Techniche International’s Elite Hybrid Vest is by far the best motocross cooling vest on the market. We should have known, after verifying that the founder’s name really is ‘Mr. Frost’! Their “hybrid” cooling vest is a serious weapon against overheating while ripping on your dirt bike. 

Not only can you wear it to keep you cooler while on the bike, but the same vest is also used as a pre-race and post-race cooling powerhouse. This cooling vest might finally be what motocross racers have been searching for after overheating for 50 years. The vest, appropriately named “Hybrid”, satisfies two functions while using two separate technologies.

The first technology and function is the vest’s evaporative cooling impact while riding with it under your jersey. By using a special Polymer Embedded Fabric (PEF), the lightweight vest, comfortably cools a rider’s body for approximately 1 to 2 hours as air passes through it, before needing to be re-submerged in water. The evaporative cooling works best in hot climates without extremely humid weather, though it worked wonders for our test riders in the scorching Florida sun.

If you are already using a cooling vest under your jersey, chances are it uses either crystal technology or diaper material. These popular crystal and diaper vests are not as good as the evaporative cooling technology because they take quite a bit longer to soak for activation, are heavier, less flexible, and produce mildew faster than we can say ChronicMX.

The second technology and function is the vest’s ability to be worn pre-race or post-race to cool your body’s temperature. Gone will be the days that we see pros and amateurs sitting in ice cube filled garbage cans to stay cool pre and post race…that never looked right to us anyway! Welcome the era that they will be wearing the 4531, with its special Phase Change Cooling (PCM) ”CoolPax” inserts, used to maintain a comfy 58 degree temperature on your body for up to 3 hours. These non toxic chemical based inserts last up to 3 hrs after a quick dunk in ice water or the refrigerator. We used the inserts in the vest after each moto and loved the cooling effect.

Riders on a budget can use the considerably less expensive HyperKewl Ultra Sport Vest, which does not come with the CoolPax inserts for pre-race or post race cooling, but does use the exact same evaporative cooling technology. Apparently, when Techniche International learned of pro motocross racer Josh Lichtle’s death, from heat stroke last year, the company made plans to better penetrate the motocross industry. They will be showing their products off at this year’s Powersport Industry Dealer Expo 2012 and are also in talks to assist Josh Lichte’s811 Foundation with heat stroke awareness and prevention.

Try one of these vests on next time you shred the trails or race a moto and you will no longer be surprised why Formula 1 racers, Tour De France riders, road racers, construction crews, and even the United States military, all use these bad to the bone motocross vests! Cheers, Rocket 88.