[leadin]A highly functional, electrically heated jacket is something of a Holy Grail in the gear world. Many have been attempted, and many have fallen short of spectacular success.[/leadin]
A new brand is taking a swing at the elusive electric jacket home run, and it is an intriguing design.
But a startup taking a poke at the complex proposition of electric apparel? The North Face, Columbia, and other major brands have gone down this road, and not one jacket has seen longevity in a space you’d think designers could figure out.
Ravean touts a new kind of design. For example, its jackets are said to provide electric heat for up to 10 hours on a single charge via the brand’s patented battery, which sits in a pocket and attaches to the jacket through a 12-volt plug.
The jacket has a few unique elements that caught our attention. It comes in a coat with or without a hood, a vest, and a hoodie. Oh, and the battery inside can also charge your phone.
Unique Design Features
A pair of heated gloves run off the same battery as the coat, plugging into the jacket through a cord that comes out the sleeve. Gloves are included with the two coat designs.
The jackets are designed for a wide comfort range of -4ºF to 55ºF. The impressive range is made possible by the electric heating — turn it off in warmer weather, or crank it to high when the frigid winter sets in.
As noted, the jackets can be used to charge devices such as phones. A hole in a pocket on the front allows you to plug in while you wear the jacket and recharge multiple times.
The battery that runs the whole show can recharge in 90 minutes plugged into a wall outlet, Ravean notes.
Heating Element
The heating element is made of “carbon fiber and we own the patents. It is darn near indestructible and super safe,” the brand told us.
Unlike some electric jackets, the Ravean can go through a machine wash. This convenience also speaks to the brand’s confidence on waterproofness of the heating elements.
The company also gives the jacket an impressive five-year warranty — perhaps a risky claim for a startup but a ballsy sentiment for an unproven product nonetheless.
Jacket, Hoodie, Or Vest
The pinnacle products of the brand are two down jackets (with or without hood) and a down vest.
It also makes a heated hoodie, which seems like a cool idea, too. It is quite affordable at under $100. The hoodie and a vest use a 5-volt system rated to 10ºF.
The down jackets and vest are treated with a durable water repellent coating and filled with a 90% down, 10% feather insulation.
Pricing
For a heated jacket system, the pricing on these is quite reasonable and not that much more than non-heated products in similar categories. Prices vary depending on timing purchased on Kickstarter.
- Hoodie: $89-$99
- Vest: $95-$99
- Jacket (no hood): $159-$199
- Jacket (hood): $169-$189
While we haven’t tested this jacket yet, it’s an interesting attempt at the elusive “successful” heated jacket holy grail. Learn more at the brand’s Kickstarter campaign.
