Consumer Agency: "Some Heated Vests Exceed Surface Temperature of 50℃... Voluntary Recall Planned"

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] Some heated vests that generate heat using auxiliary batteries to increase the warmth of clothing were found to exceed the surface temperature standard (50℃). Accordingly, the sellers of these products have decided to take voluntary corrective action (recall).

On the 18th, the Korea Consumer Agency disclosed the results of testing and evaluating 10 heated vest products for warmth, safety, and usability.

According to the results, products from four companies?Nepa Safety's "Heated Vest," Swiss Military's "HIVE-310," K2's "NAV Engineered Ball Padding Vest (HEAT 360)," and Kolping's "Temi Heated Vest"?were found to be non-compliant with clothing safety standards regarding temperature safety. According to electrical product safety standards, the surface temperature of heated parts of clothing should not exceed 50℃, and for clothing worn below freezing temperatures, it should not exceed 65℃. The test results showed that these four products exceeded the standards. Accordingly, the companies will conduct voluntary recalls.

There were also differences among products in terms of warmth, average temperature of heated areas, and heat retention time. Regarding warmth, the heating and insulation functions using batteries were generally good. Two products, Gyro's "JC-3012C (for use below 0℃)" and K2 Safety's "Hybrid Heated Vest," were rated as "very excellent." However, the Gyro product can only be worn below 0℃, so consumers need to consider the wearing environment when selecting products.

Battery usage time tended to decrease as the temperature of the heated area increased. At level 1 (low temperature), the average temperature ranged from 32 to 47℃, with usage times between 9 and 18 hours. At level 3 (high temperature), the average temperature ranged from 43 to 64℃, with usage times between 4.5 and 10.5 hours, showing differences depending on the product and temperature control level.

After washing, the heating function operated normally, but four products?Gyro's "JC-3012C," Kolping's "Temi Heated Vest," Treksta Safety's "On-Heat Vest V30," and Nepa Safety's "Heated Vest"?had issues with color transfer to other clothing, requiring improvement. Among these, except for the discontinued Nepa Safety "Heated Vest," the other three products have responded to the Consumer Agency that improvements are planned.

A representative from the Consumer Agency stated, "We will continue to provide safety and quality comparison information on functional clothing products to support consumers' rational purchasing activities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.