Kool Max® Love from Down Under

We've said it before: our customers are the best! We've received some amazing testimonials from our customers with MS over the years, but this is our first poem and we love it. Thank you for sharing, Karen!

I had a condition this we did know
Whatever it was it still had to show
Through tests and worry it turned out MS
It could have been worse, a tragic big mess.

Hospital visits and long sleepless nights
I knew I would have to put up a fight
Then came the treatment of needles with pain
Three times a week, again and again.

Most times it does hurt, injecting that is.
But what can I do, it is what it is.
Depression, Fatigue, weakness and more
I wish this MS would go out the door.

My husband, my children and friends far and near
I thank you ALL for lending your ear.
When I’m sad or in pain or just feeling blue
I know that I can always count on YOU.

You’ve all been my rock from the very start
I hold you all dear and close to my heart
Without you all, who knows where I’d be
Your love and support you’ve shown towards me.

This my dear friends is why we need help
Donations abroad it all will be felt
Let’s kick this disease, a cure we’ll find
Then we can all rest with a peace of mind.

Near 4 years have passed,injections have changed
From rebif to Plegridy,what next is in store for me.
Though lately injections,they bring on the flu
They say take some painkillers, that’s all you can do.

The heat of last summer, well it threw me for six
I'm hoping this summer, will be a new fix.
Through internet I'm lucky to have found a great vest
Polar Products, that’s them, you guys are the best.

I wore mine today, and my thoughts, OMG,
this vest is amazing. What more could you need.
With all of my cooling, Hoping summer’s a breeze
Just hoping and praying, I'll handle it with ease.

Well this is my update of MY life with MS, Please call Polar Products, You will be impressed.

"Cool" Studies for Athletes

Cooling during exercise has a positive effect on exercise performance and capacity. Keeping your body’s core temperature down while you exercise allows you to exert yourself more, for a longer period of time, before feeling the negative effects of heat from your internal body temperature.

The Study: Runners were tested while running for 90 minutes at a self-selected pace on a treadmill. First they were wearing no cooling neck collar, then a cooling neck collar and finally, a cooling neck collar that was refreshed every 30 minutes.

The Results: Athletes wearing just a cooling neck collar while running increased their performance by up to 7.3%.  After 90 minutes, the athletes wearing a cooling neck collar were performing at a higher level than those without any cooling. The athletes with a cooling neck collar ran further and their selected pace was higher at the end of the trials than those not wearing a neck collar. 

Deluxe Cooling Neck Wrap with Kool Max® Pack

Cooling the body helps with recovery after a workout or event (also known as "post-cooling")

BENEFITS OF POST-COOLING: 

• Slows nerve impulses 
• Constricts blood vessels which helps to treat pain and swelling 
• Speeds up heart rate which helps to clear waste products like lactic acid 
• Decreases recovery time for acute injuries 
• Reduces pain after intense activity or workouts 
• Increased energy

A 2003 study found that over the 15-minute post-exercise period during which cooling was applied to athletes, the Respiratory Exchange Ratios were lower in the athletes being cooled vs. the ones who weren’t cooled.

Conclusion: Athletes who were being cooled after exercise recovered their muscle’s oxidative capacity to regain energy faster than those who weren’t. 

Cool Comfort® Performance Vest, Neck Wrap and Polar Cooler 

Polar's Recommendation for Athletes: Our Cool Comfort® Performance Vest and Neck Wrap can be activated and then frozen prior to an athletic event. The frozen garments can be transported to the event in a Polar Cooler and put on immediately after activity for immediate full body cooling. 

Sources: 

1. Tyler, Christopher James and Sunderland, Caroline. “Neck Cooling and Running Performance in the Heat: Single versus Repeated Application.” 2011.
2. http://titintech.com/physical-effects-icing-workout/ 
3. Tenforde, Adam. “The Effects of Cooling Core Body Temperature on Overall Strength Gains and Post-Exercise Recovery.” 2003.

Happy Memorial Day!

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us! Polar Products would like to take a moment and remember the those who have served the United States, both past and present. We thank you for your dedication to protecting and serving our country.

With Memorial Day comes our favorite season - Summer! Now is the perfect time to bring out your cooling vest and garments as the temperature begins to rise. Our diverse line of cooling garments can help you stay cool during all of your favorite summer outdoor activities.

GARDENING

BEACH

VACATION 

NEW FOR SUMMER 2015

We're excited to share with you some of our new styles for the summer! If any grab your attention, act quickly - for a limited time we're offering 10% off your purchase of $200 or more! (See details and coupon code at the bottom of this post.)

The Kool Max® Women's Fashion Vest is now available in two new colors: light blue and pink!

Shop the Fashion Vest

Our best-selling vest style is now available with lightweight Cool58® Phase Change packs... in your choice of Polar Pink or Icy Light Blue!

Shop the Cool58®

SAVE MONEY WITH A COOLING KIT!

You can also save even more money this summer with our Polar Products Cooling Kits! We've bundled together kits of our most popular products with a savings of 10%. Some of our most popular kits include...

• Kool Max® Fashion Kit - includes a Kool Max® Fashion Vest, a Kool Max® Cooling Scarf and a complete extra set of Kool Max® packs for each product

List Price: $238.90  Current Price $215.00  You Save: $23.90 (10%)

• Vacation Kit - includes a Cool58® Zipper Vest, Cool58® Neck Wrap, a Cool Comfort® Straw Hat and a complete extra set of Cool58® Packs for each product!

List Price: $294.40  Current Price: $265.00  You Save: $29.40 (10%)

• Beach Kit - includes a Cool Comfort® Straw Hat, Cool58® Neck Band and a Polar Soft-Sided Cooler. 

List Price: $93.40  Current Price: $84.00  You Save: $9.40 (10%)

• Gardening Kit - includes a Kool Max® Zipper Front Vest and a Straw Hat with Cool Comfort® insert

List Price: $142.45  Current Price: $128.20  You Save: $14.25 (10%)

For a limited time only, save 10% off your order of $200 and more! Use the code MDB15 at checkout.

(Offer expires 06/01/15.)

Be safe and stay cool this Memorial Day weekend...

and have a great summer!

Our Top 10 Coolest Products!

Curious as to which Polar cooling vest or accessories is the most popular? Now you'll have an answer! 

We crunched the numbers and we have found that these are the TOP TEN cooling garments that our customers have purchased and enjoyed over the past five years:

1. Zipper Front Vest with Kool Max® Packs (#KMVZ)

(always a classic - this vest has been a best-seller since 1984!)

2. Kool Max® Cooling Neck & Upper Spring Wrap (#KMNCEX)

3. Pair of Kool Max® Cooling Wrist Wraps (#KMW Pair)

4. Women's Fashion Vest with Kool Max® Packs (#KMFV)

5. Kool Max® Cooling Neck and Head Wrap (#KMNC)

6. Cool Comfort® Crown Cooler (#CCCC)

7. Pair of Cool58® Bra Coolers (#PCBC)

8. Poncho Vest with Kool Max® Packs (#KMV)

9. Cool Comfort® Neck Band (#CCNB)

10. Secrets Vest with Kool Max® Packs (#KMS)

Don't forget - we love seeing our products in action! 

Send us a selfie and share your story by uploading your pic to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and tagging #BePolarCool and #PolarProducts for a chance to be featured on our website!

We always appreciate your feedback! You can always e-mail polar@polarproducts.com.

"I have my life back!!!" #BePolarCool

We love hearing what customers think about our products, and we've gotten a lot of great feedback about our most popular cooling vest, our Kool Max® Zipper Front Vest:

"I have a problem with heat due to having MS lesions on the part of my brain that regulates temperature. No matter where I go, at some point I start getting so hot that I am miserable. No one else is hot, just me. I purchased a Polar Kool Max vest and it has turned my life around. Now, I go anywhere I want, knowing if I get hot, I can just put on my vest and my body will cool down and be comfortable again. When ordering, you don't have to be overly concerned about the size. There are many areas of velcro to make it fit just right. I used to dread summer, now that I have a Polar Kool Max, I know that I have relief at my fingertips!"
- Tammy in Missouri

A customer wearing our KMVZ in Las Vegas, NV.

"I used this under a costume for a local event and despite it being over 80, it kept me comfortable. My only tip for new users is the packs freeze solid, so make sure to have on a relatively flat surface."

- Dustin in Minnesota

"One of the worst things about having MS is feeling like a prisoner to the AC in the summertime. I am very active bike riding, gardening etc and it's all thanks to this vest! Heck I'm even doing housework in it. Love love love it!"

- Becky in Chicago, IL

"This KMVZ let me attend my wife's work picnic. We were out for a couple of hours, and there's no way I would have been able to do that without this vest. It even got me through an outdoor concert recently!"

- Louis in Dayton, OH

A customer wearing our KMVZ in Thailand.

The Kool Max® Zipper Front Vest is our best-selling cooling vest! The lightweight KMVZ efficiently and effectively cools the body in any environment, under or over clothes. Our vest is adjustable at the chest, waist and shoulders to provide a comfortable, snug fit. You can purchase this vest in four different colors: blue, khaki, light blue and pink!

Don't forget share your photos and selfies with the hashtags #PolarProducts and #BePolarCool for a chance to be featured on our Twitter, Facebook or Instagram!

We ❤️️ seeing customer photos!

Thanks to all of our customers who have shared their feedback with us! You help our product line continue to grow and evolve. Please CONTACT US to share your experience and feedback with our garments.

Put Your Brown Adipose Tissue to Work (And Lose Weight!)

By cooling the body to approximately 57°F with our Cool Flow® Heavy-Duty Vest and Arctic Chiller Reservoir System, a Harvard University study found that brown fat - also known as brown adipose tissue - becomes stimulated. Once activated, this brown fat begins to burn calories at a high rate within the body, resulting in weight loss.

Polar Products was directly involved with a research study through the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard University and the findings from this study have been recently published in the book The Diabetes Reset, by George L. King, M.D.

Find Polar Products mentioned on page 144.

In The Diabetes Reset, Dr. King writes about a program to help combat Type 2 Diabetes by adopting a regimen of dieting, exercise and activating the body's brown fat. Our Cool Flow® Heavy-Duty Vest and Arctic Chiller Reservoir were used by Harvard University to help determine the benefits of body cooling and activating brown fat in a person's body, and our garments are still being used for research today.

Polar Products' Cool Flow® Heavy-Duty Vest

                            
Since this first study from Aaron Cypess, M.D., Ph.D. in May of 2010, Polar Products has worked with numerous other universities and hospitals including Vanderbilt University, John Hopkins Medical Institute and the Massachusetts General Hospital. Click here for a comprehensive list of studies with Polar Products.

Here's what Harvard's Joslin Diabetes Center had to say about our vest:

"We have had great success with your cooling system." 

- Lauren Weiner, Joslin Diabetes Center

"We like the cooling vest system so much we're going to order a second one!" 

- Aaron Cypess, formerly Joslin Diabetes Center, currently at the National Institutes of Health

Polar Products' Arctic Chiller Reservoir System

The Diabetes Reset also recommends another useful cooling garment from Polar Products: our Kool Max® cooling vests. When used in conjunction with regular diet and exercise, it was found that cooling the body can help assist with weight loss and management of Type 2 diabetes*.

Our most popular Kool Max® garment: the zipper front vest.
It also come in khaki, light blue and pink!

In addition to helping individuals overcome heat sensitivity, our products can also be used to achieve the body temperature shown to help manage weight loss. Polar Products is proud to have our products used for diverse research studies and we continue to be excited to see evidence of the many ways body cooling is beneficial.

Pick up a copy of The Diabetes Reset today and look for Polar Products on page 144!

*The Diabetes Reset, page 142

"I had no idea how much I needed this."

Deluxe Neck Tie with Kool Max® Pack

 "I cannot believe these are not on "must-have" lists for pregnant women. It seriously saved me from feeling like I was going to die of heat at least 3 times this week (despite the fact that it's the middle of winter)... 

"Its best feature is its flexibility. It doesn't have to just go around your neck. Sometimes I wrap it around my head. Other times I put it under my breasts. Sometimes I just hold it... 

"I can't imagine going through pregnancy without it."

- Rachael in Chicago, IL

Rachael wearing the Kool Max® Deluxe Neck Tie

We were so excited to get this product review from Rachael! How great that she's found a new use for the neck tie? We love hearing about all the ways that our customers adapt our products to meet their unique needs.

Rachael writes the laugh out loud funny blog In It For The Parking about her life with MS and a seizure disorder. In her words, "This blog is all about living well, finding your happiness, maintaining positive relationships, and caring for ourselves and our caregivers." 

In September she wrote a great post reviewing our Secrets Cooling Vest and comparing our Kool Max® and Cool58® packs. Check out the post A Very Cold Love Story to see what she had to say!

We wish you and your growing family the best, Rachael!

Equestrian Cooling

The Equine Insider recently wrote a great review about our Kool Max® Fashion Vest for horseback riders.

Paige says, "I wore this vest both while riding and doing barn chores, and simply loved it!"

Kool Max® Fashion Vest

She really liked using the Cool58 packs with the vest because riders don't always have access to a freezer. 

Cool58 packs for the Fashion Vest

Click here to read Paige's review.

We received an e-mail this week from Carolyn. Here she is riding her horse Boo-Berry. Can you tell she's wearing a cooling vest beneath her jacket?!

Carolyn wrote: "Hello! I just wanted to share with you my experience with the vests. We gave the Kool Max® Vests out to MS patients in an event we call 'Ride To Be Cool'. It is a barrel racing event that promote awareness to MS patients with problems with heat. I wanted to share my photo at the Maine State championships. Here I am riding my horse Boo-Berry at the show. It was almost 90 degrees and I could fit my vest under my fancy shirt. Proof that you can stay cool and still look great! We were blinged out and cool enough to be able to compete! Thank you!" 

Yesterday another horseback rider posted this photo on Polar's Facebook page:

Joie is wearing our
Kool Max® Secrets Vest beneath her shirt!

"I am wearing the torso cooling vest under my shirt. It was a great day to go ride Dusty. Thank you for bringing me this joy again!" 

- Joie T. via our Facebook page

Over the years we've had many happy customers tell us that our cooling vests have helped them continue riding horses:

"Having a cooling vest changed my life! I ride horses and I was actually able to show on an 85 degree day! Now I don't have to plan around the weather to compete. Thank you!"

- Carolyn in Pittsfield, ME

"I have been training horses and teaching riding lessons for almost 40 years, and the heat of the summer gets harder to take as I get older. I am so thankful for the cooling vest, neck wrap, and wrist wraps that allow me to continue working with horses in the stifling heat and humidity. Without these cooling items, I'd have to give up the horses and work in an office! Thank you so much!"  

- Annalisa in Kansas City, MO

"I have the Kool Max cooling vest and love it! I ride horses and this vest works great at keeping me cool."

- Sherry in Madill, OK

"I am really enjoying the Kool Max vest in the dog days of August and September in hot, humid southwest Georgia.  I have had trouble all summer with Lupus flares due to the intense heat and humidity.  The vest has allowed me to spend time with my horses even on very hot days without having to spend the next day in bed."

- L. Kelley in Georgia

We are so happy our cooling vests can help people continue doing the things they love - even when they experience heat-sensitivity!

Matt's Kool Max® Vest Video Review

From Matt's blog at mattcavallo.com:

"From May until September, temperatures in Chandler, Arizona are constantly in the triple digits. For the first four summers since I moved to Chandler, the heat constantly affected my MS. I found that during the high heat that I was more fatigued, more irritable and had less energy than I did during the cooler months. I also noticed that my cognitive abilities and vision were not as crisp when temps were in the hundreds. I often wondered if cooling products could actually improve my quality of life.

Matt is an author, blogger, and motivational speaker with MS

I recently had the opportunity to try out a cooling vest when I was sent a Kool Max® [Men's Fashion] cooling vest by Polar Products. I wanted to conduct some tests to see if cooling vests really made a difference. It was important to me that the vest was comfortable, easy to move in and didn’t obstruct my routine.

Click here to see Matt’s YouTube Video Review!

To review the Kool Max®, I tested it in tough desert conditions. Typically to avoid the sun, I do my outside chores in the early morning before the sun comes up. For this experiment, however, I cleaned the pool and picked up the backyard during the late afternoon hours. The temperature was 102 degrees and my chores took me an hour and half to complete. I also took my dog for a walk in the afternoon when it was 104 degrees, wearing business casual clothes.

Here are my results:

• The vest is lightweight and I had no problems moving around while wearing it.
• Despite the heat, the cooling cartridges stayed frozen the entire time.
• The compartments that hold the cooling cartridges kept my clothes dry, but I still got the cooling benefit.
• Because my core stayed cool, I had more energy to stay outside despite the triple digit temperature.
• If I could change one thing, I would have taken the cooling cartridges out of the plastic bag they came in and placed them in the freezer flat. Because I froze them balled up, they were harder to insert than if I would have put them flat in the freezer.

Kool Max® Cooling Packs

In conclusion, I found the Kool Max® cooling vest to be comfortable and lightweight, allowing me to conduct my daily routine without getting in the way. My core stayed cool, which seemed to give me more energy and allow me to be outside for a greater time than I would without a cooling solution. As a person living with a chronic illness, I would definitely recommend the Kool Max cooling vest as a way to stay active in the heat while keeping your core temperature cool. I will be using mine all summer long!"

Click here to see Matt’s YouTube Video Review!

About Matt: Matt Cavallo was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2005. Matt is an MS blogger, author, patient advocate, and motivational speaker. Matt also has his Master’s degree in Public Health Administration. Matt is the proud father of his two sons, loving husband to his wife, Jocelyn, and best friend to his dog, Teddy. Originally from the Boston suburbs, Matt currently resides in Arizona with his family. To learn more about Matt, please visit him at: http://mattcavallo.com/blog/

COOL DOWN for a better workout!

According to a new study, using a combination of cooling techniques - like wearing a cooling vest - before or during exercise helps athletes perform better in the heat!

Before working out, the athletes in the study used cooling methods like wearing a cooling vest or cooling packs, immersing themselves in cold water, drinking cold water or an ice slurry, or a combination of several techniques.

The result? Using cooling techniques before or during exercise improved performance and combining the two worked best. Researchers found that the most effective method was wearing a cooling vest during exercise and a combination of all the techniques before exercise.

Polar's CoolFit® Kit
Ideal for pre-cooling and cooling during exercise!

“More blood will be available for oxygen transportation to the exercising muscles, which enables a better performance,” said Dr. Thijs M H Eijsvogels, of the physiology department at Radboud University Medical Center in The Netherlands. 

Cool Comfort® Hybrid Deluxe Sports Vest

How does body cooling help? 

Cooling methods may reduce the amount of energy the body needs to use to stay cool, so the body has more energy for the exercise itself. Exercise increases core body temperature, which can diminish performance. The study found that pre-cooling decreased peak core body temperatures from 102.4 degrees Fahrenheit to 100.6 degrees. 

Above: Kool Max Wrist Wraps and Kool Max® Ankle Wrap

Read the full article on Reuters:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/30/us-cooling-techniques-athletes-idUSKBN0DG1IH20140430

Find the study results at the British Journal of Sports Medicine:

http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2014/04/19/bjsports-2013-092928.abstract

Visit our website to see our full selection of cooling vests and accessories for athletes.

The Kool Max® Difference

OUR BEST-SELLING COOLING VEST: 

The Kool Max® Zipper Front Vest! 

What makes the Kool Max® Zipper Front Vest the best choice for so many diverse applications? 

#1: A cooling vest must fit comfortably and snug to the body to be effective. Polar accomplishes this with four separate vest sizes that have adjustment straps at the chest, waist and shoulders.

#2: This vest uses separate smaller cooling packs that allow the number and location of these packs to be easily adjusted to fit each individual's need. This also enables each vest to have the appropriate number of packs in proportion to the wearer's size.

#3: Our patent pending spinal cooling design enables you to use fewer packs and still receive effective cooling. (See picture below!)

KOOL MAX® ZIPPER FRONT VEST FEATURES:

1. ADJUSTABLE, CUSTOM FIT
This cooling vest is adjustable at the chest, waist and shoulders for a snug, comfortable and customized fit. 

2. CONVENIENT AND EASY TO WEAR
Once the cooling vest has been adjusted for size, it is easy to put on every time with the zipper-pull front. The clean design (with no logos or visible pack pockets!) is available in several unisex sizes Wear over clothing or discreetly underneath.

3. COMFORTABLE 100% COTTON
The cooling vest shell is constructed of durable, machine washable, 100% cotton twill. Available in Khaki or Blue.

4. KOOL MAX® COOLING PACKS
Reusable, water-based Kool Max® cooling packs freeze solid to provide constant cooling for up to 3 - 4 hours. These Kool Max® packs are 4.5" x 6". 
(Please note: cooling times are estimates and will vary depending on climate, body metabolism and activity. The different vest sizes include eight (8) to twelve (12) packs. See the size chart below for more information.)

5. INSULATED PACK POCKETS
Packs fit into insulated pockets inside the cooling vest. The pockets have a comfortable all-cotton fabric to protect the skin and an insulated outer composite fabric to direct the cooling energy toward the body. 

6. VARIABLE WEIGHT
Weight may be adjusted by varying the number of cooling packs used. The use of separate, individual packs allows the number of cooling packs used to be customized for each person's preference and size. 

7. PATENT PENDING SPINAL COOLING
Pack pockets are placed strategically down the spine for optimal cooling. (Patent pending design!) The location of desired cooling is easily controlled by which pack pockets are used.

8. RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES
The extra set of Kool Max® Cooling Packs is offered at a special discount when purchased with the vest! Keep the extra set in the freezer or a Polar Cooler, ready to use to double your cooling time. The soft-sided Polar Cooler measures 7" x 14" x 12" and will conveniently carry multiple sets of Kool Max® Packs for vests and accessories.

If you have any questions about this product, please call 1.800.763.8423 and we will be happy to help!