Spotlight: Warmfront Chest Warmer
The Warmfront adds a little extra warmth right on the front of your torso. 
The idea might seem silly, but it works as advertised. 
Three different levels of warmth and protection are available, including a lightweight waffle-pattern fleece (right), the same fabric with a layer of windproof material (center), and a heavier-weight fleece with a windproof layer laminated in the middle (left). 
The waffle-pattern fleece doesn’t look like much, but it’s impressively warm considering how much it compresses. 
Two of the Warmfront models feature Velcro collars so they’re easy to get on and off as needed. The heavy-duty model incorporates a fleece neck gaiter.
We already have a wealth of good options for helping us stay warm and cozy during the cooler mornings and evenings as the world makes the transition between winter and summer. Vests/gilets? Ultralight jackets? Windproof jerseys? Check, check, and check.
So do we really need another one? Maybe.
Warmfront is an upstart Colorado company offering a modern (and far more functional) take on the old-fashioned dickey. Just as the name suggests, these chest warmers add an extra layer right on the front of your torso, where it’s arguably needed most.
There are three versions available. The Ultralight uses a waffle-pattern fleece body, whereas the Koselig (“cozy” in Norwegian) incorporates an additional windproof layer for extra protection. Both include high-cut collars with Velcro closures for easy on-and-off and several pattern choices for the collar. Finally, there’s the Warmfront Max, which uses a more traditional fleece material for insulation, but with a laminated windproof layer and built-in waffle-pattern fleece neck warmer. All of them roll up super small (smaller than a pair of arm warmers) to easily tuck away in a jersey pocket.
Warmfront even offers custom sizing — possible only because of the small-batch, local manufacturing — and the company also has a “Buy One Give One” program whereby a special Warmfront is donated to a breast cancer survivor for every one purchased at retail.
Do these look a little silly? Well, by themselves, sure — but they’re not supposed to be visible, anyway. And wouldn’t a vest do the same thing while keeping the windproof layer on the very outside? Yes again, but they also don’t feel quite as warm, either.
Silliness aside, I have to admit after using these for a few weeks that they actually work pretty well, and they’ve also been handy for other activities like skiing. And truth be told, I haven’t found them to be a replacement for a vest or jacket, but rather a good addition to one to expand the comfortable temperature range of my kit even further. The pricing isn’t too bad, either.
Price: US$29-39 / AU$40-50
More information: www.thewarmfront.com
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