Can Electric Clothing Keeping You Warm and charge your gadgets? Artica Electric Jacket Review
Last week, I talked about solar charger charging methods. I now want to talk a little about staying warm this winter and and simultaneously charging your gadgets. Many of us carry around a number of gadgets. There was a time when I was carrying around my phone, a camera, a video camera, a PDA, and a laptop. Though many of those gadgets I carried around evolved into one device I love, there are still those of us out there who still carry many gadgets around with them.
Soldiers are said to “sometimes carry more than 30 pounds of batteries to run GPS units and other critical gear,” so a company called Ardica took this opportunity to not only make a similar jacket for soldiers, but also for civilians like me and you that charge our phones and keep us nice a warm. Ardica’s Moshi Power System has a heated lining and able to power your gadgets. Ardica’s military pack is said to store hydrogen fuel cells and lithium-ion batteries into a flexible case. However, the Moshi only uses batteries since you can’t find fuel cells just anywhere. Seven batteries are linked inside a foam sleeve. It slips into the jackets back and holds enough power to simultaneously drive heat-creating conductive yarn and send a current to a USB cord in a pocket. It provides up to 25watts of power and keep you warn up to 8 hours at a time!
One reveiwer was able to test it out and it really kept him warm. “A toggle on the left side of the jacket activates the power pack. When I pressed the toggle, the first place I felt the heat was on my back. Then, within approximately ten minutes, the side panels began to heat up. I pressed the toggle again, activating the highest level of heat. Soon, I was feeling pretty toasty; I didn’t want to take it off. But after walking around for an hour and ice skating in Central Park – the closest I could get to treacherous outdoor activity in the city – I was pulling my scarf away from my neck and putting a lot of faith in my antiperspirant. I lowered the heat to the lowest level, which did the trick within a few minutes.”
As mentioned, there is one USB cord hanging out of a pocket when you get it that is connected to the battery pack. Unfortunately, you will need a compatible USB cord or and adapter to plug in a device to use it. Luckily, the company offers a compatible “Technology Connector” which has all sorts of connections to plug up your devices. This adapter is selling for $50. The company says the jacket provides roughly 8 hours of heat at the lowest level, 3 hours at the hottest level, and claims to provide about 20 charges for certain devices with lower wattages. This video will give you a good idea of how it works.
Here is a summary of what you get with this jacket:
- Power pack provides 8.6 hours of continuous heat on low setting, and 3 hours on medium, and 1.8 hours on high
- Provides 10-20 charges for electronics such as iPods/iPhones, cell phones, GPS devices and more
- Recharges 80% in 1.5 Hours and 100% in 3 hours (* initial charge may take up to 7hrs)
- Simultaneously runs heat and power
- Provides differing levels of heat to multiple locations throughout the garment
- Includes LED Fuel Gauge to monitor power levels
- Total system weight is 295 grams or the equivalent of 2 iPhones
- MSRP: $145 (Power pack, charger and USB block only)
The jacket has received many good reviews however, at $230 for the jacket and another $145 for the battery pack; It is a rather expensive jacket that some of us may not even need. This is what I like to call extreme wear and I don’t see many people wearing it casually on their way to work. However, if you are a skier or an extreme mountain climber, this may be the jacket for you. One thing that bothers me is that I am not sure whether or not this jacket can take the rain. There may be some concern if you might expect the jacket to get wet, but other than that, it appears to be a great jacket and something I’ve always wanted when I find myself outside in cold weather for an extended period of time.
