instructions. Suction jacket! haha

[@kukuricaman]

@@metaspencer So after putting the fans on correctly, could you imagine working in that jacket? Is it better than the ice/water ones? Based on your natural air-cooling explanation I imagine it could be the best one no? :) Thanks.

[@metaspencer]

@@kukuricaman If the fabric was lighter I could imagine it working as a jacket worn when not moving/working, but with thick fabric and the cumbersomeness of it I can't imagine using that jacket. Too odd

[@joep5959]

I hate when people take 5 years to explain something. Like thanks for the reviews, but bro I had to fast forward through 75% of your content, just so I can get the review I needed. It's like when people write an entire essay for a recipe and you just click the JUMP TO RECIPE button.

[@metaspencer]

At least you found what you needed! haha ... I should record things at 1.5 speed to begin with! :)

[@joep5959]

@@metaspencer no disrespect mesnt though.

[@metaspencer]

@@joep5959 Understood! It's all good :)

[@pou5938]

@metaspencer About the fan vest you installed the fans in the wrong direction. The way you installed they are trying to suck the air out the vest. To work they must do the opposite. Where you plug the wires in the fan must be inside, not outside.

[@metaspencer]

Good point! thanks for that

[@traci-perfectlybroken5614]

The 2nd to last one would be great for people like me. I'm a C6-7 quadriplegic, paralyzed from the chest down & I don't sweat at all.

[@metaspencer]

Oh yeah with no sweat action that just might work! Also shade and cold water, which I rely on more and more

[@S79KW]

Good honest review many thanks for that - no marketing bullsh*t

[@metaspencer]

Big thanks

[@beepbop6697]

Excellent reviews, thanks!

[@metaspencer]

good to hear

[@BTimmer]

I've used your first vest for many years riding motorcycles in extreme temperatures. That coupled with LDComfort underclothing has worked well for me.

[@metaspencer]

Excellent. I haven't checked out that LDC stuff ... thanks for the tip!

[@thermapparel]

Hey Metaspencer, Thanks for reviewing our ThermApparel PCM Cooling Vest. We are glad it helps. We just want to clarify a few things. The ThermApparel PCM Cooling Vest is not an ice vest, it's a PCM Cooling Vest. What's the difference? PCM can freeze and melt at different and specific temps where ice can only freeze at 1 temp. Ice Vests can only be refrozen in the freezer. Making you dependent on a freezer. ThermApparel PCM Cooling Packs melt and refreeze at 70F / 21C so you can refreeze them in ice water, the fridge or a freezer. Why is that important? It makes our Cooling Vest portable. For instance... Let's say you go to a large outdoor festival, event or picnic. The Cooling Packs wear out, you can refreeze in a cooler of ice water in 30 min and be good to go. You don't have to leave or go home. Because our Cooling Packs melt and refreeze at 70F / 21C they are safe to wear under your clothing against your skin. They will not cause ice burn, they will not condense, getting you wet like ice packs or evaporative vests. Our cooling vest works better than ice and ice vests. Why is that and why is it important? • When your body is hot your blood vessels open up to allow heat to be released. In other words, you sweat and when air hits your sweat it cools your body down. • Ice and Gel Packs cause blood vessels to constrict, preventing cooled blood from reaching your core. Ice is wonderful for cooling down a specific part of your body or bringing down swelling, but it doesn't cool your entire body. There is a reason doctors say 20 min on and 20 min off with ice packs. You need your blood vessels to open back up to allow the blood to start flowing again. • ThermApparel PCM Cooling Packs cools the blood without constricting your blood vessels. As your blood flows past the PCM Cooling Packs the they cool your blood and your body keeps pumping cool blood through your system keeping your whole body cool. The ThermApparel PCM Cooling Vest may look a little strange... but it was designed with over 200+ customer discovery interviews of MS patients. We asked them what they wanted in a cooling vest. They said they wanted something lightweight, comfortable and invisible. That is what we designed. it is meant to be worn under your clothing and so no can tell you have it on. Isn't that cool!! It doesn't call attention to your MS. The vest with 1 set of SlimCool packs weighs 1.3 lbs The vest with 1 set of ExtendedCool packs weighs 1.9 lbs The SlimCool Cooling Packs last 1-2 hours depending on your level of activity. 2+ hours if you're wearing it inside in an air-conditioned area 2 hours if you're are doing light housework 1.5 hours if you're are outside doing gardening or taking a brisk walk 1 hour if you're on a treadmill or exercising under 1 hour if you're in extreme temps The ExtendedCool Cooling Packs last 2-3 hours depending on your level of activity. 3+ hours if you're wearing it inside in an air-conditioned area 3 hours if you're are doing light housework 2.5 hours if you're are outside doing gardening or taking a brisk walk 2 hour if you're on a treadmill or exercising 1 hour if you're in extreme temps Hope that helps explain the ThermApparel Cooling Vest better! Oh, one more thing.... Order from our website. Your viewers will have full access to our inventory, they won't be giving money to Amazon and if you want to become an affiliate we promise to pay you more than .025 cents. Cheers! Team ThermApparel

[@metaspencer]

Wow, that's the longest KZbin comment I've ever seen! One question for your company: do you find that your vest has insulating properties (or an R value) actually locking body heat in? I ask because that has been my experience with your vest. It seem to insulate and thus thwart the body's cooling mechanisms

[@thermapparel]

​@@metaspencer The cooling packs act as a heat sink and draw the heat out of your core. Once they have completely melted and can no longer draw heat they will reverse and you will start to feel warm as the packs will act like a heat pack. It's a quick fix. Take them out, put them in ice water and in 30 min they will be frozen again and ready to keep you cold.

[@thermapparel]

Refreezing times - 30 min - Ice water 45 min - Fridge 60 min - Freezer

[@metaspencer]

@@thermapparel I'm not so sure -- while they might act as a heat sink I fear they simultaneously insulate the core.

[@joellerner6087]

@@thermapparel Your product takes 30 minutes to refreeze in ice water. If i take my ice packs or ice/gel packs with me in my cooler bag it takes a few seconds to change out my already frozen cooling pack. I'm not knocking your product, but I felt it necessary to add my 2 cents. Also PCM cooling packs won't last as long if they are freezing at 70 degrees.

[@rwind656]

Ty, excellent and helpful review.

[@metaspencer]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@jaichang4725]

Hey you’re definitely one of the funniest guys I’ve ever stumbled upon on KZbin! I’ve come to realize that I have a bit of heat intolerance, and started with traditional ice-packs, and now learning that theres so many options out there for cooling out and about, and found your video extremely helpful to figure things out. Thanks again, and hopefully I can help you get your $0.025 cents haha.

[@metaspencer]

Good hearing from ya! Most of all I do pre-cooling (cold water, AC, cold showers) and it postpones the melt down

[@kellymoses8566]

I also do not tolerate heat well and the most effective method I have found and is to swallow α bunch of ice. The phase change from solid to liquid absorbs α huge amount of heat from your body.

[@jaichang4725]

@@kellymoses8566 Thanks for mentioning, I’m definitely going to try that!

[@TotalRookie_LV]

WoW, thank you! My multiple sclerosis doesn't go well with heat, so I googled for cooling vests, as I've heard it's a thing. The effects of heat (so called "Uhthoff's phenomenon") are like this - I go to a beach, with noticeable difficulties get into a swimming shorts (in my case it's really hard to lift my legs sometimes, which makes dressing complicated), but after swimming / cooling in water I feel much better - legs work better and I'm able to move faster for some time. I guess vest should work fine, as my brains are almost untouched by sickness, the absolute bulk of damage has been done to my spinal cord in neck and chest area - exactly what a vest would cover, which should make it quite effective (I hope).

[@metaspencer]

Hang in and precool

[@ElBrodito]

What a great review man !!! Thanks 👍🏼

[@metaspencer]

You bet!

[@jimtitus9201]

I got the Thermapparel cooling vest which melts at about 58 degrees F rather than 32because I don't want to be obvious that I am wearing a cooling vest. I needed something to wear under my shirt when dancing in an unairconditioned space during summer. I was considering it as an alternative to my usual method of bringing 10 lb of ice in a cooler with a couple of towels which I put on my face occasionally. I wear shorts and a loose shirt. The retailer could not tell me the latent heat of fusion for the packs, nor would it tell me the material to enable me to ask the mfg. I'll measure it if I get a chance. The key limitation is that it is covering less than 10% of the unexposed part of my body. So it can only carry so much heat away. With a typical dewpoint of about 65 degrees and room temperature of 80 degrees, my sense is that this does me about as much good as lowering the room temperature a degree or two. It does not cool me down in any sense of the word, but it does a little bit of good. Not as much good as standing in front of a big floor fan or putting that cold towel on my head for a minute, but it does not prevent me from doing those as well. Your point about these vests losing half their cooling capacity to the air around you is generally not correct. Heat transfer to your body is faster than to the air, unless there is a very stiff breeze, even if the air and your body are the same temperature. And if the air is 80 degrees then the temperature difference between a cooling pack that melts at 60 degrees and the air is only 20 degrees but twice as great between the coolant and your body. And if you are wearing it under your clothes, you get some benefit by cooling the air under your shirt. Rather, the main problem is simply that their total heat capacity is small compared to what your body puts out.

[@metaspencer]

Interesting to hear your perspectives!

[@mikegrok]

I recommend the "cool 58" packs from polarproducts. I have a neck pack, I took it out of the sleeve for better heat transfer. I have 2 sets. I have one on my neck, and the other in an ice bucket. The solid to liquid phase change happens at 58F, so it is not uncomfortable to have on the skin. I am in mobile alabama, and am often a vendor at craft fairs. During tent setup and take down, the combined humidity and temperature "wet bulb temperature", ie 93F and 70% humidity, is "extreme temperature". In 3 hours of swapping neck straps every 10 minutes I stay out of heat stroke danger, and melt a bit over 10 pounds of ice. Without the neck strap I start going into heat stroke in about 25 minutes. I am 6 foot 6, 270 pounds, and have a resting pulse of 53 bpm. So a problem of surface to volume ratio. My waist is less than half my height.

[@metaspencer]

Interesting story ... sounds like you've found something that works for you!

[@brianmi40]

Your conclusions forgot your earlier point that in high humidity, the natural body's evaporation of sweat is NOT happening at all to cool the body. Living in Florida, I can testify to this. As a retiree, I don't work all day outside, so your 1 hour estimate for the ice packs melting easily gets the lawn mowed in greater comfort. Hearing the area the ice packs are over can get too cold (one user commented 2 t-shirt layers were necessary to reduce the cold), I will use some adhesive velcro above that area to let me adhere in some small pieces of cloth to get the moderation as there's no upside to wearing 2 t-shirt layers! Also, you can buy unlimited ice packs and, not being away on some job site, I can swap them out all day just walking inside to the fridge. But was helpful to see the survey of different vests and happily found an ice based one on Amazon with plenty of packs to go with.

[@metaspencer]

Stay cool out there man! tons of good ideas in your comment so big thanks!

[@paulogarcia1766]

Great video. I've been trying to come up with a solution for the hot days and your video has a lot of good information from someone in the field. In my case I don't really do manual labor but business-casual dress codes means I am wearing long pants and long shirts. Sweating would cool me off, but you don't want to be sweating in business casual! So I think some kind of water circulation pack is the best alternative.

[@metaspencer]

Sounds like a good option for you. Good thinking!

[@JohnSmith-tz4on]

Or just get a job where you don't have to illogically wear a coat during summer while trying to convey an image of intelligence and competence... 😮

[@GlennD007]

With that air cooled vest. It looked in the video like the fans, rather than trying to inflate the vest it appeared to me that they were trying to pull a vacuum. Maybe they were wired backwards! Something to verify!

[@metaspencer]

Yeah I think I had some user error with that jacket -- the fans should have been the other way around. I later reversed them but never really liked the jacket. It's just too cumbersome and clunky for my taste. Thanks for the keen eye and comment!

[@JohnSmith-tz4on]

How well does it work when the fans are blowing instead of sucking?

[@rudevectors8018]

Loved the video. I sent my GlacierTek back. I quickly felt warmer with the darn thing on, and that was just sitting before doing any work. Was thinking of the INUTEQ-PAC PCM COOLOVER 15C. It’s basically a vest made from ice packs, with small straps. Until you pointed out at the end that the ice packs melt pretty quickly from the outside in.

[@metaspencer]

Good hearing from ya -- those vests can definitely heat you up. I think the companies just like selling them haha

[@dannyc6166]

Wear polyester shirts. Cotton obsorbs moisture so you end up with a wet rag that won’t let the sweat evaporate very well. All polyester wicks moisture so don’t fall for high price special moisture material, it’s just polyester. Wear it loose so you have better air flow. I’m MS heat intolerant also & have experimented with tons of products. I’ve found the portable neck fans work the best. Surprisingly, the cheaper neck fans that have fans at the end you can point at your face & neck works the best I’ve found so far. They last several hours on medium which is usually is enough. There so cheap at $20.00 or less that you can buy 2 or more & have extras charged up ready to go. Probably need 3 for a full day at Disney World. When it’s in the 90’s & humid, nothings going to work very well that lasts for several hours. So polyester shirts, hat & lots of cold water & a neck fan that you can adjust the direction of the air on your face & neck is the best I’ve come up with. Good luck & good health to you sir. Great product demo video too!!!🤞👍

[@metaspencer]

I like your style and lots of good tips there! I particularly like that you keep it simple ... for me, drinking cold water is the ticket on most days. Thanks

[@Kruton3]

Polyester is plastic, you’re absorbing micro plastics. That isn’t a great option

[@dannyc6166]

@@Kruton3 I haven’t seen any warnings in a peer reviewed study that concludes polyester is not safe to wear. The cotton industry hates it, but so far it’s considered safe to wear. If a real medical study concludes polyester is not safe to wear, I’ll be the first one to stop wearing it, but so far, since the 1940’s it’s been considered safe by the medical community. If a person wants to make sure their clothes are safe, they need to wear only pure organic clothing. I haven’t found a moisture wicking organic natural fiber material yet. I was in the clothing manufacturing business for 15 years, but new information is always being discovered. Peace & stay cool.🤞❤️✌🏻🇺🇦🇺🇸

[@Kruton3]

KZbin deleting my reply’s. Basically I dislike you. “ Dude you are cringe asf, besides using common sense like thinking for yourself if wearing plastic all day would be healthy or not. You didn’t even research the opinions of your so beloved “authorities” on the subject. People like you are so ghey I know from that Ukrainian flag you spam with every post because you consume media like a bugman.” I posted 2 medical studies in the post

[@AgataNicole]

Thank you, great reviews

[@426superbee4]

I work bees in my cooling vest. Its better than enough thing out there. Less i'am cool.. The water soaking ones are better than ICE Ones. Plus the ice put more water on you! > it seem like the ice vest, don't work as long as the > water soaked vest

[@metaspencer]

cool to hear

[@knittingthestash]

Nice comparison!

[@metaspencer]

It's just so, so cooooool :)

[@1010LouMary]

The evaporative cooling vest should be soaked 2-3 minutes to be fully charged. It will soak up ~1.9 liters of water, and last ~4 hours before needing to be fecharged

[@metaspencer]

4 hours! that's funny. In dry hot weather I'm lucky if it lasts 30 minutes

[@1010LouMary]

​@@metaspencerThat's probably because you aren't allowing it to get fully soaked, Rather than just running water over the vest as you did in the video, fully submerge it in a basin until it will absorb no more water, LIGHTLY squeeze the excess water out, and then don the vest. I've used my TechNiche HyperKewl evaporative cooling vest in conjunction with an Aerostich Roadcrafter suit for several years on my motorcycle with very satisfactory results. For the first hour or so, it gets so cold, I need to keep the zippered vents on my Roadcrafter closed. It needs airflow to be effective, because it's the evaporating that cools the vest, (not the fact that you initially ran cold water over the vest). They don't work very well without airflow evaporating the water from the vest. Properly charged, an evaporative cooling vest really works.

[@SpencersMSStory]

@@1010LouMary Sounds like you have a good system! thanks man

[@enermaxstephens1051]

Sounds like the ice ones would be the best, with the drawback being that they only last 1 hour. But, you could get around that by simply owning more vests. You keep 4 - 6 of them in a freezer, and you just swap them out when one of them melts. You'll probably be done with your outdoor work for the day, by that time those are used up.

[@metaspencer]

Good ideas!

[@enermaxstephens1051]

@@metaspencer What about the rest of your body? Do the vests that work well, cool you well enough that your blood ends up cooling the rest of your body? Or do they still feel very hot and uncomfortable?

[@joellerner6087]

Actually, all you have to do is swap out ice packs or combo ice/gel packs. You can keep extra ones in the freezer or if on the go use a cooler bag.

[@enermaxstephens1051]

@@joellerner6087But then you wear out the velcro quicker

[@joellerner6087]

You should be aware that velcro strips with a stickem backing can be purchased at fabric stores, and perhaps hardware stores as well.@@enermaxstephens1051

[@KEEVVY]

They are expensive too & thoat they will keep you cold but it’s limited time, I think a white t-shirt from good material works better like some soft coton, I also seen syntethic even if football players use it it’s not good for skin specialy the shirt as pants are ok becoase human body is cooler for the lower part

[@metaspencer]

Good points

[@ruthdoyle9085]

Evaporative Cooling Vest would work better on a motorcycle or something moving quickly… the ice vest would work much better if you wet the vest before putting it on…

[@jacakjacak]

Thank you my new friend , I live in very dry and summer hot area , so the evaporative should be good and Ill use it for work ,also will keep cold water in a cooler to refresh the vest if needed . I wish to help you to feed your animals . Ill let you know how it works for me , buying it now. Best from me . Jacek , polish sausage and vodka maker.

[@metaspencer]

Stay cool my friend! I like your spirit!

[@CLCinflorida]

@metaspencer I am searching for something to help me, I had a heatstroke a few years ago and my life ha never been the same, I really need something to help me keep cool. it was 90 degrees, heat Index on Valentine's day. Thank you for doing this review... Very Helpful and informative... 👍

[@metaspencer]

Good luck out there! The best things I've found are pre-cooling, staying out of the sun as much as possible, and drinking ice water when out there. Hang in!

[@CLCinflorida]

@@metaspencer Thank You, I am preparing for Florida's Summer, and will be getting one of these... Stay Safe 🤗👍

[@bbglas007]

you should try the makita jacket

[@metaspencer]

Makita makes one? Sounds good

[@victorcandia]

It would be great to see a review of those by you. In this video you had the fans backwards so they were sucking out the air instead@@metaspencer

[@metaspencer]

@victorcandia fan direction fail!

[@bappa8656]

how about an umbrella that you wear while you work ?

[@metaspencer]

not a bad idea if it works for you ... there even reflective umbrellas

[@luiza1988]

This was interesting. I constantly am looking at cooling vest to wear in surgery. The surgeons have one with a leash that runs icy water but it is bulky and attached to a giant box on the ground. The one with the pack is the most similar but i always wondered if the icepack one would be better. Now i know 😏

[@metaspencer]

Stay cool when you're doing that work, man! Good to hear

[@ricardo-hd9jg]

also the fans are wrongly installed, they are facing the wrong way, give them another try and you will love them

[@metaspencer]

I've heard that from a few others ... sounds promising!

[@bashag5477]

Thank you!!!!!

[@bappa8656]

great video honest straight forward!

[@metaspencer]

thanks for checking it out ... stay cool!

[@kimm1543]

Is an awesome video! I'd really like you to make a similar video on the newer wearable ac units for around your neck? And perhaps the wearable fans as well. I nd a personal ac unit in my life! But reviews are mixed and maybe biased! They are around $70 I wanna get the one that works the best!

[@metaspencer]

I've used a few neck wraps and like how they feel, at least for a while, but I'm not so sure that they offer any real cooling. So a comparison would be great ... I'll have to look to see which ones people are using these days. Thanks for the ideas

[@kimm1543]

@@metaspencer thank you I'm subscribed now!! The blaux is one of them then there's a bunch of copies from lots of other companies! They are about !70 - $130 so I don't want to get one if it doesn't work. And then they have the fans which kinda look ridiculous but who knows! Thanks for answering me back! I love your videos!!

[@pepperread1184]

Excellent information. Thanks.

[@metaspencer]

Stay cool!

[@timothychambers9064]

That's a nice vest! I mean that's an ice vest!!

[@metaspencer]

haha ... chilly!

[@TheHmm43]

90c is HOT... I think you meant F (at the beginning)

[@metaspencer]

Yeah you're right haha

[@bobbyz7736]

Im in Havasu AZ and the temps have been around 115 lately. I work outdoors and it gets soo hot. I like the idea of the cooling vest. Is there one that has a water bladder that will rewet the vest while you are wearing it? It would be nice to not have to stop, go and rewet and put back on again and again. Thanks for the info

[@metaspencer]

I've never seen one that rewets the vest ... could be cool. Instead there are just vests that circulate cool water. Hang in! Sounds hot as heck out there

[@gamerChau]

I’m 2 years late but you installed the fan air vứt the wrong way. That’s why it wasn’t “fluffing up with air”

[@metaspencer]

makes sense! thanks

[@AnnetteZang]

I live in Africa, summers at 36-46 degrees Celsius, but have never had the need for a cooling vest. I love heat and humidity.

[@metaspencer]

You're tough! That's so excellent to hear

[@rickyticky7854]

Alien.

[@letterbomb211]

Inside home and ac on there is not need for cooling vest, that's for poor bastards like me, who have work hard outside

[@moneyisneutral]

You are a cool guy!

[@joefunk2137]

Pretty funky!

[@metaspencer]

haha .. for sure

[@Airborne33850]

Hay I have a medical problem as well the va got me a polar cooling system d/c 12 volt the battery lasts all day just have to be willing to have ice chest with you

[@metaspencer]

If you can stay close to that ice chest that sounds like a great setup. Nice to hear that the VA helped out!

[@katiecolwin102]

So you don't usually get wet from your evaporative vest?

[@metaspencer]

Yes you do get wet ... you can minimize it though if you wring it out more

[@offgrid2010]

I;ve been designing my own for quite a while but it is questionable that I can do better or cheaper. You make a lot of interesting points I would not have thought of. But as far as our natural cooling system goes we also have our natural heating system and wearing winter clothes doesn't seem to ruin our bodily functions. IDK.

[@metaspencer]

It's cool to hear you've been making your own ... interesting!

[@PedroRodriguez-dr3do]

You omitted the name and link of what appears to be the best one, silver vest w circulating pump. What is the name of that one please?

[@metaspencer]

I don't think they're selling them anymore. This one is similar amzn.to/3yMd8zC

[@ragnarocking]

Can you get frostbite from the ice-vests, or do they warm up too quickly? The NMSS sent me one after diagnosis (along with other free items to serve as a reminder that life will never be the same 😃) and I've always been hesitant to wear it. I never really needed to because I luckily always had the option to avoid excessive heat. But now that I spend a bit more time outdoors, I have thought about wearing it.

[@metaspencer]

I've wondered that myself and try not to put them next to my skin. I guess it's possible and you're always recommended not to use an ice pack for more than 20 minutes, but I've worn many ice vests longer than that until they melt out. I also got a free vest from the MSAA here in the US. That was such a cool program! I love that some groups give things to people who need them. Anyway, be well!

[@guitarflipper]

NO

[@alanmcrae8594]

I wear my AlphaCool Ice Vest over a T shirt. It does not cause frostbite and the cooling effect lasts 1 to 1.5 hours. I swap ice packs at that point and keep going.

[@metaspencer]

Sounds good

[@alanmcrae8594]

Further evaluation of AlphaCool Ice Vest: 1. Dropped a cold gel pack while trying to place it in the vest pocket, and it ruptured along a seam for about 1 inch & spewed some gel on the floor. (Haven't received a reply back yet on whether I can fix that or not - maybe some sort of glue?) 2. I am doubtful that a gel pack that can't survive a 3ft drop onto the floor could survive me laying on my back or stomach with the vest on. (That means that the vest is limited to a range of tasks that don't put pressure on the vest's gel packs.) 3. The vest gives me enough of range of motion to be useful gardening, working with most tools, and standing/sitting/squatting repeatedly. So, I will continue using it and testing it under various situations. 4. As you stated in your video, we have a natural biological function (sweating) that will cool us off IF there is good airflow over our body and we can work in the shade instead of direct sunlight. (When I really need to cool off, I come inside and sit by an electric fan for a few minutes - very, very effective.) So, what would help the most is a "follow me" shadebot with an electric fan that would keep me in the shade as I worked, as well as blow air over my body fairly continuously. Perhaps this shadebot robot could also carry my tools, dispense a cold drink on command, and monitor my vitals so that I don't overdo it. (If we can have self-propelled follow me luggage then we should be able to have a self-propelled follow me shade robot. Anybody interested in developing a prototype?)

[@stereox13]

Great video, thanks!

[@metaspencer]

Stay cool out there!

[@kerryspaedy2621]

Super video! I applauded for $2.00 👏

[@metaspencer]

Wow, thanks! Super nice of you ... stay cool out there!

[@dr.gurn420]

are you able to wash the 5th jacket? or does the electronics not allow you?

[@metaspencer]

You can pull the pump and wires out of it ... there are several models like that one and the ones I've seen are all washable

[@mahalewellen4912]

I am like u very invested in find the best personal cooling system. I have a compcooler ice water vest

[@metaspencer]

I prefer the evaporator myself and precooling … good luck!!

[@Ucey365]

Wonderful video, ty.

[@metaspencer]

Thanks for checking it out

[@carolinegray3150]

You can buy a cooling scarf

[@metaspencer]

I'll have to try one out

[@NoThankUBeQuiet]

IDK about MS but with my heat intolerance I feel like I have a fever and its breaking. Vomiting, sweating etc. I'm not looking for something go last 8 hours I can do most day to day tasks with breaks and my car but I would like to be able to do some kind of athletic activity for 45 minutes to an hour. Reminder that you should consider other use cases.

[@metaspencer]

That sounds tough! With MS things like paralysis and blindness can kick in with the heat. Anyway, my hottest days are best managed with ice water and shade. I find the vests are okay but drinking cold ice water is even better as it keeps your system going. Good luck with it!

[@SuperAdam747]

@@metaspencer I was diagnosed with Ms this year but I feel like I've had it for 20 years without knowing it. What vitamin D supplements do you take?

[@metaspencer]

@@SuperAdam747 Just D3. I take 5k units a day. You should get your D levels checked as it's very important to have good D levels if you have MS. Hang in!

[@SuperAdam747]

@@metaspencer OK that's great advice. Have you heard of a doctor named Jon Bergmann. He made a video about a month ago on multiple sclerosis and treatment. He is a natural health dr, so if you haven't heard of him, check him out

[@metaspencer]

@@SuperAdam747 I'll check it out

[@drakes4625]

someday half the world will own these

[@metaspencer]

Maybe the better ones :)

[@jiggilowjow]

super helpful!!! ive thought about getting each one of these, except for the fan jacket. i think i have an idea for an even more modern cooling system. have you seen vortex coolers? well i want to hook one of those to a paint ball tank with a regulator. then attach the regulated air to the vortex cooler. then the light weight perforated vest. and boom. portable light weight torso cooling. check it out my brother. you helped me by doing all your consumer research. now i hope that i was able to help you. the only thing i have left to get is the vortex cooler. ill let ya know if it works. hopefully you msake a video of a vortex cooling vest with a portable air source. thanks again. im glad i didnt spend all the money i almost did. to get unsatisfactory results.

[@metaspencer]

sounds like some interesting ideas! good luck with it

[@theotheleo6830]

Great info!

[@metaspencer]

stay cool out there!

[@traicyarciniega7824]

Can you still get sunburned wearing these vests?

[@metaspencer]

Absolutely

[@j.zingler6735]

90° F would be around 33 ° C 100 °F would be around 37° C. That's indeed "warm"...

[@metaspencer]

Haha ... you're tough! For me 32 ° C is toasty! :)

[@Martian74]

Try a phase change cooling vest, they last longer.

[@metaspencer]

Thanks for the tip! Thanks

[@carlosanaya4149]

The White one would be a “Hard Pass!”

[@metaspencer]

well said :)

[@claudetteplante9381]

Interesting presentation,I,m searching for a cooling vest for our adult son who has M.S.,he suffers a lot by the heat,it,s a big problem for people who have M S.I,m not sure if a cooling vest would help him.Thank you😊

[@metaspencer]

Good luck!!

[@xwords59]

Great video! Question - I am a tennis nut and on really hot days when I play for a long time I can suffer from being overheated and have to stop. Do you think any of the vests would work while playing tennis? I was thinking the "Bro" might be a possibility.

[@metaspencer]

I'd try an evaporative vest first and see how it goes ... I have good luck with them over a limited amount of time. In your sport you can resoak in a bucket pretty easily

[@bashag5477]

So your favorite is the compcooler? What would you recommend me if I want to be the coldest for the longest amt of time? I don’t mind any cons or setbacks. I’m extremely heat intolerant. It makes me sick. Ty!!

[@metaspencer]

Pump vests with ice water + pre cooling

[@rockyabhay]

I like how big is your chicken ranch for just a few chickens

[@metaspencer]

we tend to have 10-20 chickens at a time ... sometimes more

[@caatabatic]

Looks like the polarity on the fan vest was backwards and sucking air out.

[@metaspencer]

good eye -- yeah, I may have made a mistake in setting up the puffer vest :)

[@caatabatic]

@@metaspencer I am very interested in your channel keep up the reviews!

[@metaspencer]

@@caatabatic big thanks!

[@robertreyes5662]

PLease tell us where you bought them and how much? especially the third one? thanks.

[@metaspencer]

Links in the description.. I hope that helps!!

[@MDmamb]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. can you put the name or the link (old linked is broken) for the first power shirt (13:11). thanks

[@metaspencer]

That ice vest may be obsolete now … new ones are lighter fabric

[@FrankFarian-cl3rq]

Thx for the video. Did u try „Inuteq“ products? A dutch company. The also have products with PCM. I see occasionally high professional athletes wearing theire products e.g. Max Verstappen the current F1 champion.

[@metaspencer]

I've never heard of those ... thanks for the tip

[@RoseRodent]

Have any females experience of trying these? All reviews I can see are men and the vertical orientation of the tubing in the water cooled units makes me think it's unlikely to be boob friendly. Really need to see one reviewed by someone with a female body shape.

[@metaspencer]

I've asked my wife to try them out, but she's not really into it! Sorry to not be of more help! Good luck with it

[@RoseRodent]

@@metaspencer thanks for trying!

[@georgiarelman]

I use the thermapparel under vest and I love it!! Women’s medium. I love it on my spine-that’s wear I overheat. Love it!!

[@leahmay1506]

Are all of these vests only suitable for draw heat whether? Anything good for humid weather?

[@metaspencer]

For humid weather the ice vests are okay and the circulation pump vests are pretty good.

[@whatsup3820]

How long does the air conditioning vest with the bag keep you cool?

[@metaspencer]

Not too long ... 20 or 30 minutes in real heat. I've come to prefer pre-cooling and ice water when out there

[@Mr-E.]

For your silver vest (the one you like the most) would you recommend ordering a size smaller than normal? That way it is more tight across the torso?

[@metaspencer]

you might want to try that ... but I'm pretty happy with the medium and still use is a lot

[@Mr-E.]

@@metaspencer Well, if medium is your normal size and you are happy with it, then I would much rather stay with my normal size too. I don't want to go down a size unless it really helps with the cooling. Thanks for the reply, I'll definitely order one tonight

[@tomcepek498]

I am wondering where you found that circulating vest - I have searched but no luck. I found another one online that seems to be a quality one, but its $300. yikes. looking for alternative. thanks-

[@metaspencer]

I think I have a link in the description

[@tomcepek498]

@@metaspencer lol thx - I didn't see the drop down.

[@trentwortman9159]

I need the Ice Water Vest you wore in your video. The link has an update version that is one unit. I actually need the 2 piece version due to using a wheelchair. Any alternatives you are aware of?

[@metaspencer]

Something like the Compcooler Waistpack ICE Water Cooling System might work for ya .. good luck!

[@trentwortman9159]

@@metaspencer It looks like a winner for my condition. Doubt I would have found it without your vid and advice. Thanks for putting it out there for us.

[@metaspencer]

@@trentwortman9159 Stay cool! (as they say)

[@melissajacobs4303]

Hi hi. Regarding the Ice Water Circulating Cooling Vest (second to last one you reviewed)… your link does not work. There is one company that sells it online, but geez they have a horrible return policy. (You never know, so it’s nice to shop with a reputable company in case a return is necessary). Would you mind telling me the brand name on that so I can research it & find where it is sold? Thank you!!

[@metaspencer]

I changed the link this vest that looks good -- but I haven't tried it yet. amzn.to/3aGHfQo

[@metaspencer]

Sorry, I can't remember the brand of that vest and I no longer have it

[@thomasfaulisi1849]

Dude turn the fans around thts y ur fan vest didnt work lol i have one tht works amazing. A sleeveless model one

[@metaspencer]

Right you are!

[@ronf948]

"cool" vlog

[@metaspencer]

haha ... a chilly response! :)

[@asneakylawngnome5792]

@@metaspencer Are there any vests that don't require ice or getting wet? I work in a warehouse and I make doughnuts all day so I can't wear those. But it's been getting so hot lately that the warehouse is almost unbearable.

[@metaspencer]

Battery powered circulation vests may be good for you

[@chrisbeaumont4630]

@@asneakylawngnome5792 Are you sure a phase change vest wouldnt work? If the issue would be water dripping off you, you shouldn't have water dropping with the phase change packs. Even if there was a lil dripping condensation im sure it'll be less moisture than if you were sweating from heat

[@asneakylawngnome5792]

@@chrisbeaumont4630 I work with food so it'd be a health violation or w/e but it gets too damn hot.

[@MackDaddyVic]

So basically cooling vests are just not the way to go

[@metaspencer]

That's my perspective having tried a lot of them ...

[@JustinCasey216]

Evaporative vests never will and do not work if you live in a humid climate like myself. Our summers are 70-100% humidity for the entire summer and into the fall. They don't work one bit so it's out of the question.. they just make you wet and hot

[@metaspencer]

You're absolutely right about humidity and evaporation ... in your ultra-hot climate pre-cooling is super valuable, as well as shade and drinking ice water when out there. Stay cool!

[@johnholbrook6042]

Like Central Florida

[@carolinegray3150]

Nice video

[@metaspencer]

big thanks!

[@Jay2525Jay]

I so wanted to say cool video, sorry about that!!!!!

[@metaspencer]

Haha ... snarf! :)

[@heisterreinsch6251]

nice hat. what is it?

[@metaspencer]

patagonia I believe :)

[@lilyr6755]

The ice cube not best choice for me space wise, etc. Packs ones is best. I don't have to put vest in freezer, etc I guess. I like the glacier look & 1st silvery. It looks thin to me, but not glacier. Is more like a life jacket one. I saw other guy on his channel Freaking Reviews & the 8ce cube one was one he reviewed. I looked up one of backpack on it. Skeptic yes & the cooler neck fan AC one. With all the tech you think they would make better & tools for ladies. Omg. They don't care. Only man's world. I need fir Florida. Lots of hot humidity. I dont want ice. Ugh. There must be better tech. Why don't we have what Divergent FM had. Float g personal shield. Lol 😆 Is not a head. It is a back brace girdle. Your wife is wrong. Yeah I hate dorky. "Baby got ice back!" 😆 Get it ? ! The backpack one I found better. I don't want to really carry all that. Too much weight cumbersome in my way & to eben go shopping. My purse, etc heavy got tired of carrying stuff. I try not to anymore & take my shopping buggies diff ones dressy day & grocery day big one diff. I don't like hearing or feel wind breeze. It depends. I wish they come up with a great thing. The McD's smoothie they had mango orange color idk was so good. It still works, but I wish there was something like that that instantly brought it down & warm you in the cold all in one that we not need to spend allot. I wish there was genius minds who cane together to invent something better with that lightweight material you spoke of that did cooling & heating. Omg the sweatshirt. Looks too weird futuristic sir of. Front is cool, but the fans are stupid. They need to be a flat panel like of it was a window ac. One day in my life a few years ago I started felt cool for a quick sec. I was like surprised. I was like huh first time my body worked like meant to work like. Ideas a very pleasant surprise & feeling all around. I wish it would always do that since then, but ofc sadly it didn't. Even thought of it once or so when heard about what sweat does for you in school then later on liked it up.

[@metaspencer]

Good to hear your perspectives and thoughts!

[@wpgeeth]

Dude arent you supposed to have ice packs and test it. You wore them just another layer.

[@metaspencer]

Yah man, gotta freeze those packs and wear til they melt ... done that many times and I'm just not super psyched about ice vests.Just my experience

[@wpgeeth]

@@metaspencer i believe you have. It seemed like you jumped the gun and concluded without testing it. Thats what it sounded like to me. Good review dude.