Stay warm and safe in the great outdoors with AppWEAR
While city slickers are often treated to new tech, outdoor enthusiasts are sometimes left behind. That changes with AppWEAR, a new heated jacket-and-vest tag team with built-in activity tracking and safety features.
- What are the best gadgets for outdoor activities? Have a look at our great outdoors category and browse our favorite camping gear.
- Are heated jackets worth the money? That depends. While some are underpowered and heavy, others provide vital warmth in the harshest winter weather.
- What is the best smart outdoor apparel? The AppWEAR jacket and vest both provide heat, while the companion app tracks your route, and works to keep you safe.
Wearing a jacket laden with technology makes little sense in a city. When a blizzard rolls into town, you can simply step inside the nearest coffee shop and carry on working in comfort. But in the great outdoors, there is no such shelter. You won’t find a Starbucks on many mountain trails.
To make sure you stay comfortable when the temperature drops, the AppWEAR jacket and vest provide instant heat. In addition, you can use the companion app to record your route and share your location with friends and family.
What is a smart jacket?
Adding heating pads to an ordinary jacket isn’t enough to justify the “smart” tag. To earn the right, you must introduce some real innovation.
[tweet_box]AppWEAR is a brand new outdoor clothing line, with built-in heat pads and smart safety features.[/tweet_box]
AppWEAR is perfect for skiers and snowboarders
The folks behind AppWEAR have certainly done that. This brand new clothing line has been designed to cover the needs and wants of any outdoor enthusiast — from off-piste skiers to lowland hikers.
Smart heated jacket
Of course, staying warm is the most important thing when you’re up a mountain.
AppWEAR helps you stay warm when the temperature drops
AppWEAR apparel is fitted with battery packs that deliver heat for up to 12 hours straight. You can turn on the warmth manually via a button sewn into each garment, or connect your apparel to your smartphone via Bluetooth for finer control.
Control the heat pads using the AppWEAR app
The companion app lets you select your target temperature, and direct heat to four different zones around your core.
Mountain technology
The app also has some secondary benefits. Firstly, AppWEAR offers smart tracking. This means you can easily share new routes with fellow hikers. Just as importantly, your family and friends can always see your location (although you can turn this setting off via the app).
AppWEAR lets you share new routes with your buddies
For an added layer of safety, each AppWEAR jacket and vest comes with a RECCO reflector. This small tag allows rescue teams to find casualties, even when they are buried under snow.
Yeah, it’s a morbid thought — but better to be safe on a mountainside than sorry.
“Team AppWEAR has created the Warming Tracker, a heated jacket and vest that allows the user to remain warm, and control their temp via the AppWEAR app. The app has amazing features such as geolocation and Bluetooth control with four zones of heat.” — Team AppWEAR
What we like
Heated jackets are rarely this practical. AppWEAR offers a great compromise between wearability and electric warmth. Furthermore, the geolocation features are really valuable for skiers and mountaineers.
Warmth and safety are the top priorities
Future designs
We would love to see a little more integration between the app and the apparel. At present, AppWEAR has a limited range of features, without help from your smartphone.
Availability
– Kickstarter: Until April 25th
– Pledge: $139 USD
– Delivery: September 2019
