Do you know the secret to happiness? A warm wife. I’m sure there are other answers, but in my house, it is this girl’s warmth that can make or break any adventure! 8k Flexwarm has created a line of heated jackets and a vest that are both stylish, comfortable and the greatest thing to hit my coat closet since my boot warmer.
I have an autoimmune disease that leaves me constantly cold. Living in Idaho, skiing in New Mexico and basically any weather under 70 degrees makes this girl unhappy. Rewind to the summer 2018 Outdoor Show and here is this beautiful booth full of heated jackets.
Love At First Sight?
The fun people at 8K Flexwarm showed us around the jackets and their wearable technology called Flexwarm. Flexwarm Technology is a printable heating element that is layered between the inner and outer layers of the jacket. Seriously cool technology. It doesn’t stop there. Then they made it WASHABLE. All parents rejoice!
The Flexwarm heating elements are located in the front and back of the garment and are concentrated around the core of the body. The technology is so advanced that it will actually adapt to the changing outside temperatures to provide the wearer with the warmth they need.
I basically sleep in this jacket. From school drop offs, runs with the new puppy, shoveling the snow and now skiing you can find me in it. The jacket is reminiscent of the puffer jacket style with a classier look. At the lateral hips, the fabric changes to a knit. This fabric allows for more movement at the hips without the jacket riding up the body. The arms are adequate and your wrists are covered by a ribbed cuff that can easily fit into your gloves. Or, better yet, the hand pockets are warmed and you can slide your hands in. My kids love to stick their hands in to warm up on hikes with the dogs.
Powered by Flexwarm
The Flexwarm Technology is controlled through your phone and the Powered App. It is a free app found in your App store on your phone. When your garment arrives, simply pair the device to your jacket by the Powered app and you are ready to stroll out the door. I fully charged the battery before I used it for the first time. This took about 20 minutes.
8K Flexwarm control buttons
To pair your device, turn on the jacket using the temperature button. Hold this down as you press “Tap to Pair” on the app. The lights will flash if the pairing is successful. To turn the jacket off and save battery power, hold down the same temperature button.
The 7500mAh battery can also charge your phone on the go. I found this feature to be extremely helpful on the slopes and snowshoeing. We all know the draining effect of extreme temperature on the batteries in our devices. I could take all the ski lift selfies and video the million jump attempts my kids made at the terrain park. I pair the internal charger with my Lander Moab phone case for additional battery protection.
One of my favorite features is the two way locking zipper that allows you to access the power port without unzipping the whole jacket.
Animal Friendly
For the animal lover in me and you, the Flexwarm Heated Jacket and Heated Vest are down and fur free. This is also great news for those of us looking for a warm jacket but have allergies.
The 8K Heated Jacket is available in a hooded and non-hooded option, are weatherproof and a slim fit. Heed my warning when I tell you to read the sizing guide VERY closely! The sizes are not traditional US sizing. I normally wear a size four in clothing and wear a medium in the 8K Heated Jacket. After ordering the wrong size I know how speedy and easy their return services are. The shipping is crazy fast! Even in the holiday season the jacket arrived in Idaho from the United Kingdom in less than a week.
The 8K Flexwarm Heated Jacket is exclusively available on their website. Be sure to check out the mens and kids section! The women’s Heated Jacket retails for $287 or $318 depending on the style. For warmth, phone charging capabilities and a piece that can be worn all year long that is a steal!
In fact, for Practical Travel Gear readers they are offering a 10% discount. Use the promo code: HOT10 at check out. You’re welcome.
Safe Travels!