As summer temperatures soar, experts and enthusiasts recommend a variety of innovative cooling gadgets and wearables to help individuals beat the heat. These solutions run the gamut from specialized clothing to high-tech bedding, all geared to increasing comfort during the sweltering summer months. Recognizing that need, some of the most notable leaders in the design, safety, and travel sectors offer their advice on implementing cooling strategies that work.
Kim Cook, a design and decor expert based in New York, regularly covers trends that help individuals create comfortable living spaces. Her expertise crosses over into improving personal comfort with cooling wearables. Contributing writer for Apartment Therapy Annita Katee Under Armour is one of a growing number of companies creating fashionable wearables to help people regulate their body temperatures. She recommends useful products, like these cooling scarves and evaporative cooling vests, which are affordable and can really help your pets cope on hot days.
Clare Epstein is an employee safety expert at Vector Solutions in Tampa, Florida. She’s passionate about the need to alleviate heat stress among vulnerable worker populations in hazardous sectors like construction, aviation, and agricultural work. She highlights that wearables and other technologies serve to create the physical environment conducive to comfort from heat and promote hydration.
“By soaking the fabric in cold water at the beginning of the day, the vest slowly cools, and keeps the wearer cool,” – Clare Epstein
The Role of Wearable Technology
This is where wearable technology comes into play and becomes essential for maintaining optimal body temperature during extreme heat. Supplemental products such as cooling vests and scarves help people stay warm in cold environments or cool in heat and humidity. Annita Katee shares that the best cooling items are those that can be seamlessly woven into one’s life.
“Pop your sheets into the freezer at least two hours before bedtime, then pull them out right before you hit the sack,” – Annita Katee
By using these strategies, people can still find a beautiful, cool refuge from the heat. It’s a pleasant surprise to slip between frigid linens, creating a satisfying foil to sultry summer evenings. This method is ideal for anyone who has difficulty sleeping in hot summer months.
Her husband, Lynn Campbell, is co-founder of the new travel company 10Adventures based in Calgary, Alberta. She regularly undertakes tough multi-day hiking and cycling adventures with her husband, Richard. She teaches both the value of hydration and cooling strategies when exercising outdoors.
“We freeze a few bottles of water so we can pour ice water on us to cool down,” – Lynn Campbell
Campbell’s advice for homemade cooling devices includes placing ice bottles under your armpits or on the back of your neck. This approach ensures deep, productive cooling during your workout.
Advancements in Cooling Fabrics
The emergence of phase change materials (PCMs) has changed the game for how people can control their body temperatures. Garments constructed with PCMs feature fabric-integrated gel capsules or pads that react to fluctuating temperatures to regulate and stabilize body heat. Well-known brands like Mission, Ergodyne, and Sunday Afternoon provide an extensive collection of PCM apparel.
Bedding technology is introducing innovative products that can help you sleep cool. Retailers including Chilipad, 8Sleep, and BedJet manufacture chillable full-size mattresses that help to create the ideal sleeping environment. Brands such as CoolCare and Sharper Image provide smaller, more portable options. These brands offer plain pads that you can put under sheets to help make your bed feel more luxurious.
If you’re looking for an adorable way to beat the heat, look no further than Warmies! They have a unique line of plush toys that can be frozen for a calming treat. Whether used for comfort or as a fidget solution, these toys work wonders for children and adults.
Practical Advice for Hot Weather
With many strategies to choose from in preventing heat stress, everyone is urged to pick and implement strategies that fit their lives best. From smart wearable technology to breakthrough cooling bedding products, sleeping cool is easier and more effective than ever.
This proactive approach goes a long way in ensuring safety and enjoyment on all of your outdoor adventures.
“We’ll wake up early, so we’re done by 10 or 11 a.m., or if we’re out on the trails, split the day in two, so we rest by water or in the shade over the hottest part,” – Lynn Campbell
This proactive approach helps ensure both safety and enjoyment during outdoor excursions.
