Details: My latest discovery to help manage the Texas heat is a great cooling vest made by Polar Products. They have a variety of vests available but my husband and I invested in an adjustable vest. It has Velcro straps to hold it on and small frozen pouches that fit neatly into pockets in the vest. We've worked several hours at a time wearing these vest and they were a life send. I know, it''s another expense, but when the temperatures are over 100 degrees, it was worth the investment.

Location: TX

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: THE ADDITIONAL HEAT AND HUMIDITY THIS SPRING AND SUMMER REALLY AFFECTED MY MS . THE RESULTS FROM THIS VEST WERE NOT ONLY REMARKABLE, BUT ALLOWED ME TO PARTICIPATE IN MANY MORE ACTIVITIES AND TO SOCIALIZE OUTSIDE MY HOME WITH THE PUBLIC AND FRIENDS!

Location: New Jersey

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: Excellent fit, and keeps me cool, without making me cold. The ice packs fit perfectly.

Location: Fort Collins

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Most Definitely

Details: My wife suffers with M.S. and the heat effects her badly, with this cooling vest she is able to have a better life style during the summer months.

Location: Bendigo Australia

Would you recommend this to a friend?: recommendation already made

Details: This was the first time I wore a cooling vest, and it was great! I wore it to an outdoor barbecue, and it stayed cool for 4 hours! It was so nice to actually enjoy being outside and to be able to join everyone.

Location: outdoor barbecue

Would you recommend this to a friend?: yes, definitely!

Details: Love the vest. It works, I haven't had a heat problem playing Pickleball in 90+ heat. I love the 3 packs down the spine, that feels so good

Location: Texas

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: The vest is wonderful. Just too expensive for someone like me with MS and on Social Security. There should be some type of discount for us. Note from Polar: Hi Robin, we are so happy to hear that you're enjoying your Kool Max® Vest! Thousands of people with MS have told us that Kool Max® greatly improves their quality of life. We work with many MS non-profit organizations and supply cooling garments for their cooling programs. The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America will ... More details

Location: New Jersey

Details: I have had the vest for a few years and it's the only way I can survive in the AZ heat in the summer. I wouldn't be able to go outside the house without it.

Location: Arizona

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Absolutely

Details: I bought this vest for my husband, who is 6'3" and wears a 3XL. He has dysautonomia, chronic migraines, and fibromyalgia. He does not handle hot weather well. He is also an automotive technician, so he works in a hot shop and often times over a hot engine. He has only been wearing the Kool Max vest for a week now, but he is absolutely in love with it. It fits him well, is comfortable to wear at work, and he is much cooler with his vest.

Location: Wisconsin

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: This vest felt heavy when not being worn, and I thought it'd be uncomfortable. My first time wearing it was in Midwest hot humid weather. It kept me comfortably cool and I could forget I was wearing it, as it was not heavy on my body at all. I am so happy to have this vest! I can do things that the heat would make impossible to do without the vest! A life changer for persons with MS, no doubt about it.

Location: Fullerton, CA

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Definitely!!

Details: I have found that wetting an athletic tee shirt and wearing the vest over it provides me the best cooling. Excellent size adjustability. Great, lasting cooling in all but 95 degree+ direct sunlight days, last almost two hours still, thats when a second set of packs is handy. I also plan on buying the Kool Max fashion vest for everyday use.

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: I do about 60 - 90 minutes of aerobic exercise a day. With the heat of summer my balance and walking at the end of exercising has been negatively impacted. Since I have purchased and used the vest during my exercising my balance and gait have greatly improved. This has been wonderful as I do not want my MS to prohibit me from the activities I have done in the past.

Location: Midland, Michigan

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: It works great but should come with an extra set of ice packs since they do melt within a couple of hours when it's hot.

Location: Vancouver Washington

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: I work at a busy airport refueling aircraft. My job requires me to be in the heat all day with temperatures in the high 90's most of the summer, and temperatures in triple digits about fifteen days a year. I wear this vest when it gets into the triple digits, and it keeps me cool for about two hours. If I don't wear it I get the light headed and start to feel the onset of heat exhaustion after an hour. The vest is a life saver for me. It is very comfortable and adjusts very easy to fit my body. ... More details

Location: Sacramento

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: This vest can be adjusted with the velcro straps along the shoulders and waist. I am a 5' 3" woman and weight 125 but I am big on top. When I got it adjusted to fit my curves it didn't look very flattering. I already have a zip front Women's Fashion Vest that I LOVE but it only has 5 cold packs and the velcro vest in my size has 8. So I kept the ice packs and returned the velcro vest. I am going to modify my "fashion " vest and add more pockets for extra ice packs.

Location: Katy, Texas

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Will work for some people.

Details: As a result of age and medical issues, my heat tolerance has dropped drastically. This took a toll on my hobbies of attending sports events and yard work. The vest has worked wonders in extending my seasons! Thanks!

Location: Gainesville, FL

Would you recommend this to a friend?: yes

Details: I have a problem with heat due to having MS lesions on the part of my brain that regulates temperature. No matter where I go, at some point I start getting so hot that I am miserable. No one else is hot, just me. I purchased a Polar Kool Max vest and it has turned my life around. Now, I go anywhere I want, knowing if I get hot, I can just put on my vest and my body will cool down and be comfortable again. When ordering, you don't have to be overly concerned about the size. There are many areas o... More details

Location: Missouri

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Definitely!

Details: I used this under a costume for a local event and despite it being over 80, it kept me comfortable. My only tip for new users is the packs freeze solid, so make sure to have on a relatively flat surface.

Location: MN

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Absolutely!

Details: One of the worst things about having MS is feeling like a prisoner to the AC in the summertime. I am very active bike riding, gardening etc and it's all thanks to this vest! Heck I'm even doing housework in it. Love love love it!

Location: Chicago

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: This vest allows me to be outside working with my animals on a hot day. I wish it came up higher in the back to cover the base of the neck. Would suggest wrinkle proof and stain proof fabric for the outside of the vest.

Location: Minnesota

Would you recommend this to a friend?: yes

Details: I bought this as a gift for my pastor. The polyester robe he wears for church is like an oven to him. He is the best pastor I have ever had in a church and wanted to help him with a useful gift to express my appreciation to him for serving our community.

Location: Texas

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: I love the product. It helps me keep cool even in 100 degree weather. The only thing I do not like is that the ice packs break. I have had two leak on me.

Note from Polar: Hi Leslie, I'm so sorry for your trouble with broken ice packs! We will send replacements to you right away. If we can be of further assistance please contact us at 1-800-763-8423. Thank you for your business!

Location: Danville, IL

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes, already have!

Details: This is the best cooling vest I have owned to date, from Polar Products as well as from other companies. I wear it OUTSIDE my shirt and find it is more manageable and cools just as well as other vest. It is also flexible in that if it is not as hot I don't have to insert all of the gel packs, or, if a long period of cooling is needed, I put in half of the packs and keep the other half frozen in the carrier bag I purchased with the vest and trade the packs out hours later for extended relief. Nex... More details

Location: Northeast Texas

Would you recommend this to a friend?: YES

Details: Though skeptical, I found this vest worked quite well to keep me comfortable for a 2 hour round trip in an non air conditioned light airplane on a hot Texas afternoon. Was not cold but pleasantly cool. Comfortable to wear even with seat belts and shoulder harnesses. Now that I test flew it, I plan to buy another for my wife.

Location: Texas

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Defintiely

Details: My daughter has POTS and is not able to be outside in the warm weather for longer than 15 mins at a time without feeling sick and her heart rate going over 130 and becoming dehydrated. The first time she used the cooling vest she was able to walk around the zoo with some breaks to sit down for a while and continue for the entire time (4 hours) that we were at the zoo with our family. The ice packs did thaw completely by that time but the vest was still cool for her. Wonderful product and well wo... More details

Location: Shelbyville, IN

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes, and I have already!

Details: This vest let me attend my wife's work picnic. We were out for a couple of hours, and there's no way I would have been able to do that without this vest. It even got me through an outdoor concert recently!

Location: Dayton, OH

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Oh Hell yes!!!!!

Details: I have MS and always suffer in the summer months when it's hot and humid, especially with the humidity. After reading the great reviews, I ordered your Kool Max Zipper Front Vest and couldn't be happier. This is truly the best investment I've made this year! Finally, I'm able to be outside and can work in my flower garden when the thermometer reaches 80-90 degrees! If you do order the vest, be sure to order an extra set of the cooling packs so you can rotate them in the freezer. I highly recomme... More details

Location: Maine

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Most definitely!

Details: I am a 50-year-old (close enough) woman with rosacea, a skin condition that causes my face to get red and splotchy when I get overheated, and I seem to be able to tolerate the heat less and less every summer. I bought the cooling scarf a couple of years ago and it helped some, but this year it was obvious I needed more. The vest was a big investment but I decided to give it a try based on the return policy (they would refund everything except shipping if I wasn't satisfied). I'm very happy with ... More details

Location: New York

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Absolutely

Details: Not an MS patient, but a serious stroke survivor with stroke induced epilepsy. Cooling vest helps to reduce the number of seizures in warm/hot times. I wore out my first vest and just recently bought my second. It allows me to get out of the house and actually do some small things around my house or go for short walks with my wife. Visit with neighbors outside in the Summer-many things that would be tough in the heat without the cooling vest. It really makes a difference for me!

Location: Overland Park, KS

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: We ordered the Kool Max Zipper Vest for my wife and she thinks it is great how it keeps her cool. We had a issue with one or two of the kooling packs but an email to Polar Products with an explanation and they sent out replacements. They are very courteous and stand behind their product.

Location: Ogden, Utah

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: Hi!! I ordered my vest in July. I was diagnosed with POTS (Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) last June. It's been one year since my diagnosis. I struggle daily to live a normal life. I have severe heat intolerance due to my syndrome due to my autonomic system failure. I wanted to be able to enjoy outdoor activities again and found your product. I went to the beach this month and wore it and was able to enjoy myself. This product is amazing!

Location: West Monroe, LA

Would you recommend this to a friend?: I have told all of my fellow POTS sufferers!!

Details: I purchased the produce because I have MS and have become increasingly intolerant to the heat. Mt MD recommended a cooling vest. I was worried as the the design and look. But 1 day of wearing it to a outdoor event and I was trilled. You do need a t-shirt under it if wearing clothes over to hide it. I have decided to try to 'decorate' mine on the surface.

Location: Elgin, IL

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes!

Details: I brought the product as I have an intolerance of heat. I am 28 years old. I have used it once as received it yesterday. I though it may feel uncomfortable against my skin however wearing it for 4 hours i found that it fitted well with no nuisance caused. It worked fantastically to cool me down. Does take getting used to the it but as its adjustable it case of just adjusting it until find best comfort fit. Also it is very light in case any one is thinking it might drag them down in to submission... More details

Location: Birmingham, UK

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: I was very disappointed. The fabric is entirely too thick. You cant even feel the cold thru it and it is heavy and uncomfortable. Note from Polar: Hi Lori, thank you for your feedback. The shell of our vests is made of a cotton twill and the interior of the pack pockets has a lightweight layer of insulation for comfort and protection. You can vary the amount of cooling by adjusting the layers beneath the vest. You can also reduce the weight of the vest by using fewer packs as needed. You may als... More details

Location: Atlanta

Would you recommend this to a friend?: No

Details: I live in the high desert where summer heat can be close to 100 in early morning and I love to hill climb for exercise. I bought this vest because it was a simple design and easy to care for hoping it would keep me cool for the 2 hour treks. I was so thrilled that after my first hike which lasted two hours the ice packs had not even turned sloshy and in fact as they warmed up and conformed to my body I tightened the straps and with my own sweat had increasing coolness. I was so thrilled I used a... More details

Location: Southern California

Would you recommend this to a friend?: I did

Details: I have MS and can't take hot weather. Now that I have the Kool Max I can be out. I did not think this would do the trick. But it keeps my body cool enough to go outside on hot days. Glad I purchased one.

Location: Ohio

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes, everyone that is heat sensitive should have 1

Details: Am new to MS. Felt very sick from heat; my PT put me in this vest. Was amazed at how much better it made me feel, so I've bought one.

Location: Southern California

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: I received this vest end of June and it has been a true god send. We have had 19 days above 90 degrees here in Green Bay with high humidity. I have been able to spend time outside most of those days working on projects where before I would be inside on day above 85 degrees. I love being outside and now I can enjoy my summers again and not locked up inside. I wear it all the time now and my energy has improved by over 50%. Thank you Polar and your help to those with MS.

Location: Green Bay, WI

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: I would really give my vest a 4.44 rating!!!! I wish the cooling packs would last longer than 4 hours. I have MS. Yet and still, I find this product very easy to use

Location: Cochranville, PA

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: We are a screen printer in Iowa and the production floor hits temperatures up to 100+ degrees on certain days. I purchased two vests to test on the production floor. The employees love them and the vests keep them cool for two hours on the hot days. Great job!

Location: Hiawatha, Iowa

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: Working a soccer tournament in 95 degree weather. First 5 packs worked well for about 2 to 3 hours tops. Had five packs in an ice chest and five in the vest. It kept me very cool for a couple of hours then began to wear off quickly. The second set of ice packs didn't last but about an hour and a half to two hours. I am older and very heat sensitive. Maybe four to 5 hours of protection out of 10 packs on an 8 hour day. Note from Polar: Hi Mike, thank you for your feedback. If you are very heat se... More details

Location: Zionsville, Indiana

Would you recommend this to a friend?: No

Details: This is not what I thought it would do, I'm a mailman and work under some intense heat conditions. The time that it cools down in and thaws out is too short of a time. Note from Polar: Hi Chris, thank you for your feedback. Be sure that the packs are completely frozen solid before use. Cooling times are estimates and will vary depending on climate, body metabolism, and activity; in our experience a Kool Max® Zipper Front Vest should offer cooling for up to 3 - 4 hours. We would suggest purch... More details

Location: Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Would you recommend this to a friend?: I'm not sure it would have to depend on the circumstance

Details: This is my third year using the KMVZ Cooling Vest. It provides the cooling relief needed while working in a hot factory. The adjustments in fit for length, chest and stomach are desirable, a tight fitting vest is not always wanted. In a typical hot workday I can use up to 36 cooling packs (9 every 2 hours). The vest holds 11 packs, but the front 2 top are uncomfortable to use. At home, cookie sheets and cooling racks are used in the deep freezer to freeze and store the cooling packs. The carry b... More details

Location: Michigan

Would you recommend this to a friend?: YES

Details: I ordered this cooling vest for my husband who has MS. I'm not sure he'll wear it because he will have to place all the cool pads in each pocket and then freeze the ones he has taken out. He has it in case he decides he really needs it.

Location: Clarion, PA

Details: For years I'd been sensitive to heat. If the temp outside got above 80F, I would have to sit quietly in the shade with quarts of icy drinks, and only for an hour tops, instead of hiking, canoeing, kayaking, BBQing or even just gardening/puttering in the yard. I was recently diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis so my heat issues now make sense. Someone mentioned that there are manufacturers of special "stay cool" items...I was intrigued. This vest has really opened opportunities ... More details

Location: Michigan

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes!

Details: Was skeptical at first, however, has made a big difference so far. Certainly is convenient and cool. Has transformed my life on hot days.

Location: High Level, Alberta, Canada

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: I am a maintenance Supervisor in San Antonio, TX who is battling Multiple Myeloma cancer. This vest is keeping my core temperature down when I am outside so I can continue working. It is comfortable to wear. I love it!

Location: San Antonio, Texas

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes

Details: This is my daughter's 2nd Kool Max vest, as she out grew the 1st (which lasted 4+ years of daily use). Due to her Mitochondrial Disease, she is unable to regulate her body temperature. This vest has given her the freedom to go outside when it is over 75 degrees. THANK YOU for this precious gift, and the freedom to go places and still maintain a safe core temp.

Location: Concord, CA

Would you recommend this to a friend?: YES!!!

Details: I started using a cooling vest this past spring to cope with TX summers. It uses cold packs you put in the freezer. It works great at home, on walks, and especially when I get into the car after it's been in the sun. The car AC works fine but just isn't enough for me. Because my legs need extra cooling in the car, I pull a couple of the packs from the vest and slip one under each thigh. The vest sure helps me stay active! I keep the vest in a cooler in the car 'til I need it, and it stays plenty... More details

Location: Texas

Details: I ordered one to use on the job where temps run in the 100's and even higher near heat generating equipment. The "vest" size is adjustable and I'm able to share it with co-workers. The packs work well, and at times we leave a few out so as not to get too chilled. Leaving a few out also helps with the weight of the vest. Weight of the fully loaded vest is not bad, nor is the vest too bulky. After one week, I ordered an additional one for a brother who works in South Texas outside in the heat repa... More details

Location: Texas City, TX

Would you recommend this to a friend?: Yes