Heated jackets built for use in the outdoors aren’t exactly new. In fact, over the past year or so, we’ve seen a number of them hit the market. But a new jacket called the Kinesix ThermoSmart promises to bring something new to the heated garment arena by adding built-in sensors that can detect the temperature in the interior of the garment and adjust its settings automatically.
Created by a company called Kinesix Sports, the jacket has been designed to be at home both on the trail and in urban environments. Like other heated garments, it has thermal elements embedded in the front, back, and sleeves. Those elements can be activated individually or as a group using a smartphone app, which connects to the ThermoSmart via Bluetooth. In “manual” mode, that app allows the user to set the temperature to exactly the level they want, and the jacket will maintain that setting as long as it has battery life. On its warmest setting, it can hold steady at 104 degrees Fahrenheit for as long as three hours on a single charge.
The ThermoSmart also has an automatic mode that allows it to adjust its temperature dynamically. When this mode is activated, thermal sensors on the inside of the jacket will turn the heating elements off and on as needed. If for instance the person wearing it starts a workout, the interior of the Kinesix jacket will naturally warm up. When the sensors detect this, they will deactivate the heating elements. After the workout ends, if the wearer begins to cool down, the jacket will detect that, too, and automatically engage the heating elements once again.
The jacket is made from fabrics that are waterproof and windproof and that are designed to be breathable. It comes with eight individual pockets, plus two hidden battery pockets, as well as an adjustable hood and a removable collar and balaclava. Extra-long cuffs, complete with thumb holes, provide extra warmth for the hands, too.
The ThermoSmart jacket launched on Kickstarter last week with the hope of pulling in nearly $50,000 in crowdfunding support. If it is successful, the jacket should go into production next month and begin shipping in early December. It is expected to retail for $559, although early bird backers can pre-order one now for $279.
