I've had a SCOTTeVEST jacket for several years now and have found it increasingly useful. As the airlines get more stingy about luggage and even carry-ons, it makes sense to try to keep your gadgets on your person when traveling. Plus, I attend a lot of trade shows, including the upcoming CES in Las Vegas, and I like to carry a lot of items, including business cards, battery packs, chargers, and USB cables—not to mention my iPhone and iPad mini. SCOTTeVEST's travel jacket with hidden pockets can handle all that, and more.
I recently upgraded from my original SCOTTeVEST to the newer Shell 8.0 ($215). The Shell shows how far SCOTTeVEST has come. It is more protective than my old jacket, thanks to a zip-out hood that rolls into the collar and velcro wrist cuffs that keep the cold out. When it's warm, you can zip off the sleeves and you end up with the company's namesake vest. Inside the Shell there are zippered and velcro pockets for a full-size iPad, smartphones and cables. There's even wiring conduits for earbuds.
A nice touch was that the folks at SCOTTeVEST sent mine with sample gear inside, including sunglasses, a USB drive, and a dummy housekey. This was a nice way to demonstrate how you could use the jacket and I still find things that I didn't realize were there. In fact, that might be the only downside. There are so many compartments that you have to be disciplined and remember where you store each item!
Pros
- Seemingly endless number of secret compartments
- Surprisingly warm, protective jacket
- Stylish design
Cons
- Might forget where you put things!
Final Verdict
If you need to carry a lot of gadgets, and want them close at hand, SCOTTeVEST should have the apparel you need, and you can look stylish at the same time.