The end of daylight saving time in the U.S. always raises some important safety concerns for dedicated runners and cyclists. In order to exercise outside after dark, we need to find ways to make ourselves more visible to oncoming traffic, with headlamps, reflective clothing, and clip-on lights often assisting in that area. But a new jacket that was recently introduced on Indiegogo takes a novel approach to solving this problem. By using innovative fabrics that could and make our after-dark workout routines much safer, this could be the one piece of workout gear that many of us have been waiting for.
The Fanight claims to be the world’s only self-illuminating jacket designed for use while exercising outdoors. How does it accomplish this impressive feat? It uses specially developed fabrics — dubbed “re nano” — that absorb ultraviolet rays from the sun during the day and then re-emits that energy as light during the night. As a result, the wearer is much more visible in the dark, which makes them far safer, too. Reportedly, it only takes about 20 minutes of exposure to the sun to activate the Fanight, which can then illuminate for up to two hours.
The ability to glow in the dark is not the only trick the Fanight has up its sleeve either. It also comes with a stowaway hood, storm cuffs to protect your hands from bad weather, a headphone port, and three zippered pockets — including a hidden security compartment. To enhance visibility further there are also integrated reflective elements, and the entire jacket is made of highly breathable, fast-drying, and moisture-wicking materials that are perfect for use during intense workouts.
The designers of the Fanight are hoping to raise $30,000 to make the jacket a reality. At the moment, they are a little more than halfway toward that goal with about two weeks to go in the crowdfunding campaign. If they manage to reach their target funding the plan is to go into production by the end of 2016 and begin shipping the final product in February. At that time, the jacket is expected to come in three colors for women (pink, green, and blue) and two colors for men (green and blue.) It will also be competitively priced at $129, although it can be pre-ordered for $79.
For more information on this jacket and what it has to offer, visit the Fanight Indiegogo page.
