Product Reviews

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 also be interested in exchanging your vest for one of our torso vests, like the Kool Max® Secrets Vest, which weighs only 1.7 lbs. If we can be of further assistance please contact us at 1-800-763-8423. Thank you for your business!

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 all the adjustments to make my med vest work for my xlarge hubby to work outside. I also ordered two more one for him and one for our daughter who rides a bike in this heat. It's heavy but it is awesome!

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 sensitive and it is a very hot day, we would recommend using more than five cooling packs at a time. (Your vest, size L/XL, included eleven packs.) We also recommend storing frozen packs in our soft-sided Polar Cooler so they are still frozen solid when you need them. If we can be of further assistance please contact us at 1-800-763-8423. Thank you for your business!

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 purchasing an extra set of cooling packs so you can freeze the extra set and take them with you in a cooler to trade out as needed. If we can be of further assistance please contact us at 1-800-763-8423. Thank you for your business!

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 bags used for storing cooling packs work best if the bags are packed full. Do not overfill the bags by scraping (friction fit) the packs against each other, it can cause the packs to leak over time. I have had to replace 11 packs for leaking due to packing bags to tight.

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 for me to be active and have fun in the summertime. This summer has been extremely hot (many 90F+ days) but I've gone canoeing, kayaking, gardened,archery/range, BBQs etc. with NO heat fatigue yay! I bring a few extra ice-packs, as the ones on my back always melt faster than the front ones. Some people are curious when I wear the vest, I tell them it keeps me cool/comfy :O) Make sure you read the sizing info carefully, I did, and ordered the shoulder-extenders as I have a long bod, otherwise it would have been up around my neck!

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!!!