You’re on a crowded bus, when “Hack! Achoo!” All around people are coughing and sneezing germ-laden spittle into the air. Shoot, nobody’s even covering their mouth! You’re sure to be sick in like 10 minutes.
Not so fast! You’re wearing the Germinator! Just pull up our collar, tighten the drawstrings on your hood and breathe a sigh of relief.
Well, that’s the idea anyway. Whether this “transit jacket” collaboration between Beta Brand and GravityTank will provide much more than a false sense of security is anyone’s guess.
The Germinator ($248) has a few simple features that germaphobes will love. The water-resistant softshell has silver-infused (read anti-microbial) fabric on the sleeve cuffs and liners, providing a barrier to dirty surfaces like hand-holds on busses and subways. A “collar shield,” also silver treated, can be used to block errant sneezes.
Silver is well known to inhibit microbe growth in fabrics and is often applied to ward off stink. It seems of questionable value as a germ-shield, but we suppose it can’t hurt and might make it hard for germs to thrive in an area that comes in regular contact with keyboards, steering wheels, door knobs and sort of everything you touch.
Beyond the germ-centric design elements, the Germinator is a nice looking, albiet pricy, commuter jacket . It has breathable softshell fabric and has a removable hood with shock-cord adjusters to tighten the hood. You know, to hide.
Made for transit, the jacket has a transit-pass pocket on the right sleeve for quick access. Demand for a germ-fighting jacket definitely exists judging from the fully funded project.
So if you’re wary of catching a winter bug and looking for one more tool to avoid illness, check out the Germinator. The name alone should make you feel just a little more immune to the sniffles.
