# Battery Powered Cooling Vest for Industrial Crews | Clema Source: https://www.clemacooling.com/battery-powered-cooling-vest Summary: Battery powered cooling vests compared: fan, circulatory, and active. Clema runs 8 to 12 hr with one battery swap and weighs under 3 lb. Publisher: Clema, Inc. (https://www.clemacooling.com) --- Buyer's guide # Battery Powered Cooling Vest for Industrial Crews A battery powered cooling vest cools the body with a rechargeable battery instead of ice or water. Clema, an active solid-state model, runs 4–6 hours per battery (8–12 with one swap), cuts felt temperature by more than 25°F, and weighs under 3 lb. [Compare vs. ice & water](#compare) [See Clema specs](#clemacore) Definition ## What is a battery powered cooling vest? A battery powered cooling vest is a wearable that runs on a rechargeable battery instead of ice or water to lower body temperature. There are three main types, and "battery powered" covers all of them: Fan (Air-Cooled) Battery-run fans blow air across the body to speed up sweat evaporation. Runtime6–8 hr HumidityFails Circulatory A battery-run pump circulates chilled water through tubing in the vest. Runtime2–4 hr HumidityWorks Active Solid-State Battery-run thermoelectric modules pull heat directly off the body. No ice, no water. Runtime4–6 hr, 8–12 w/ swap HumidityWorks Want the full breakdown, including ice and PCM vests that *aren't* battery powered? See the [full cooling vest comparison](https://www.clemacooling.com/cooling-vest-comparison). Battery vs. traditional ## Battery powered cooling vests vs. ice and water cooling. Ice packs and wet-cooling vests were the default for decades because they were cheap and simple. For a crew working full shifts in real heat, a battery powered vest removes the two things that make traditional cooling hard to manage at scale: melting and logistics. | | Ice pack vest | Wet / evaporative vest | Battery powered (Clema) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Runtime per reset | ~60 min | 0.5–3 hr | 4–6 hr, 8–12 w/ swap | | Reset method | Freezer, 8+ hr | Re-soak in water | Battery swap, <1 min | | Works in humidity | Yes | No | Yes | | Needs ice or freezer on site | Yes | No, but needs water | No | | Bulk on the body | Bulky | Slim but damp | Under 3 lbs | | Covers a full 8–12 hr shift (one battery swap) | No | No | Yes | Why it matters ## What battery power actually fixes. - LogisticsNo freezer, no ice truck, no re-soaking mid-shift. - ConsistencyCooling doesn't fade as ice melts, output stays steady until the battery does. - TurnaroundA charged or swapped battery takes minutes, not the hours ice needs to refreeze. - ClimateActive solid-state and circulatory batteries keep working in humidity where wet-cooling fails. - Fleet scaleCharging and swapping batteries scales to a full crew far more easily than a freezer full of ice packs. Built for the field ## Where battery powered cooling vests earn their keep. [### Construction What fails first under a harness?](https://www.clemacooling.com/construction) [### Oil & Gas Why do fan vests fail out here?](https://www.clemacooling.com/oil-and-gas) [### Utilities Storm response, no shade. Then what?](https://www.clemacooling.com/utilities) [### Manufacturing Can a vest survive radiant heat?](https://www.clemacooling.com/manufacturing) [### Logistics Why is the dock hotter than outside?](https://www.clemacooling.com/logistics) [### Military What replaces ice in the field?](https://www.clemacooling.com/military) Our battery powered vest ## Clema: active cooling, built for full shifts. Clema is a battery powered, solid-state active cooling vest. Thermoelectric modules pull heat directly off the body, with no ice, no water and no humidity dependency. Small fans only carry the extracted heat away. ![Clema battery powered active cooling vest](https://www.clemacooling.com/assets/clema-core-front.jpg) First batch sold out · limited 2027 deployment ### Specs at a glance | | | | --- | --- | | Runtime per battery | 4–6 hr | | Runtime with one swap | 8–12 hr | | Battery swap time | Under 1 minute | | Felt temperature drop | More than 25°F | | Weight | Under 3 lb | | Tested at | 120°F+ | | Availability | First batch sold out; limited 2027 deployment | [Early Access](https://www.clemacooling.com/early-access) [Learn More](https://www.clemacooling.com/technology) FAQ ## Battery powered cooling vest FAQ. What is a battery powered cooling vest? A battery powered cooling vest is a wearable that uses a rechargeable battery to actively cool the body instead of relying on ice or water. There are three main types: fan (air-cooled) vests that blow air across the skin, circulatory vests that pump chilled water through tubing, and active solid-state vests that use thermoelectric modules to remove heat directly. All three run on rechargeable or swappable batteries rather than melting ice or evaporating water. How long does a battery powered cooling vest last on a charge? Runtime depends on the type. Fan (air-cooled) vests typically run 6–8 hours per charge but only cool in dry air below about 95°F. Circulatory vests run 2–4 hours per charge and still need ice for the reservoir. Active solid-state vests like Clema run 4–6 hours per battery, or 8–12 hours with one hot-swap battery in under a minute, and work in any humidity or temperature. Are battery powered cooling vests worth it for outdoor work? For shifts longer than an hour or two, yes. Ice and PCM vests need a freezer on site and stop cooling within 60–120 minutes, while battery powered vests recharge or swap in minutes and don't depend on melting ice. For humid or radiant-heat jobs, an active solid-state battery vest is the only battery powered category that keeps cooling regardless of climate. Do battery powered cooling vests work in humidity? It depends on the type. Fan (air-cooled) battery vests speed up sweat evaporation, so they stop working in humid air or above roughly 95°F. Circulatory and active solid-state battery vests are not humidity-dependent and keep cooling in any climate, including Gulf Coast humidity and indoor radiant heat. All six vest types are sorted by humidity performance in the [cooling vests in humidity guide](https://www.clemacooling.com/cooling-vest-for-humidity). Is a battery powered cooling vest bulky to wear? Fan and circulatory battery vests are bulky outer layers built around fans, tubing, or a water reservoir, so they generally do not work under a fall-arrest harness. Slim, sub-3-lb active solid-state vests like Clema are built to work with one. What is the long-term difference between fan, circulatory, and active battery cooling vests? Fan and circulatory vests need batteries, tubing, or reservoirs maintained and parts replaced over time. Active solid-state vests like Clema have no ice, water, or consumables to restock, so the ongoing upkeep is lower across a multi-year lifespan. What's the difference between a battery cooling vest and a fan cooling vest? A fan cooling vest is one category of battery powered cooling vest, it uses a battery to run small fans that blow air across the body. Battery powered cooling vests also include circulatory vests (battery-run water pumps) and active solid-state vests (battery-run thermoelectric modules), both of which keep cooling in humidity and heat where fan vests stop working. Related guides ## Keep reading. [### All 6 Cooling Vest Types Compared Six types. Which survives a full shift?](https://www.clemacooling.com/cooling-vest-comparison) [### How Long Do Cooling Vests Last? Why do most quit before lunch?](https://www.clemacooling.com/how-long-does-a-cooling-vest-last) [### OSHA Heat Standard 2026 What does an inspector actually ask for?](https://www.clemacooling.com/osha-heat-standard) **Two more comparisons:** how a [thermoelectric (Peltier) cooling vest](https://www.clemacooling.com/thermoelectric-cooling-vest) works and what decides its runtime, and why [fan vests and fan jackets](https://www.clemacooling.com/clemacore-vs-fan-vest) fade above about 95°F. Before you commit to a size run, read [fit and sizing](https://www.clemacooling.com/cooling-vest-fit-and-sizing): cooling only transfers where the vest touches the body, so a poor fit costs performance, not just comfort. [Early Access](https://www.clemacooling.com/early-access)[ROI calculator](https://www.clemacooling.com/roi-calculator)