Bicycles

Elecwear cycling vest offers hands-free signaling and ears-free music

Elecwear cycling vest offers hands-free signaling and ears-free music
The Elecwear cycling vest, on display at Interbike 2015
The Elecwear cycling vest, on display at Interbike 2015
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The Elecwear cycling vest, on display at Interbike 2015
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The Elecwear cycling vest, on display at Interbike 2015
The Elecwear vest's turn indicators are activated a bar-mounted remote (left)
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The Elecwear vest's turn indicators are activated a bar-mounted remote (left)
The Elecwear vest also has two 2.0-watt Bluetooth speakers in the front
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The Elecwear vest also has two 2.0-watt Bluetooth speakers in the front
Buttons on one of the Elecwear vest's speakers allow users to do things like skipping tracks or adjusting volume, without having to access their phone
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Buttons on one of the Elecwear vest's speakers allow users to do things like skipping tracks or adjusting volume, without having to access their phone
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We've seen cycling gloves and jackets with built-in turn indicators before, although the former still requires you to take your hands off the bars to signal, while the latter requires you to wear a jacket even when it's warm out. The Elecwear cycling vest, however, attempts to address both of those issues – plus it lets you listen to music, earphones-free.

Made by South Korean company Aprowin, the Elecwear vest is worn like a shrug, over top of the user's existing shirt or jacket.

It contains LED turn indicators on the back, which are wirelessly activated via a handlebar-mounted remote. It also has two 2.0-watt Bluetooth speakers in the front, which receive music from the user's smartphone and direct the sound towards the rider's ears. Buttons on one of the speakers allow users to do things like skipping tracks or adjusting volume, without having to access their phone.

The Elecwear vest also has two 2.0-watt Bluetooth speakers in the front
The Elecwear vest also has two 2.0-watt Bluetooth speakers in the front

The vest is powered by a USB-rechargeable 500-mAh lithium-polymer battery, which should be good for 5 to 10 hours of music playback (depending on volume), or about 20 hours of signaling per charge.

The Elecwear vest is already available in some Asian markets, although Aprowin is now seeking distributors in North America. A company rep told us that it will likely be priced around US$80, with other models that feature only turn indicators or only speakers costing less.

One small thing to keep in mind, however ... Because the vest doesn't have LEDs on the front, users will still have to use traditional hand signals to let oncoming motorists know that they're turning.

Source: Elecwear

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2 comments
2 comments
Freyr Gunnar
The less people ride bicycles to move from A to B, the more they need technology.
Just copy from the Netherlands and Copenhagen. There's no need for high-tech.
JoshuaPutnam
It's not just the lack of front LEDs. Users must still use legal hand signals because no state in the U.S. recognizes lighted turn signals for bicycles. No matter how bright your lights, or where they're aimed, if you're on a bicycle and don't signal your turn by hand, you didn't signal your turn.
Hope the company is well-insured...