This post is sponsored by My Cooling Store and The Warming Store. I received product samples for the purpose of review and all opinions are my own. I received no additional compensation, but I will receive a small sales commission if you choose to purchase products after clicking links in this post. Thank you for your support!

Hello!

Have you ever heard of a battery-powered jacket? Or clothes that can cool you down on a hot day? It was new to me!

I first heard about these products this when my always-cold sister received a battery-powered warming coat last Christmas. She loves it. A few months later, I was contacted by My Cooling Store.

After my sister's experience, I wanted to learn more about warming and cooling products and was eager to let my family try them. While my sister is always too cold, my husband is always too warm. I figured that if anything could help keep him cool on a warm day, it was a keeper.

I asked My Cooling Store to send me samples of their best products for traveling families so I could try them for myself. Here's what I got and what I thought.

Misting Water Bottles

We received a couple of O2 Cool Kids Mist ‘N Sip water bottles and they were an instant hit. The cute Disney themed bottle is the perfect size for young children. In addition to the sport nozzle for drinking, the lid has a trigger that sprays a fine mist. It's so cool!

The Mist N' Sip water bottle is great for hiking, theme parks, zoos and any other warm weather activity. I wish that my bottles were insulated to keep the water cooler all day, but there is an insulated version at My Cooling Store for about the same price. O2 Cool Mist N' Sip is available in larger sizes and a variety of styles and colors for all ages.

See our O2 Cool Kids Mist N' Sip water bottle in My Cooling Store.

Cooling towels

My Cooling Store sells a wide variety of products that cool with high tech fabrics. You get the item wet and the packaging claims that the towel will feel up to 20 degrees (F) cooler. Your sweat can also activate the cooling fabric.

My husband and son often wet their cotton ball caps at amusement parks and national parks to stay cool. This works OK, but body heat and hot temperatures soon dry the hat or warm the water. My always-warm husband wore the Alphacool Cooling Bandana at Field Day at his school and said that it worked like a charm.

I also tried the Microfiber Cooling Towel and PVA Cooling Towel. I wore each around my neck for an hour or more on a warm day. I thought that the PVA towel was more effective, and was impressed that it retained its dampness and coolness for a long time, but transferred little moisture to my clothes. The PVA fabric is not as soft as microfiber. When I spread it on my countertop to dry, it was stiff as a board the next morning.

The Microfiber Cooling Towel is not quite as cool as PVA, but it is a more versatile product. It's soft, I can keep it in the car for convenience, and I can use it for more than cooling. It did a pretty good job of wiping my sunglasses and phone screen clean on the go.

My Cooling Store has an online fabric comparison guide to help buyers know which towel fabric is right for them. Find it HERE. Having tried the towels, I would agree with the pros and cons for each.

My Cooling Store has a large selection of cooling towels from several brands. See them all HERE.

Cooling Hats

This Kool Breeze hat is a bold fashion statement, but if you spend a lot of time in the sun, it's really nifty. It's a lightweight sun hat with a wide brim and a soft elastic band on the inside that helps it fit comfortably on most heads. The adjustable chin strap ensures that it will stay securely on your head regardless of your activity or windy weather. What's really cool about this hat – in more ways than one – is its built-in solar powered fan.

This was the hat my family couldn't wait to try on after we pulled it from the box. The solar panel on top starts the fan as soon as you walk into the sun and cools the top of your head. It's a great hat for hiking, the beach and other hot and sunny outdoor activities.

I wore it while working in my garden for a couple of hours and I noticed a big difference. I found that the solar panel works best when pointed up at the sun, and was somewhat less effective when the sun was blocked by clouds. In full sun, however, the fan runs nonstop at top speed.

My Cooling Store has a wide variety of baseball caps, visors and Kool Breeze styles for men, women and children to help keep you cool this summer!

See all cooling hats in The Cooling Store.

Warming Gear

Want to get warmer, not cooler? Try The Warming Store.

Spring in Utah is unpredictable. We got a sprinkle of snow in mid-May and that gave me an opportunity to try the heated base layer. This long-sleeved top has wires in the chest and upper back that took the chill off on a cool day. It has a pocket for a portable USB battery charger, which is included. The charger has a second USB port so you can stay warm and charge your phone at the same time. The charge lasts for a few hours on the highest setting. You aren't limited to the charger in the package – you can use any portable USB charger.

I wore the base layer on the highest setting for several hours and felt the warmth soon after plugging in. I found high temperature to be warm, not hot, through my upper chest and back. You can combine this product with other products from The Warming Store like this vest and beanie to stay extra warm on winter outings or summer camp outs when mornings and evenings are cool.

My biggest concern with the warming products are the care instructions. You can't put the wired warming clothes in the washing machine and you're not supposed to immerse them in water at all. Since they are so well suited for active outdoor activities, “Spot Clean Only” doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

I decided to take a chance and hand wash the base layer while holding the end of the USB cord out of the water. I let it dry completely on a rack and plugged it in a few days later. It still works!

Check out The Warming Store HERE.

My Cooling Store is family owned and operated and they have a price match guarantee. They also offer flat rate $5 shipping. At the time of publication, I was pleased to see how many of My Cooling Store's products were moderately priced and on sale.

With an extra-hot husband 😉 and lots of summer travel coming our way, I'll be sure to keep My Cooling Store on my list for hats, towels, water bottles and more.

Thanks for Sharing!

Allison

Hi there! I am the founder of Tips for Family Trips. I am a married mom of two children, ages 11 and 14, living near Salt Lake City, Utah. We took our first child on a two-week road trip when she was four weeks old and we have been traveling as a family ever since. We love to get out of the house to see and do fun things, both far away and in our own neighborhood.