MAWAKE

Most cooling vests rely on water: a tank on your back, tubing to route it, and the ever-present risk of leaks. MAWAKE takes a different route. According to the maker, the vest needs no water, ice or plumbing at all, drawing power over USB and using a semiconductor cooling chip to chill the wearer's back.

Peltier cooling on your back

The cooling unit uses the Peltier effect, converting electrical energy directly into cooling the moment it is switched on. A high-conductivity cooling gel spreads that chill across the back, and the maker says the effect can be felt within 30 seconds of startup. Citing its own measured data, the maker reports that with an ambient temperature of 35℃ the cooling surface stabilizes at around 23℃, a drop of 12℃ or more. Built-in fans, each rated by the maker at 10CFM or more, exhaust heat from the cooling surface so the effect can be sustained.

Power and wearability

• Power draw of about 16W, per the maker
• Roughly 2–3 hours of continuous use from a 10,000mAh battery
• Works with off-the-shelf 9V/2A-capable USB batteries; swapping packs extends runtime
• Weight of about 0.85kg, which does not increase in use as with water-cooled designs
• Vest-style construction with an adjustable waist belt and a slim profile for layering under workwear
• Three-layer mesh back panel for breathability
• Noise rated at 55dB or less (A-weighted)

The maker also highlights a safety system that monitors internal component temperatures in real time and shuts the unit down automatically if they rise abnormally. It states that the outer surfaces touching the body do not become hot.

Designed to be cleaned

MAWAKE is meant to be worn over a T-shirt rather than against bare skin. The cooling unit detaches fully from the garment: the fabric part can be hand-washed, while the unit is wiped down with a cloth. The maker says the material resists absorbing water and dries quickly. Suggested uses range from construction and farm work to camping, festivals and watching sports outdoors.