do those "neck coolers" work?!?!?

[suzquig]

We are going Aug 30th-Sept 4th. My Mom is in her mid 60's and is VERY heat sensitive. This is our 4th trip-so we know what we MUST see and will be planning breaks- but our 1st trip in the "heat" (we have always gone in late October early November and have been blessed with FANTASTIC weather...but unfortunately can no longer afford to take kids out of school ). I have been researching these so called "neck coolers" has anyone ever actually used them and do they work...even for a few hours????
Thanks so much!!!

 

[PinballFamily]

Have to say - we really used ours and thought they worked in the late August heat! And we're taking them back to use again this year.

Bought them online from a crafter who uses great Disney fabrics, etc. - but can't remember her name - it was years ago. (Google "disney neck wrap"???) We refresh them at sinks or water fountains throughout the parks, or from our water bottles about every hour or two. They keep you cool land don't drip down your neck or anything. They do help - but we also love our little tiny Misty Mate sprayers. (BJs isn't stocking them this year - rats! - so we're clinging to the three working ones we have left!) The combo of these two items REALLY helps make the hot park days more comfortable.

Edited to add - there is a crafter I just found using google and "disney neck coolers" - it sounds like the same one we used, but I'm not sure. Our wraps are 100% cotton with a variety of Disney fabrics, didn't color-bleed, and didn't get our clothing wet.

 

[cat83]

Are they the wraps that expand with water?
Yes, we have a few of them and they are refreshing! You'll want to occasionally re-wet them with cold water.
But they are easy to store and easy to use

 

[MHSweb79]

I had high hopes for these but after one use (and I followed directions carefully- I did not oversoak) they went into the garbage. Ours became slimy in the humidity and my neck got a rash. The rest of the family didn't get a rash but couldn't hack the slime. Not fun all.

On subsequent trips I brought some $1 ice packs (the kind where you break the little glass tube inside and then it gets cold) and these worked well, although briefly. When the cold runs out, you just toss them.

Others here recommend a mini "sponge bath" using Handi-wipes or other alcohol-based wipes, which really do clean you up and cool you down.

I did get the little Misty Mates at BJ's last year and they worked great. It's worth looking around for them. WalMart supposedly has the mini fans right now but I don't know if they hold water or just blow air. WalMart does have the big water fan bottles which are much much cheaper than the ones you buy in the parks, but they are bulky and somewhat inconvenient to carry around.

 

[bicker]

The ones that we were given on our Adventures by Disney trip a couple of years ago worked great. We still use them.

 

[phorsenuf]

I use to see these in Wal-Mart but haven't for a while. I'd love to get a couple. Anyone know somewhere else to check (not online).

 

[asta]

We used something called a 'chilly dana' made by Frog Togs. Someone reccommended them on this board and I found them at Dick's Sporting Goods. I thought they worked well and they weren't slimy at all. We wet them before leaving for the parks and put them in a large zip lock bag when we weren't using them. Sometimes they stopped feeling very cool even though they were still wet but you could just take it off for a few minutes and let it become cool again.

 

[suzquig]

I use to see these in Wal-Mart but haven't for a while. I'd love to get a couple. Anyone know somewhere else to check (not online).

I checked two local $ stores (for the water fan things) and no luck....I will be checking Walmart this weekend and post if I have luck. The neck cooler thing seem to be widely available...just was curious as to how they work. Will probably get some....Amazon sells them for 7$ for a 3 pack....for that amount it is worth the try!!!
Thanks again!

 

[bicker]

Yeah, it does make sense that there will be "good ones" and "bad ones". Hopefully, the "good ones" correlate to the more expensive ones and the "bad ones" correlate to the cheaper ones!

 

[labdogs42]

We love ours. I bought some of the Disney fabric ones on eBay and a brand called bluBandoo. They all worked great. If you over-soak them, the goo inside can seep out a bit and get slimy, but once they dry out a bit, they are fine again. I love mine!

 

[erincon23]

QVC sells these. I think they come in sets of more than 1 (like several in a package).

ETA: I just looked for them on the QVC website -- they had TERRIBLE reviews. Don't know if it's just this brand.

 

[StitchFan73]

A lot of chefs and cooks have been using them for years and they swear by them. If you can't find them anywhere else, check restaurant supply or places that sell chefware

 

[Dizzyworld]

We tried one from REI and couldn't get it to stop bleeding color. Luckily I did test runs on paper towels and scraps of fabics or I would have had to throw out lots of shirts. I finally gave up, and threw it out.

 

[joybeth]

We tried one from REI and couldn't get it to stop bleeding color. Luckily I did test runs on paper towels and scraps of fabics or I would have had to throw out lots of shirts. I finally gave up, and threw it out.

I have the "Cool Tie" brand from REI that I used for our June 2009 trip, and can't say enough good things about it! I had a tie-dyed colored one and didn't have any problem with the colors running, even on the super rainey days. It was never slimey or gooey. My family all made fun of me the first day, but wanted to borrow it in no time! I would never go in the warm months without!

jb

 

[joybeth]

I have the "Cool Tie" brand from REI that I used for our June 2009 trip, and can't say enough good things about it! I had a tie-dyed colored one and didn't have any problem with the colors running, even on the super rainey days. It was never slimey or gooey. My family all made fun of me the first day, but wanted to borrow it in no time! I would never go in the warm months without!

jb

Here's the one that I have. You can read the reviews here:

http://www.rei.com/search?query=cool+tie

 

[sharadoc]

We got ours from QVC years ago and they work wonderful. We have never had a problem with slime or seepage. I put them in the sink overnight every night, so I "oversoaked" them I guess. No problem whatsoever. We just came back from a June trip and wore them everyday.

I'm sure it has to do with the fabric they are made from. I've always wanted to buy them in the Disney fabrics, but I was afraid they used something like cotton or rayon that would be a loose weave.

I just tried to search for them on QVC to see if they were the same as the ones I bought and couldn't find them at all. UPDATE - yes they are the same ones we have. Our of 99 reviews, 57 were 5 star, and I think a few of the 1 star reviews were people who had unrealistic expectations. They don't get cold, they get wet and having a wet cloth around your neck keeps you cool.

We have wet them and put them in the fridge, but that is actually TOO cold for us. Cold water in the sink works best.

 

[suzquig]

I have the "Cool Tie" brand from REI that I used for our June 2009 trip, and can't say enough good things about it! I had a tie-dyed colored one and didn't have any problem with the colors running, even on the super rainey days. It was never slimey or gooey. My family all made fun of me the first day, but wanted to borrow it in no time! I would never go in the warm months without!

jb

Thanks for posting...the reviews seem favorable. Although a little more expensive then some brands...$10 seems worth it to keep us all comfy!

 

[britterbell]

we use them in sports all the time. they work great!

 

[catne]

daughter was a catcher on softball team for years--she used one whenever it was hot - as you can imagine you warm up fast in all that catcher's gear...she didn't wear it while catching because it got in the way of the gear, but the 2nd she hit the dugout, she put it on and it really cooled her down quickly.

Coach got it for her -- from sporting goods store (don't know which one, we have Cabela's, Scheel's and Dick's in the area so?)

 

[Shir Kahn]

We bought ours from CraftyWench.com after someone here suggested it and they worked great, but unfortunately, although she's still in business, she seems to have cut back on a lot of the stuff she used to sell, including the neck coolers.