Thanks to continuous advances
in technology, in recent years
more companies are introducing
wearable technologies – jackets,
vests, gloves, insoles, face masks, tops
and bottoms – that can literally keep
you warm for hours. There are even
battery-powered electric-heated socks.
Volt Heat is one such company that
manufactures and distributes electri-cally
heated clothing utilizing its pat-ented
Zero Layer® heating system.
“We mainly sell our Volt-branded
products through specialty retailers and
catalogs like Brookstone and Sharper
Image, but also private label for some
large original equipment manufactur-ers,”
said Colby Wright, a customer ser-vice
representative for Volt Heat, which
was founded in 2010 in Olympia, Wash.
The company merged with another
company in 2012 to create H2C Brands
LLC, which owns the Volt brand.
“Our business has been trending
more towards direct to consumer sales,
which benefits the customer, allowing
us to offer some products at lower re-tail
prices,” he said.
With a unique patented Zero Layer®
heating systems that was developed in
the U.S., Wright says it is used exclu-sively
in all of the Volt products.
“We don’t use ready-made heating
systems out of carbon fiber or other
cheap heating materials. We make
every Zero Layer® Heat System in our
own factory,” he said. “For instance, our
heating panels will provide over 150
degrees (F) of heat on the highest pow-er
level setting where other heating
systems max out at 135 degrees. Our
technology allows us to achieve higher
heat using less or the same amount of
power. Our products can reach tem-peratures
on a medium setting that
most competitors can only get to on
their highest setting.”
One of the Volt Heat’s most popu-lar
items is its heated gloves, which
come in many different styles and
are designed for different cold
environment activities.
“Our customers like our heated
gloves as they provide more heat out-put
and heat coverage than other heat-ed
gloves in the market,” said Wright.
“Most heated gloves only heat one side
of the fingers, where our gloves provide
heat around both sides of the fingers,
as well as the back and palm of the
hand. We have a couple of new styles
of ski gloves that we are excited about
that will be available in November only
through brick and mortar retailers.”
Helly Hansen is another company
that knows a thing or two about outer-wear.
Founded in 1877 in Norway, the
company began manufacturing and
selling oilskin jackets. Today, the com-pany
has offices in Vancouver, Seattle,
Germany and China, and with its main
headquarters in Oslo, Norway, offers
a wide range of wearable technology
outerwear. Two of Helly Hansen’s most
popular technologies are Life Merino
WARM WEARABLES
Baselayers and H2Flow Temperature
Regulation technology.
Damien Etchaubard, Canadian mar-keting
manager for Helly Hansen, says
that the Lifa Merino base layer (which
is proprietary) pulls the moisture away
from the body and out to the next or
outer layer so you stay dry and com-fortable
with no moisture touching
your skin. Lifa technology was actually
introduced in 1970 and was the first
synthetic base layer to come on the
market globally.
“The wool keeps you warm, while
the synthetic Lifa fabric moves the
moisture away from your skin,” he said.
“And with our H2Flow technology, this
allows hot air to escape and keep you
dry. It also keeps warm air inside and
circulates and captures it when you
need the heat.”
Etchaubard adds that Helly Hansen
continues to develop new and innova-tive
H2Flow designs every year. Since
2012 (when H2Flow was introduced),
the company has used different types
of insulation in various formations in-side
jackets to regulate temperature
WEARABLES PHOTOS: VOLT HEAT
BACKGROUND: JAG_CZ / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Baby, It’s Cold Outside Wearable tech to keep you warm
By Lisa Kopochinski
VOLT HEAT HEATED SHIRT
The Volt heated tactical base layer
has a four-pad heat system that
extends down the middle of the
back. The heat reaches from the
base of the neck to the lumbar area.
VOLT HEAT VEST LINER
The Volt heated vest liner
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