Graphene – the super-strong, conductive material that has the potential to transform life as we know it – is now available in jacket form.
Graphene consists of a single layer of carbon atoms, and is the magic ingredient in the rather sharp-looking Vollebak Graphene Jacket 1. Unlike many graphene products (such as rub-on smart tattoos and planes), it isn't just a concept, and is available to buy in 'a very limited run'.
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The jacket is made from high-stretch nylon, with a graphene coating on one side that allows it to conduct heat from warmer parts of your body and redistribute it, effectively regulating your temperature so you're more comfortable on warm or cool days. The coating also repels bacteria, so if you get a little warm under the arms before you put it on, it won't start to smell.
Mobile warming
The graphene jacket can also conduct electricity, but creator Vollebak has decided to dampen down this ability to protect wearers. Prototypes of the jacket were so conductive that the wearer could hold a battery in one hand and a light bulb in the other, and have the bulb light up, but Vollebak decided that, although interesting, it was best to play it safe and make the material a little more resistant.
Graphene can also absorb a theoretically unlimited amount of heat, which means you can leave it on a radiator or in a sunny place, then turn it inside out and enjoy its toasty warmth next to your skin as you go about your business on a chilly day.
At £525 (about $670, AU$960), it certainly isn't cheap, but you'll get an additional warm, fuzzy feeling from being an early adopter and helping Vollebak improve future iterations for new wearers.
