TechNiche Evaporative Cooling Vest Review

Staying cool in temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit couldn't have been easier for CW Road Test Editor Don Canet and me thanks to TechNiche's Evaporative Cooling Vests ($35; www.techniche-intl.com). We tried both the zip-up Standard Sport (pictured), and the pullover Ultra Sport; same concept, different styles.

The motorcycle cooling vests use Polymer Embedded Fabric (PEF) topped with a quilted nylon outer shell and a water-repellant nylon liner; the lightweight, scoop-neck Ultra Sport adds mesh ventilation panels. Use is simple: Soak in water (we used an ice chest) for 1-2 minutes, wring gently and don over a dry (soon wet) T-shirt. Best results come with a jacket that vents well; mesh is ideal. Figure two hours of use between soakings.

Criticisms of the gear? Slimy to the touch when wet, and stiff as cardboard when dry. Hard to beat, though, when it comes to keeping your core cool on a hot day.