Unless you’ve been hiding under a travel blogging rock for the last few months, you’ve probably heard the name SCOTTEVEST pop up a couple of times. They didn’t just sponsor TBEX in June, they went as far as to give away their products to every single TBEX attendee. Prior to that, you might have heard Gary talking about them or popping up in their display advertising all over [THE ENTIRE INTERNET].
As we arrived at TBEX to do all our filming of the event, we met up with the SCOTTEVEST team, who were kind enough to give us a Fleece 5.0 as well as one of their standard vests to try out.
So What’s a SCOTTEVEST Anyway?
Essentially, they make products (mainly jackests/vests) which have tons (usually around 24) pockets, some of which are stealthily hidden. It’s technology built into clothing to support their tagline: Dress like a traveler, not a tourist.
The benefit of this is that you can carry a large amount of stuff on your person in a convenient and subtle manner. It has pockets big enough to hold an entire iPad, a full water bottle, as well as pockets which allow you to use your touch-based smartphone straight through the material.
Why They’re Cool
Having tons of pockets is handy in lots of situations when travelling, but have been a few real standout moments for us while testing the Fleece 5.0 where we’ve suddenly realised just how much we didn’t know we needed this but now can’t live without it.
Airport security is, without doubt, one of the most mind-numbingly frustrating parts of air travel. Removing everything from your pockets and bags, dumping it in trays, scrambling to find your boarding pass to show to the security guard who wants to see it for no apparent reason. Then trying to get everything back in to your pockets before you’re killed by the angry mob of passengers coming through behind you. It’s not fun.
With the SCOTTEVEST, you can simply put everything inside the vest – then take the whole vest off to go through security and put it back on again. It sounds ridiculously simple, but it makes a big difference.
Also, when you’re flying budget airlines (in Europe in particular) they frequently become extremely anal sensitive about the size and weight of your carry-on baggage. It’s always especially frustrating when you’re getting in trouble for your bag being 500grams, and yet if you ate your bag, you still wouldn’t be as heavy as the person in the queue behind you.
SCOTTEVEST vests basically allow you to eat your bag. Metaphorically speaking, of course. You can offload almost every single piece of heavy electronic or photographic equipment onto your person – and it doesn’t even look particularly bulky thanks to the careful manufacturing and weight management system.
Yes that’s an iPad in my pocket, and yes I am pleased to see you. Feel free to weigh my now-almost-empty-carry-on-bag.
Why You Should Get One
If you travel a lot and, let’s be honest, if you’re on this site then you probably do – then a SCOTTEVEST can quite easily save you a great deal of time, money, and frustration. Our favourite thing about all of their products is that while they’re 100% geektastic in terms of what they do, they don’t actually look like it to the casual observer. While competitors frequently make you look like Crocodile Dundee, SCOTTEVEST have nicely styled clothing that blends in, rather than standing out.
Nice advertorial for SCOTTEVEST. What about their slogan? “Dress like a traveler not a tourist.” That’s pretty awful isn’t it?
We could probably all write a glowing review if we’d been given $250 worth of clothing (the price wasn’t mentioned here). Has anyone actually bought a SCOTTEVEST? It seems this article coincides with a 50% off sale. Bloggers rave about them but then they’ve all been given them for free, right?
Unless you’re Rolf Potts travelling around the world with no luggage I fail to see why this concept is so great.
SEV sponsors Everything-Everywhere.com, but I have spent actual money on their products and I have bought almost as many items as I’ve been given.
That said – Here’s a few thoughts I have that answer to your specific questions:
Price – I shop at thrift stores, so even clothes at Wal-Mart seem expensive. So believe me when I say that I get that SEV is expensive. That said, I do shell out money for them. They are made very well, they were designed with a ton of thought, and their materials are very high quality. They will take a lot of wear and tear and are made to last. There are also a lot of sales which can help you take the price down a lot. There is an item on sale every day, periodic sales at a high % off, and there’s even a coupon code for 20% off on our site.
Ease of travel – I can get away with putting almost all my carry-on in my vest or jacket. That lets me either carryon everything I have with no checked bag, or carry no carry-on bag. Those extra pockets when traveling with kids are HUGE, because having my hands free to grasp hands or herd children is key in busy airports.
Security – It’s great just taking off the vest or jacket and placing it in the tray when you go through TSA. I like wearing their Phoebe dress as well, but it has actually made going through security more difficult. Because of the hip pocket in the back on the dress, I get my backside patted down virtually every time I wear it through the body scanners. But it is very comfortable, and I must not mind because I continue to choose it as my standard travel outfit.
Did I suffer a blow to the head at the weekend? What’s happened here? Have I stumbled in on a SCOTTEVEST love-in. I feel I should apologise for my blasphemy. I thought the article was offensive enough to the Travelllll readership without this second dose of praise getting through the spam filters claiming to answer some of my “specific questions” – when did I ask those?
What’s happened to blogging? I thought Everything-Everywhere was Gary Arndt’s blog? Who’s Amy Moore? Why are we not allowed to say anything bad about SCOTTEVEST? Who am I? What am I doing here?
Your specific question was : “Has anyone actually bought a SCOTTEVEST?” and I responded to “Unless you’re Rolf Potts travelling around the world with no luggage I fail to see why this concept is so great.” – to me it is great because of easy of travel, security and “Bloggers rave about them but then they’ve all been given them for free, right?” I responded to the pricing and told you I have indeed purchased items with actual money.
To answer your further questions : ” I thought Everything-Everywhere was Gary Arndt’s blog?” It is. I’ve worked with him for over two years in many different roles. “Who is Amy Moore” I am Gary’s assistant. I’ve also spoken at TBEX, am a speaker at TBEX Europe, and have written articles on Travelllll. and work for Abi. “Who am I? What am I doing here?” are things you’ll have to answer yourself.
I didn’t ask you to apologize. I apparently misunderstood your negative statements as questions. Probably because of the “?”s.
“Has anyone actually bought a SCOTTEVEST?”
Yes, several times. I’ve been wearing SeV’s products since 2005 or thereabouts, and they’re great. My SeV jacket saved me a lot of hassle in Gatwick Airport a number of years ago. The security people were making people reduce the size of their carry-ons, so I just took a bunch of gear from my backpack and stuffed it into the back pocket of my SeV jacket. I looked like a hunchback when I put my jacket back on, but the jacket did the trick and saved the day.
Thanks, Durant, good to hear. Is there life for a SCOTTEVEST beyond airport security?
No, Stephen, this was not an advertorial. Please review our editorial policy.
This article was scheduled for publication 3 weeks ago with no knowledge or insight to any SCOTTEVEST promotions occurring. We actually purposely scheduled this a little further in the future because there had been a recent influx of posts from travel bloggers writing about the vests following TBEX.
You want pros and cons?
I actually think the Scottevest is one of the dorkiest pieces of clothing I’ve ever owned, from a purely fashion perspective. Also, I don’t seem to use every pocket for what it was designed for.
However, I’ve worn it during every travel day I’ve had since receiving mine at TBEX in June. In fact, I’m wearing it as I type this in the queue at an airport. Why? Because while it looks dorky IMO, it’s actually the most handy item of clothing I’ve ever owned. For all the reasons John mentioned, and then some. Haters can hate all you want — if you happened to be curious whether or not the vest is useful for travelers, the bottom line is YES, it is.
Let’s be crazy and pretend I’ve only been borrowing mine, I’d now shell out my own money for one I could keep.
Stephen – hilarious, and I’m totally with you on this. Apparently though, it is possible for a blogger to put up a review that doesn’t require repeatedly being referred to the editorial policy to determine whether it’s an advert or not – Deb & Dave (no, not me) have just put up their impressions of the Scottevest range over at http://theplanetd.com/scottevest-travel-clothing-review/. Let’s just say it’s a little more .. ahem … balanced.
I wouldn’t say their review was more “balanced.” I’d say they just have different tastes or needs than the Travelllll.com folks (or I, for that matter) dol.
Their main complaints seem to be that the SeV gear wasn’t “fashionable” (a matter of personal taste) and was too heavy. Fashion is in the eye of the beholder, but I’d have to say that SCOTTEVEST vests and jackets are sleeker and more urban than, say, the typical Columbia jacket or North Face parka. If you wear the latter, you’ll probably be more than satisfied with the look of the SeV products. If you prefer designer wear from a hip boutique, or if you wouldn’t be caught dead in a jacket or coat without a Burberry plaid lining, you probably won’t be.
As for weight, I normally don’t pack my jackets and vests (I wear them), and in any case, I don’t find the SeV products to be any heavier than their counterparts from other brands. The Transformer Jacket, for example, is lighter and packs flatter than the usual poplin golf jacket. It’s also far more versatile. Having said that, I wouldn’t wear SeV jackets or vests in the heat and humidity of summer–but then again, I wouldn’t wear *any* jacket or vest in the sumemr heat, unless it was my lightweight nylon-and-mesh Bob Krist photographer’s vest (formerly sold by L.L. Bean but, unfortunately, discontinued several years ago).
Disclosure: I’ve received some SeV items for review over the years, and I’ve purchased others. The fact that I’ve put my own money down for SeV products (at full retail) should be proof enough of my objectivity.
Bottom line: Clothing is always a matter of personal taste. My wife probably wouldn’t wear SeV jackets or vests, but then again, she wouldn’t wear clothing from L.L. Bean, Columbia, or North Face, either. The PlanetD folks probably should have looked at the photos on SeV’s Web site before agreeing to review the products. That’s what I did–and I’m still wearing SeV products, despite the fact that I don’t look as good in them as Scott Jordan, founder and chief model of SCOTTEVEST, does.
Love the review, LOVE the Fleece 5.0. It is a great travel companion and right now it’s 50% off until tomorrow! (8/8) Thanks again for sharing, John!
I created a video (in Spanish) showing all the things that I was able to carry in their vest:
http://hombrelobo.com/viajes/chaleco-de-viaje-con-capacidad-para-un-ordenador/
Pretty impressive :D
Have to agree with Stephen. The advertising factor came across a little too heavily on this one. Is there anything you don’t like about it…?
Phew! Thanks!
There was no advertising in this post. Please review our editorial policy.
BTW, the only thing wrong with SCOTTEVEST is the same thing that’s great about SCOTTEVEST: Most of SeV’s products have lots of pockets, and some of the pockets are connected with each other. On a few occasions, I’ve lost items inside my jacket and haven’t discovered them until months later. I’ve learned to pat the jacket down after a trip just in case my phone, extra camera battery, etc. is floating around in a pocket that I didn’t know existed.
Clicking a few links shows Amy above works for Everything-Everywhere travel blog. That explains her comment.
I really wouldn’t mind comparing a Scottevest next to some other versions. Sadly all these poorly written sponsored / ads put me off the product. Can no one in travel blogging write an impartial review anymore?
Our review was entirely impartial, Amanda. It was not sponsored, nor was it an advertisement. I can’t speak for others, however we weren’t under any obligation to review the product in question as a result of being given a sample, and we certainly weren’t under any obligation to say something positive about it.
I would invite you to review our editorial policy, where you will find a full run-down of how our processes work.
About as cool as wearing socks with sandals…
TravMonkey: The point of wearing a SCOTTEVEST product isn’t to be cool–it’s all about the pockets.
Back in 2005 or so, when I bought my first SeV Jacket, there was a certain coolness factor associated with SeV, at least if you were a techie/geek type. In those days, the products were being sold as vests, jackets, etc. for the electronic-gadget set, with a built-in “Personal Area Network” for one’s iPod and such.
I didn’t have an iPod or any need to route wires to a pair of earbuds through the collar of my jacket, but as a traveler, I was intrigued by two things: (1) the many internal pockets of various sizes, which were less vulnerable to pickpockets than the external pockets of a conventional parka; and (2) SeV’s “weight management system,” which made it possible to load up the jacket with things like a guidebook and city street atlas, a small camera, a phone, maps, a soft hat and a pair of gloves in cool weather, etc. with everything suspended comfortably from the jacket’s interior.
Today, the folks at SCOTTEVEST have caught onto the fact that there are more travelers who are willing to spend money on special clothing than there are iPod users who are willing to spend money on special clothing. I don’t think much of SeV’s current ad campaign (to quote Evelyn Waugh, “the tourist is always the other fellow”), but SeV’s products are great for travelers–except in hot weather, when I prefer my lumpy but well-ventilated Bob Krist nylon-and-mesh photo vest–and they’re especially useful in urban settings where the security offered by hidden internal pockets is a wise alternative to the “Steal me!” design of a conventional vest or jacket with external pockets.
By the way, SCOTTEVEST has a great slogan for its boxers, which (oddly enough) have iPod and passport pockets:
” Keep it in your shorts.”