Smart textiles power up
The market for smart clothing is heating up, literally. A search for heated jackets on Amazon leads to dozens of jackets, vests and hoodies offered by countless brands in prices ranging roughly from $60 to $140. These jackets are easy to spot in real life, thanks to a shining LED on the chest boldly signalling the presence of a smart function in action. Product descriptions indicate that most of the heating elements are made in “carbon fibre”. A deeper dive into customer reviews shows that buyers are generally happy with their performance; the number of complaints is low, criticisms include the brightness of the LED but also the quality of the plugs. Some do not function at all and provide no customer service, as experienced by French techno-designer Elisabeth de Senneville. Florence Bost, a smart textile designer based in Paris, warns that if the components are of low quality, there is a real risk they could ignite. A single unfortunate accident would be bad news for a budding market segment.
