Sony Is Crowdfunding a Wearable Air Conditioner to Keep You Cool This Summer

We’re in the midst of a summer that is causing some of the hottest temperatures on record in many locations — so much so that it is a public health concern. But despite advisories telling you to stay indoors, you still have to get to work and live your life. From a safety standpoint, the most important thing you can do when you’re outside in the heat is stay hydrated. To keep you comfortable, Sony is crowdfunding the Reon Pocket wearable air conditioner and heater.

Personal cooling devices aren’t anything new, and anyone who has been to a summer fair has probably seen one of those contraptions that uses a fan to blow misted water at your face. Unfortunately those don’t work particularly well, and they look goofy to boot. You certainly aren’t going to be wearing one to your next business meeting. That’s why the Sony Reon Pocket uses a Peltier cooler to keep you comfortable discreetly. Peltier coolers use electricity to move heat towards or away from a surface, and they’re common in devices like cooling cup holders for your car.

In this case, the Sony Reon Pocket uses a Peltier cooler to pull heat away from your body. The Reon Pocket is a small, flat device that is designed to be worn in a special pocketed undershirt. Just charge up the battery, slip it into the pocket, and you’re ready to go. To control the Reon Pocket, you simply connect to it via Bluetooth with the smartphone app. You can then adjust how much power goes to the device and how cool it is. It also works in the opposite way, so the Reon Pocket can warm you up in the winter.

Unfortunately, the Reon Pocket is currently only being crowdfunded through Sony’s First Flight platform, which is only available in Japan. If you happen to live there, a single device with the undershirt costs 14,080 JPY (about $130).