Caveat Lector: Though this review appears on our team website, it was reviewed by only one of our members.  The views represent those of WWVC President, Gus Grissom, and are most certainly correct.

When Gamjams asked for volunteers to review this product, I was initially very excited.  “Let me get this straight: you will send me a free cooling device and all I have to do is try it out and write about it?  Sign me up and bring on the schwag!”  When it got here, I was more than a little disappointed.  In fact, my initial impression was something more akin to “is it too late to send this back so I don’t have to write a report?”  Let’s be honest; out of the package the collar is just a small handkerchief that has velcro on it.  It’s nothing.

But because I am a sucker for anything free, I went ahead and followed the instructions.  I put the collar in some ice water and let it soak for about thirty minutes.  When I returned a magical transformation had occurred and all the mysterious “crystals” had expanded to the point that this collar now was as thick as a golf ball and ice cold.  The Luddite within cried out “what manner of devilry doth this be?”

I then tested the collar in two basic circumstances: during- and post-workout.  Since I do most of my structured training indoors, I thought the collar might be the perfect device to keep me comfortable in my hot, humid basement.  It worked, but not all that well.  I put the collar on during my roller workout and, despite an initial sensation of cool water on my neck, I found the collar to be too loose and soggy to be really comfortable while riding.  Plus I think the principle at play is evaporative cooling and there just isn’t enough air flow on my neck to accomplish this.  It might have cooled me off a little bit but I really couldn’t tell any difference.  Perhaps it works better outdoors?

When I tested the collar after a workout, however, I think I found the perfect niche for this device: recovery tool.  Basically I soaked the collar in ice water during my workout and put the collar on when I was finished and enjoying my recovery drink.  Under these circumstances, where I could sit down on the porch or walk around, the cooling sensation on my neck provided an instant relief.  It might have been psychosomatic, but it really did feel like my whole body was cooling down quicker.  I stopped sweating more quickly and I felt very refreshed.  It was a very pleasant sensation (and I didn’t feel like a freak riding my rollers with a wet tube around my neck.  Instead I was “recovering smartly with a cooling device while sipping Ovaltine.”  It’s all about image.).

So, why would I buy this?  I think this is a great and inexpensive tool for post-effort recovery.  It is, essentially, no different than having some cool towels for after a race but it stays cold much longer and gives you plenty of comfortable recovery time.  It would be a great way to cool off after an interval session, the Tuesday Night World Championships, or another Page Valley Road Race if you took it with you in a cooler with some ice water.  Riding with it on, however, seems to me to be much less effective or comfortable.

The collar can be purchased at www.theaspencoolcollar.vpweb.com.  But you should probably get to the site by clicking the banner on gamjams.net so the good folks who run that site get credit for their advertising efforts (and we get more free stuff to review!).

Thanks for reading!