Say Goodbye To Neckfans: China Rolls Out Air Conditioning Vests For Workers During Heatwave

Being outside, let alone working outside, in intense heat can lead to heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Employees who work outdoors in the summertime doing maintenance such as yard work, road construction, and sanitation are prone to developing heat exhaustion as they spend hours beneath the sweltering sun. Now, one Chinese company has developed a solution to help keep workers cool.

Sanitation workers in Nanjing, China, are continuing their work with the help of a cooling vest. Instead of bringing a portable neck fan or using another tool to stay cool, workers wear the device as a vest. It features two built-in mini fans that provide continuous airflow as the workers spend their shift in the summer heat. The device is being used during China's Sanfu season, the country's hottest days of the year. The vests are designed to work for multiple hours at a time, ensuring that workers have enough cool air to get through a morning and afternoon shift.

The cooling garments are specifically built to help sanitation workers avoid heat-related illness and heat stroke. Reports show that thousands of workers experience heat-related illnesses due to heat exposure, many of which are fatal. Cooling vests are one step toward preventing illness and potential fatalities among outdoor workers. They're a great way to stay cool in the summer heat.

At first glance, the cooling vests resemble a standard orange reflective uniform you may see road crews wearing. Upon closer inspection, the vests contain two mini fans near the midsection of the device. The fans have three speeds to control how much power each produces. It works like a ceiling fan: higher speeds move more air, and lower settings move less. No matter the setting, the fans circulate air inside the vest, spreading it throughout the body and cooling the wearer. The fans are powered by compact rechargeable battery packs that last up to four hours and can be recharged on a lunch break, after which they can be used for another four hours.

Workers who have tried out the cooling vests say they felt cool air blowing around their body. They are also built with low-noise fans so workers don't have to hear a whirring fan while doing their jobs. The vests are not only being worn by sanitation workers, as the urban management department is marketing them citywide in Nanjing. Soon, it may even spread nationwide as it becomes more popular.

This cooling vest isn't the only one out there, as other innovative cooling tech is also being put to good use. Other types of cooling vests use different mechanisms to cool down the wearer. Evaporative cooling vests use gel-like material that captures and holds moisture inside them. They are dunked into freezing water before being worn. Once on, they use heat to evaporate the gel and water to cool down the wearer. Phase change cooling vests – like ones in Changzhou of Jiangsu Province – use frozen cooling packs that are placed in pockets inside the vest to help sanitation workers. Passive cooling vests and Hybrid cooling vests work similarly, while Liquid cooling vests include channels for chilled water to run through.

If you plan to work outside and need a way to cool down, you can try wearable cooling devices. You can take cooling vests, fans, and misters with you. Whether you're on the job, doing a bit of yard work, enjoying an outdoor event or playing a sport, there are tools you can use to help you keep cool.