Wearable ice pack cooling vests can be a necessity for those of us who spends long days in the brutal summer heat. These ice pack vests can even come in handy for simple tasks around the house like mowing the yard. I like the Glacier Tek Wearable Ice Cooling Vest because overall it’s not too heavy and it comes with 8 cooling packs that Glacier Tek says can maintain 59°F for up to 2.5 hours in 100°F temperatures.
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These are our choices for best wearable ice pack vests:
- Glacier Tek Wearable Cooling Vest with 8 Cooling Packs (click here to view)
- Ergodyne Lightweight Cooling Vest with 4 Cooling Packs (click here to view)
- FlexiFreeze Professional Series Ripstop Ice Vest (click here to view)
- Tekware Hi-Vis Reflective Safety Vest with 4 Cooling Ice Bags (click here to view)
- Ergodyne Flexible Cooling Vest with 2 Ice Packs (click here to view)
One of the most important things to consider when buying an ice pack vest to wear on the job is how long it takes to re-freeze, or “re-charge”, the inserts. Some of the inserts used in these vests can re-charge in as quickly as 5-10 minutes in a cooler full of ice.
This quick re-charge can be a huge asset to those of you who want to simply re-charge your inserts when you go to break and have them ready to use 10 to 15 minutes later. But be sure to check, because not all vests have inserts that can quickly re-charge like this. Some vests that use pure water inserts can take overnight to re-freeze.
In this article let’s take a closer look at the best wearable ice pack cooling vests so you can find an option that fits your needs. Let’s also discuss a few things to consider when choosing the right types of inserts.
Best Wearable Ice Pack Cooling Vests for Summer Work
Glacier Tek Wearable Cooling Vest with 8 Cooling Packs
I like this Glacier Tek vest because it only takes about 20-30 minutes in an ice-filled cooler to recharge these ice packs. The vest itself comes with 8 packs and can really help control body temperature when you use all eight packs at the same time.
Here’s what this Glacier Tek Cooling Pack Vest looks like:
This is the current price of this Glacier Tek vest available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Here’s what you need to know about this vest:
- Temperature Control – This wearable ice pack best comes with 8 cooling non-toxic cooling packs that according to Glacier Tek can maintain 59°F for up to 2.5 hours in 100°F temperatures. This vest is compatible with Glacier Tek’s booster ice packs which help extend cool time even longer. Click here to view the Glacier Tek booster ice packs (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).
- Design & Care – This vest zips in the front and has adjustable side panels so you can adjust it to fit your body. This vest weighs under 5 pounds even with all the inserts. It is best to hand wash this vest.
- Recharge Time – The cooling packs are designed to recharge in approximately 20 minutes if you submerge them in an ice cooler, so this is perfect for those who want to stick them in a cooler during lunch break to let them recharge. You can also stick them back in the freezer for about an hour to recharge.
Click here to buy this Glacier Tek wearable cooling vest available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Even though this has a lightweight design, if you need to reduce weigh you can always use less inserts at a time.
Ergodyne Lightweight Cooling Vest with 4 Cooling Packs
Ergodyne is a popular workwear brand for safety gear, and they also provide a lot of summer workwear to help you beat the heat like cooling hard hat helmet liners and this wearable ice pack cooling vest. This vest weighs about 3.5 pounds, making it a little more lightweight than the Glacier Tek ice pack vest we discussed first.
Here’s what this Ergodune cooling ice pack vest looks like:
This is the current price of this Ergodyne vest available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Here’s what you need to know about this vest:
- Temperature Control – This wearable ice pack best comes with 4 ice pack inserts that according to Ergodyne can maintain constant 64°F for up to 2 hours. This vest weighs about 3.5 pounds, making it one of the most lightweight options available.
- Design & Care – This vest zips in the front and has adjustable side panels around the side of the waist so you can wear this as tight as needed. This vest does have pockets in case you wear the vest on the outside of your work clothes and need storage for essentials. This vest is made with a poly/cotton blend that is machine washable (do not machine wash the inserts).
- Recharge Time – The cooling packs are designed to recharge quickly. Ergodyne instructs you to place the four removable packs in a cooler of ice water for approximately 5 minutes, or in a freezer for 8 minutes, or in a refrigerator for 12 minutes. This is perfect for those who want something that is quick to activate since these packs don’t need hours in the freezer to prep.
Click here to buy this Ergodyne ice pack cooling vest available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Ergodyne does sell replacement inserts for this vest in case you need them.
FlexiFreeze Professional Series Ripstop Ice Vest
I like this FlexiFreeze wearable ice pack cooling vest because it has a minimalistic design that also has adjustable shoulder straps for a more secure fit. This vest, like the Ergodyne vest above, has a lightweight design that weighs only approximately 3.5 pounds.
Here’s what this FlexiFreeze Professional Series Ripstop Ice Vest looks like:
This is the current price of this FlexiFreeze wearable cooling vest available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Here’s what you need to know about this vest:
- Temperature Control – This wearable ice pack vest uses pure water real ice inserts that are made to provide cooling for about 1.5 hours. Things like climate and amount of direct sunlight can impact the length of cooling. Having extra inserts to swap in is probably the best course of action with this vest if you will be working all day in the heat. This is where you can find extra ice panels for this vest (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).
- Design & Care – This FlexiFreeze ice pack cooling vest isn’t as bulky as other vests on the market today. It zips in the front and has adjustable shoulder straps and adjustable waist bungee cords to help this vest fit securely against your body. This vest weighs approximately 3.5 pounds.
- Recharge Time – Because these inserts are made with pure water, they will take longer to prepare than some of the other vests on this list. But these are a nice option for those who want real water inserts.
Click here to buy this FlexiFreeze ice pack vest available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Because this best uses pure water, these inserts might not last as long so buying replacement inserts to swap in and out is important. FlexiFreeze also makes ice collars – to read about the one I use, visit my article about the best neck cooling wraps.
Other Wearable Ice Pack Cooling Vests to Consider
- Tekware Hi-Vis Reflective Safety Vest with 4 Cooling Ice Bags – For those who need a hi vis ice pack vest, this is a nice option. This vest comes with re-fillable inserts that you can run under a faucet to fill them with water, then freeze them. Because these inserts use real water, they will take longer to prepare in the freezer than some of the other vests on this list. Click here to view this Tekware hi-vis wearable cooling vest available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).
- Ergodyne Flexible Cooling Vest with 2 Ice Packs – This vest has a smaller design than the first Ergodyne ice pack vest we discussed earlier in the article. This vest uses inserts that can re-charge in as quickly as 10 minutes, perfect for those of you who’d like to throw your inserts in a cooler during break and have them ready to go 10-15 minutes later. Click here to view this Ergodyne vest available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).
What Types of Inserts are Best for Wearable Ice Pack Cooling Vests?
Some wearable ice pack vests will use real water inserts, while others will use gel inserts. While some people prefer real water due to fear of the gel inserts, these companies are all very good about disclosing that their inserts are non-toxic.
One drawback to using real water inserts is they take longer to freeze (sometimes up to 16-24 hours), and they usually do not last as long in the heat as some of the gel inserts. Obviously, how long these inserts last will also be impact by temperature, direct sunlight exposure, and other factors.
The Ergodyne inserts are bio-based and the nicest thing about using these types of inserts is how fast they “re-charge” compared to pure water inserts. For example, Ergodyne suggests you to place the cooling packs in a cooler of ice water for approximately 5 minutes, or in a freezer for 8 minutes, or in a refrigerator for 12 minutes.
This allows you to quickly re-charge your inserts during a break. Convenience is a factor here, and for those of you who spend all day in the sun, finding a wearable ice pack cooling vest that is easy to re-charge might be the most important factor.