Camera IconOroro's ZenFlow Power Cooling Jacket inflates on Stephen Scourfield. Credit: Stephen Scourfield/The West Australian
A jacket with fans built in? It's ridiculous. It's a joke. Isn't it? I'm pretty sure that most of us will start in the same frame of mind with this story.
Ororo's ZenFlow Power Cooling Jacket does, indeed, have two fans built in the back, at the bottom. They are connected by a black electrical wire, which leads into the left pocket. The palm-sized battery, which is loose and removable, charges through a USB-C cable, and connects to a simple button which has fan controls: high, medium, low.
Ridiculous, right? A joke? Or is it? I start to think about people who are very sensitive to heat — and particularly at this time of year, as more of us travel in hot and humid Asia. I know one couple who are really mismatched in just this one way. One loves the heat. One loves the cold. Sometimes in their house in winter, there's no heating on and he's wearing his athletic shorts and a singlet and she's in Ugg boots, a puffer jacket and hat. Another time, the heating's on and he's as red as a beetroot. How do they cope on tropical holidays?
The fans are almost soundless (super-quiet) and I start to think about crowded indoor events. And then a colleague in the office reckons it is perfect for her menopause! Leyanne Baillie starts by thinking it's a bit of a joke, too — until she has had it on for a few minutes. Then her expression changes, too. And she is taking it home for a heat-susceptible family member to try. "It might be just her thing." Megan French laughs at first, too — until she wears it and says: "It's like going into the coolroom where they keep beer at the bottle shop." Through the lens of even these examples, Ororo's ZenFlow Power Cooling Jacket looks a bit less silly, doesn't it? In fact, dare I say we're fans?
Wearing It
Having charged the battery and connected it to the controller, I put the jacket on. I zip it right up, pull the bottom drawstrings fairly tight, and turn the fans on full. The jacket "inflates" a little — until it looks a little like a "puffer jacket". It could easily be mistaken for one. No-one around me would know that there's a cooling breeze inside — air comes breezing out the neck and over my face. There's such a pleasant updraft in this jacket. And fairly soon, I forget all about the fans and the battery and all that, and just enjoy wearing this very lightweight and comfortable jacket. In the "Sea Turtle" green it is just an inconspicuous jacket — albeit with my own personal breeze. This jacket isn't ridiculous. It's got a new fan.
In Detail
- The ZenFlow Power Cooling Jacket is made from light polyester fabric.
- It has two, three-speed cooling fans on the lower back.
- They are powered by Ororo's PD 5K battery for consistent air circulation.
- The jacket has elastic seams on the wrists and an adjustable drawstring hem to minimise airflow loss at the bottom.
- It has zip-off sleeves for a short-sleeve look, and five pockets.
- The jacket is available in orange and "Sea Turtle" (a khaki green) and is in unisex sizes from small to 2XL.
- The ZenFlow Power Cooling Jacket costs $199.99 (sign up for their newsletter and there's 20 per cent off — about $40).
- It has a three-year limited warranty on the cooling elements and a one-year limited warranty on the battery.
- There is a 30-day "no hassle return/exchange".
- au.ororo.com/products/zenflow-power-cooling-jacket
Camera IconOroro's ZenFlow Power Cooling Jacket comes in orange and "Sea Turtle". Credit: Supplied/Supplied Camera IconOne of the two fans. Credit: Supplied/Supplied Camera IconThe fan, battery and controller. Credit: Stephen Scourfield/The West Australian Camera IconThe fan and controller go in the same pocket. Credit: Stephen Scourfield/The West Australian Camera IconOne of the two fans. Credit: Stephen Scourfield/The West Australian
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