World's first connected ski jacket wicks away sweat

There are two major factors that make a ski jacket great: the ability to keep wearers warm and the ability to keep them dry. For the former, there's not much issue. Most ski jackets in the market today are made of heat-retentive textiles that keep wearers from freezing. Unfortunately, these fabrics do not wick away moisture from the body fast enough, especially in colder temperatures where breathability drops significantly.

This problem is what Switzerland-based sports apparel brand Kjus aims to address. Adopting compatriot tech firm Osmotex'sHydro_Bot technology, the company released recently the 7Sphere Hydro_Bot ski jacket - the world's first connected ski jacket that pushes sweat away with a push of a button.

The technology works via a process called electro-osmosis, in which two user-controlled electronic membranes are integrated in the back the jacket, said to be the area where a person sweats the most.

The membranes consist of billions of pores per square meter and are surrounded by conductive fabric. When a small electrical pulse is applied, these pores pump perspiration away from the body and out of the jacket, preventing the post-activity chill that results from having saturated clothing. This action can be turned on and off using a power switch, or via an iOS or Android app.

Kjus claims the 7Sphere ski jacket is 10 times more efficient than those with regular membranes as it measures the amount of sweat passing through the panels, allowing the jacket to work faster as more moisture is produced. Breathability also remains optimal as the ski wear is not affected by freezing temperature.

The 7Sphere Hydro_Bot ski jacket is set go on retail beginning December 10 at the company's website for $1,699. Initially, only men's versions are offered.