Summer commuting can be uncomfortable. On overcrowded buses, subways and regional rail lines -- hot, sticky, steamy, messy. How's a secretary supposed to show up at work without needing a whole 'nother shower?
At Just a Sec, we decided to check out a few products made to keep you cool, even in the ickiest situations. Maybe you didn’t even know they existed. Here they are, along with our reviews on how well they work on-the-go:
Black Ice Personal Cooling System -- Cool Collar CCX
The Black Ice Cool Collar CCX makes a big impact for such a small item. In a nutshell, it's a comfy collar you wear around your neck that keeps you cool. And it's amazing what an overall cooling affect it can have throughout your whole body just by sitting lightly against your neck.
Some of us here at Just a Sec have used other kinds of cooling neck wraps before -- the kind made of fabric, with little crystals inside that inflate and create a cooling sensation when dipped in water. But these wraps weren't that effective, and besides -- you had to wear them WET. The Black Ice Cool Collar CCX is a million times better.
First of all, there's no wearing a wet or damp wrap. The Cool Collar CCX is completely dry against your skin. Secondly, those wet wraps don't always work in high humidity. The Black Ice Cool Collar CCX is designed using different technology, so it administers even, long-term cooling. Additionally, some cooling systems use gels or ice that are so cold, they actually hurt your skin and can cause frostbite. Black Ice isn't painful -- just soothing and comfortable. We also liked that the Black Ice pack is designed to hold the cooling material in several small sections, so the coolness is distributed evenly around your neck.
The device is actually made up of two pieces -- a spongy, flexible outer collar (which comes in a variety of colors) and the detachable Black Ice pack. The Black Ice pack attaches to the collar with Velcro. To get it cool, simply put the ice pack in your freezer or refrigerator. We "charged" our Black Ice pack in the refrigerator before bed, and it was ready first thing in the morning. But if you're in a hurry, you can drop the Black Ice pack into ice water and it'll be ready in 20 minutes.
The Black Ice pack stayed cool the entire length of a two-hour commute. It was placed into an office refrigerator and was completely recharged in time to ride home in comfort.
The collar is, thankfully, not ugly. It's very low-key; attractive, but doesn't call unnecessary attention to itself.
We give the Black Ice Cool Collar CCX a BIG thumbs-up! It truly made a stuffy commute more pleasant.
The Cool Collar CCX sells for $39.95. For more info, visit www.blackicecooling.com.
The MiraCool Terry Ranger Hat
MiraCool makes a hat that supposedly "keeps you cool all day!" We gave it a try, but were disappointed.
The MiraCool hat uses "crystal" technology -- small water-absorbing crystals are embedded into channels in the hat's crown. When immersed in cold water for 10-15 minutes, the crystals plump up and create a cooling sensation for about 48 hours.
This means that the hat must be soaked in water for the cooling effect to be "activated" -- so basically, you're wearing a wet or damp hat. Not only does this feel a little weird, but it wasn't doing our hair any favors.
Furthermore, while the crystals did, in fact, plump up, we just didn't feel much of a cooling sensation from them -- either against the hand, or when worn on the head.
The hat itself is cute -- we will say that. It has a jaunty, classy look with a floppy brim, metallic grommets and terrycloth lining. It just didn't make us cool.
The MiraCool Terry Ranger Hat gets a thumbs-down for effectiveness, but half a thumbs-up for being a just plain adorable hat. It comes in tan or navy and several sizes, and sells for $14.99. Visit www.miracool.com.
The SunLover's Cool Mat by CoolTech Marketing
Rather than wearing your cool, the SunLover's Cool Mat lets you sit on it.
Let's be honest, here -- sometimes when you're sitting on a train car with little-to-no air conditioning on a boiling hot day, the inside of your underwear can become a swamp. And it makes you feel gross. But the SunLover's Cool Mat makes a huge difference. Not only does it prevent severe undie-sweats, but it actually gives you an overall pleasant sensation of coolness throughout your body.
There are three pieces to the mat. First, there are two cool packs filled with thick liquid. The cool packs are placed in the refrigerator, where the liquid hardens and cools -- almost like water hardening to ice. Then, there's the outer fabric cover, which comes in a variety of pretty patterns.
When the cool packs have been "energized", you slip them into the fabric cover, and you're ready to go -- just put the Cool Mat on any seat and let the coolness comfort your behind and lower back.
We placed the cool packs in the refrigerator before bed and they were ready for the commute first thing in the morning. But if you're in a hurry, you can drop the Black Ice pack into ice water and it'll be ready in 25 minutes.
You do need to be mindful of placing the cool packs on a flat surface inside your fridge; otherwise, they can harden in a lumpy position and be less comfy to sit on. If your refrigerator is overcrowded, that may seem like a challenge, but we found the packs hardened fairly flat even just draped over a bunch of jars, cans and bottles.
The Cool Mat also has some weight to it, so be prepared for that. We wish it could be a little lighter to carry, but we felt the cooling benefits far outweighed the small burden of
having to carry the mat. We also have a suggestion for the manufacturer: built-in carrying handles would be great!
The SunLover's Cool Mat gets an enthusiastic thumbs-up for its ability to keep us comfortable in sticky situations! It sells for $139.95. Visit www.cooltechmarketing.com.
