Vollebak is a young startup that makes outdoor sportswear with a science and tech slant. Some of the company's earlier innovations included the 100 Year Hoodie, made from super-strong aramid fibers, and a series of Relaxation Hoodies described as "travel-sized isolation tanks". The latest item to join the Vollebak wardrobe is a glow-in-the-dark, waterproof jacket.
The Solar Charged Jacket contains an ultra-thin layer of a phosphorescent compound that absorbs light and re-emits it as a green glow in dark environments. Essentially it's a jacket version of those tiny Starlight stickers you may have had on your bedroom ceiling as a child (or an adult, no judgement here).
There isn't a great deal of information on what the phosphorescent compound is, but Vollebak claims the jacket can keep on glowing for up to 12 hours. Judging from personal experience with glowing materials in the past this is an extraordinarily long time, so maybe take that claim with a grain of salt.
The phosphorescence is sown into the membrane of the jacket so it reportedly isn't affected by washes – an important detail for a piece of clothing. And despite its name, the Solar Charged Jacket can be "charged" by most light sources, from the sun to a head torch.
More traditionally, the item is fully waterproof, contains eyelets under the sleeves for ventilation, and has a rear pocket large enough to hold your phone and wallet when out for a nighttime jog.
The jacket comes in four standard sizes and is currently on sale for a hefty US$350, so the phosphorescent compounds needed for its construction are presumably quite expensive.
As evidenced by the video below, the glow effect the jacket achieves is starkly effective. There is also something a bit unsettling about seeing a seemingly disembodied glowing jacket running towards you in the darkness, so it could make for some amusing, if expensive, practical jokes to freak your friends out.
Source: Vollebak
