Do those personal cooling clothes really work

[Wesley_Clark]

There are a variety of personal cooling devices on the market, and most involve using clothes that have gelatinous beads in them that absorb cold water and hold it for several hours.

There are wrist bands, head bands, neck bands and hats that have these.

There are also cooling vests, which are usually just vests with pockets that you can put ice packets in.

Many places that sell them are affiliated with people suffering from MS, so I assume there is a decent track record to them if so many MS groups offer them.

So how effective are they, and where on the body are they most effective? Is a hat much more effective than a wristband? Does a vest offer anything special that would justify the extra cost over a neckband?

[DrDeth]

@Wesley_Clark

There are a variety of personal cooling devices on the market, and most involve using clothes that have gelatinous beads in them that absorb cold water and hold it for several hours.

There are wrist bands, head bands, neck bands and hats that have these.

There are also cooling vests, which are usually just vests with pockets that you can put ice packets in.

Many places that sell them are affiliated with people suffering from MS, so I assume there is a decent track record to them if so many MS groups offer them.

So how effective are they, and where on the body are they most effective? Is a hat much more effective than a wristband? Does a vest offer anything special that would justify the extra cost over a neckband?

I have one of the caps and a couple of the neckerchiefs. They have a mild effect, one you can get from a damp washcloth kept in the ice chest. But since they only need water, it’s not such a bad thing on a real hot day. The cap isn’t all that useful (but it’s not a bad cap), but one of the neckerchiefs is pretty cheap, so why not give it a try?

I suspect the vests would be more trouble than they are worth.

[Stoid]

I am obese, so, like sea mammals, my blubber (yeesh) keeps me very warm, and I overheat very easily. I also just “run hot” as my mother said - when I was a skinny little child I would heat up the bed so my mom would make me go to my own.

I actually enjoy the exertion and payoff that comes from exercise. The thing I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE is being hot. HATE!!!

I am addicted to these things, but how effective they will be for you depends on how you use them and how hot you get. The only way I can stand exercising is if I’m cool, so I have a bunch and what I do is freeze them. They get hard and a little hard to manipulate, but it doesn’t last very long. I put one around my neck, one around my head, one under my breasts in my bra, and one down my pants.

I know, sounds nuts. But if it makes it easier for me to work out where otherwise I wouldn’t, I think it’s the smart move.

Now, because I get VERY hot when I exercise, at the end of the hour they are not only defrosted, they are actually warm. Once they are warm they don’t help at all, as you might imagine.

One medium days for walking when it’s not that warm outside but I know the exertion will make me warm, I just soak one in cold water for my neck, maybe one for my head. If I keep turning them, that’s enough.

The cautions are these: make sure you don’t oversoak, they will start to split if the beads get too full. Make sure you let them dry out properly, or they will mildew (I will let them dry out completely and then dip them in chlorinated water when I re-hydrate them.)

After you’ve had them awhile, the material inside starts to seep through somewhat, making them feel slightly gooey when soaked, but it’s not that bad and it’s better than sweat.