If you have ever wished you could transport your home’s air conditioner outside on a hot summer day, Sony may have the solution for you. You may wear the Reon Pocket in a lightweight, flexible neck collar, where it sends cold air through your back to save you from overheating.
Wearers can use a smartphone app to monitor and manage the unit’s temperature and cooling power or rely on motion sensors to determine the best temperature based on the wearer’s activity and surroundings. Compared to the previous model, Reon Pocket 3, which was introduced this year, has a cooling efficiency that is 50% greater.
When it comes to how long it can keep you cool, the device can keep you cool for hours of everyday trips and modest physical activity, like walking or golfing.
It can run in cooling mode for up to 61 hours depending on the intensity and in warming mode for 27 to 54 hours using the built-in battery (which charges in around 100 minutes via USB-C) (yes, it acts as a personal heater, as well).
[Read: Here’s Why Button-Down Shirts Have Loops on the Back]
Kenji Ito, the current general manager of the REON Business Office, came up with the basic concept for the Reon Pocket. After a business trip to Shanghai, Ito created a wearable heating and cooling gadget prototype. His hotel room’s AC unit spewed out tremendous cold, which both stunned and worried him while he was in the city.
A very successful crowdfunding campaign in July 2019 successfully completed Ito’s Reon Pocket’s $485,000 funding goal in just one week. The following year, Sony put the devices on the market in Japan, which has since been a massive success because the units are not too costly at 14,850 yen ($109) and because of a possible heat wave in the country.
Wearing it under a collared shirt will allow you to conceal the device entirely. It was initially intended with office employees in mind. Although Sony has collaborated with several brands, the company has also created a range of business suits and golf shirts with built-in Reon-friendly pockets that allow maximum cooling airflow.
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