Kafka's  Kool Tie

It was reccomended to me by a friend and now I can't stop telling everyone about this amazing product. It's a must have!!! I used it while Trikking 55 miles in 90- 106 degrees weather and it stayed cool all that time. It was amazing to feel something cold on your neck while you feel your body is melting everywhere else. I will never leave the house without my cool tie. And it looks cool too :)

This is an ingenious and well-made product, but I was a little disappointed with it's performance, particularly when used outdoors in humid weather. Evaporative cooling just doesn't work all that well in the typical damp summer weather where I live (North Carolina). I think it is more suited to dry climates such as the desert Southwest. I found that it quickly feels hot against my skin. Frequently rolling over the tie helps, but overall it is probably more fuss than it is worth. The previous reviewer mentioned rotating two through the refrigerator and that may be an effective method, but not always convenient when out and about. It is also not the way the product is promoted to work. The only way I have found to get effective evaporative cooling where I live is by wetting a polyester jogging tank-top shirt and wearing that as it dries. It provides a much greater surface area for evaporation and heat transfer from the body. The Kool Tie works better and feels more consistently cool indoors with air conditioning. The drier indoor air allows the evaporative cooling process to work better and the moderate relief this product provides seems more noticeable in a more comfortable environment. This would provide some benefit indoors for people with hot flashes or who are just hot-natured. However, running an electric fan may be more effective. Also, remember that cooling a narrow band around your neck will help, but it is not the same thing as cooling your entire body. Note that in use, the tie does not look like the picture or like the product in it's packaging at the store. It swells up considerably and looks like an Italian sausage. Not fashionable. Overall, I am unenthusiastic about the Kool Tie, but it does have its uses. I would recommend it, but only for certain situations, and given realistic expectations. It is helpful to understand this product's limitations (which are not explained in the product literature). I am down-rating it because it does not live up to it's hype for me. However, if you live in a climate that is both hot and very dry, I think it would work well and could be very nice to have.