Offering Year-Round Comfort Apparel

1. How do I choose the size that fits correctly?
2. Will a vest keep you cooler if it is worn under a jacket? Also, will the cooling effect last longer if worn under a jacket?
3. Can the hardhat liner or do rag can be worn under a woven hat or a helmet?
4. What is the difference between the Classic Vest and the Zip Front Vest, other than color?
5. Which products are more suitable as active-wear, such as for use in tennis, running and golf?

How do I choose the size that fits correctly?
The best way to determine what size you need in any of our products is to take the appropriate measurements and compare them to the size charts available for each product.

Vests: All Silver Eagle cooling vests should fit snugly against the body, but not so tight that movement is restricted. Because the fabric does not swell or get bulky or heavy when activated, the size of the vest when activated is no different than when it is dry.

Measurements should be taken around the chest and at the waist. Of these two measurements, go with the larger and compare it against the Cooling Vest size chart to see what size you need.
See Cooling Vest Size Charts

T-Shirts: Silver Eagle's loose fit Performance Gear is designed for a comfortable relaxed fit and offers a generous cut. If you prefer a closer fit, we recommend that you order one size smaller than you would normally wear.
See T-Shirt Size Charts

Animal Products: We base all of our cooling dog vest/jacket sizes on the dog's top-length (length from the neck to the base of the tail), girth, and neck measurements. Each vest is fitted to the girth of the canine using the Velcro strap(s) available on the garment.
See Animal Product Size Charts

Headwear: Please note that our caps and neck shades are "one size fits most" and can be adjusted to fit most head sizes. For our hats and helmet liners, sizes are based on measurement.
Using a tape measure, determine the circumference of your head to the nearest 1/8 of an inch. To do this, measure across the widest part of the head, above the eyebrows and ears. Then, use the size charts to convert this measurement to the correct hat or liner size.
See Headwear Size Charts

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Will a vest keep you cooler if it is worn under a jacket? Also, will the cooling effect last longer if worn under a jacket?
The vest will actively cool you whether you wear it against the skin, over a T-shirt, or under any garments that offer some amount of airflow (so that the evaporation has some place to escape). If you are riding in a really dry environment, a jacket can aide in keeping the vest from drying out too quickly; however, it is not necessary for the cooling process.

Please note: We suggest that you do not wear the activated vest beneath a leather jacket, as the dense fabric will prevent the evaporative moisture from escaping. This can result in poor cooling results and possible damage to your leather garment.
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Can the hardhat liner or do rag can be worn under a woven hat or a helmet?
The issue of wearing the Do-Rag and the hardhat liner beneath a helmet has been raised numerous times, and it all boils down to the following considerations:

1. The helmet must fit loosely enough to accommodate the hardhat liner/Do-Rag. While the neither the hardhat liner or the Do-Rag is very thick, both are just dense enough to require a little bit of extra space in the helmet. Given your comment that your current helmet is a tight fit, I am thinking this may not work for you.
2. There must be enough airflow to allow the moisture added to the hardhat liner/Do-Rag through the activation process to evaporate. This evaporation is what causes the fabric to cool you; blocking off the evaporation with a non-breathable fabric defeats the purpose.
3. Unlike the liner fabric of the our headwear, there is no durable water repellent on the outer fabric. This means that it's possible for some moisture to transfer from the hardhat liner/Do-Rag to the interior of the helmet initially after activation. Generally, this is minor and doesn't last very long, but it is something to consider.

If you choose to have either headwear item activated (you can soak them and store them in a water-tight/zip-lock bag) and ready-to-wear as soon as you have your helmet off (as many of our customers do), the choice of which is the better style is a matter of your personal preference...
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What is the difference between the Classic Vest and the Zip Front Vest, other than color?
While both vests look nice and work well, the Classic Vest is our higher-line, more stylish vest. On the Classic Vest, the outer shell is an overlay so that it is smooth and does not look in any way like a cooling vest. This is a more expensive style to manufacture, so it adds to the cost of the Classic Vest. In the Zip-front vest, the fabric is quilted together. While this still looks nice, some find the quilted look less versatile. Also, the Classic Vest has the zippered pockets and side snaps; the Zip-Front vest has no pockets and a Velcro strap around the waist (to taper it at the waist). Essentially, you are going to get the same cooling effect from either vest-- it's just a matter of the style you prefer.
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Which products are more suitable as active-wear, such as for use in tennis, running and golf?
All of our vests and headwear can be worn for a variety of sports. For running and and bicycling, the high-visibility zip-front vest (with or without reflective tape) offers additional safety, as well as cooling. This same vest could very well be worn for tennis and golf; however, your choice would really depend on whether you choose to wear bright yellow when performing those activities. For golf, many have chosen the Classic Vest because of the smooth outer shell and the additional styling (it does not appear to be a cooling vest, as the layers of the cooling fabric are "bonded" together rather than quilted, and the Classic Vest is more styled than the other vests). But, if you are more concerned with price than appearance, any of the other vests will perform just as well.

Really, any of the pullover or zip-front vests would be perfectly suitable for whatever activity you choose. It's just a matter of choosing the color. The pullover style utility vest fits as closely to the body as you want and is available in high-visibility yellow, khaki, and blue. The zip-front vests work and look great while offering a bit more coverage. These are available in khaki and high-visibility yellow.
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How do Silver Eagle garments differ from other cooling garments, like phase change materials?
To get a better idea of how Silver Eagle Outfitters garments compare to other cooling products available, see our Cooling Products Comparison Chart.
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Can I embroider, sew, or silk-screen onto Silver Eagle garments?
Yes. All of our products are unaffected by the the puncturing process of adding patchwork and embroidery, as we use a specially blended batting as the core of our evaporative cooling fabric rather than crystals or gels. Additionally, all of our vests and blankets can be altered as desired without compromising their effectiveness.
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