Personal Series Ice Vest (Zipper Closure)

Nice system for staying cool in hot weather. The vest has a wide range of adjustability and feels well made with solid materials. I previously tried a cheaper $30 cooling vest with large ice packs, but it caused skin irritation even through layers of shirts. This FlexiFreeze system is much more comfortable. The cooling is better distributed and I don’t get irritation. In hot conditions, each ice set lasts a little over an hour. I initially bought just the vest, but you really want at least two ice pack sets, preferably three, so you can rotate them if working outside for 4 to 6 hours or more. I’m planning to get a second vest with ice packs for my mom. She tried mine while gardening and liked it. The extra ice packs feel a bit overpriced, but the quick swap Velcro design is very convenient. I will probably end up buying more for longer outdoor work and remote job sites.

This cooling vest is an adjustable neoprene vest that’s just like a wetsuit. It has three separate inserts. One for each side on the front and line larger piece for the back. Inserts are mesh and have Velcro to hold them into the vest itself. The inserts consist of interconnected cubes that are filled with plain water and are presealed so you don’t have to deal with filling them up. You can freeze these already in the mesh pockets or the cubes are removable and you can freeze them that way. You just have to deal with inserting them back into the mesh pockets and then placing them back into the vest. The vest is adjustable on the sides using elastic lacing. Zips up front and vest is meant to be worn snugly against skin so you should wear a garment of some type such as a cotton t-shirt underneath so as to not cause possible skin damage from cold such as frost bite. That’s it. It’s very simple. The ice keeps your core temperature low which in turn keeps your remaining temperature low as well. Depending on outside temperature and amount of time working will determine the amount of time the ice lasts in best. I did about 1 1/2 hrs and the ice was completely thawed in some areas but partially frozen still in other areas. I was comfortable the whole time as far as temp went. You can also purchase ice cube sets that are pre-cut to fit each panel of mesh inserts. You can get the additional inserts needed and keep them pre-frozen in freezer or portable ice chest so you do not run out of frozen panels in the middle of working. I purchased a portable chest with compressor so it can get down to -4 degrees C. I can place everything in ice chest to freeze it and keep it frozen until using. This system works in insuring I have a cold ice vest available at all times, one frozen on stand-by already in mesh inserts that only need to be switched out with thawed ice packs and you can have frozen as many sets as you would like. Polyurethane portion is washable in machine. This one and refills are not cheap but they do get the job done and keep you from melting. Using a portable freezer that you have with you and keep pre-frozen ice pack sets in insures you constantly have cooling. You can also find decent, cheap ice chest freezers on Amazon as well.

I bought this for mowing grass, and other yardwork, in the summer heat. I'm getting old enough to worry about strokes and heart attacks. I also overheat quickly and then have blinding headaches that last hours, after just mowing for an hour. This best fixed that problem. No headaches, no overheating. It IS a little heavy, as it's basically several pounds of ice hanging from your shoulders. That's not a problem for me, though. This vest is worth the money, if you have the freezer space to store the ice packs. Adjustable, sturdy, comfortable to wear. Probably life saving. Definitely life improving!

I work at a treadmill desk so I am walking at about 2 mi/hr throughout the day and I generate a LOT of heat. This vest allows me to stay cool even when the thermostat is set for 78 degrees. Yes, it's expensive and yes, you can only count on it cooling you for 60-90 minutes. Rather than buying a set of replacement panels as I did for $30, buy a set of the cubes only and cut them up to fit in your vest. $20 gets you three sheets of the cubes https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PTGO5A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 which means three sets of replacement cubes. That gets me through most of the day. Make changing out the cubes easier by using scissors to round the edges of the sheets so that they slide in and out of the vest panels easier. I gave four stars only because it probably only costs them $15 to make a vest that they sell for $100.

The summer heat and humidity in Florida is brutal. I work about 20 hrs a week in a small warehouse with no air conditioning. The vest is a lifesaver. I ordered an extra set of ice packs so that I have enough for my 5 hour day. Each set of ice packs lasts between 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The drawback is the nylon fabric is pulling away from the seams and although the zipper has not broke, it's becoming increasingly more difficult to start the zipper. I can tell it's going to fail soon. I bought this in mid June so I estimate 50cycles (one cycle being putting on and taking off). Although I did not buy this to make a fashion statement, it does look like you are wearing a flack jacket so I get a few odd looks. All in all I like the product just wish it was more durable.

This has been an absolute life saver for me!! I’m a CST, I have a heart condition and wear it under my scrubs when I scrub into surgery. Working under the bright lights and in a gown and gloves is far too hot for me, this is literally a life saver!

Works for a little over an hour at dog park and drive to and from for just over an hour. But helping keep body cooler even after vest is off. Ordered refill panels. I am six foot 177lbs and it would have been nice if it was a bit longer. Good buy.

I am editing this after my initial review below…… the zipper on this new vest I got is terrible I adjusted my vest to fit me perfectly. Not loose but not tight. The second I moved to bend over a small bit the zipper came undone after I’ve had it a short time. Once this happens the zipper will get further messed up to unzip the vest completely. Now it won’t zip properly at all so the only way to wear it is to put it on unzipped and wear a shirt over it to hold it in place. END OF UPDATE. I have a rare and aggressive form of MS and I live in Arizona. Keeping my bodies core temperature cool is critical for me and a must. I’m 5’10” and 214 Lbs and this vest adjust to fit me perfectly front and back. I’ve tried all types of cooling vest with dual fans etc. this one even on a trip to Washington DC in the humid summer keep my body cool for hours. On average it keeps me cool on 100+F days for about 3 hours. For safety I change the ice packs after 2 1/2 hours. I own 2 extra Ice pack sets and can go all day with them. When frozen I’m allowed to wear my vest at all airports and on all aircraft. At hotels the desk managers arrange to have my ice packs frozen in their kitchens/restaurants since the small refrigerators in the hotel rooms can’t freeze….. but if I get a type of room with a kitchen and residential refrigerator then I can freeze them all myself which is great. Again keeping my body cool is critical for me to stay alive and this best is the best I’ve encountered and use so far. Great value.Comfortable to wear. And I’m not a small guy I was in the military for 34 years.