This Jacket Will Wirelessly Charge Your Phone

It can be yours for $169, plus add-ons
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 28, 2016 11:22 AM CDT
This Jacket Will Wirelessly Charge Your Phone
The BauBax bomber jacket, selling for $169.   (BauBax)

Not yet terrified that you'll suddenly burst into flame? Put on one of Hiral Sanghavi's jackets. The man behind Kickstarter's BauBax travel jacket—which last year became the fourth most-funded project on Kickstarter, raising $9.2 million—hopes to raise $100,000 with his new plans for clothes that wirelessly charge your devices. The jackets, hoodies, jeans, and shorts come with a pocket for your phone or other device that serves as a wireless charging pad thanks to hidden copper wire and a battery bank. The battery bank takes two to four hours to charge, using a BauBax charging pad, and provides a full charge to a smartphone or two charges to a smartwatch, reports CNNMoney. If you'd rather not wear the battery, BauBax also offers charging wallets, wristlets, and more.

The clothing ranges in price from $69 for men's shorts to $169 for a jacket, but necessary add-ons drive up the cost. The $49 battery bank is sold separately, as is a $39 watch connector, $29 charging pad, and $15 phone case that provides wireless charging capability for iPhones; Android devices can go without the case. The prices are expected to climb as the campaign continues. Still, Cherlynn Low at Engadget, who got to try some of the products, suggests they're worth a try. "The soft interior lining made the clothes comfortable and the garments felt luxe," she writes. "I was impressed that, even with the phones and battery packs in the pockets, the women's vest I tried on didn't show any unsightly bulges." The gear is scheduled to ship out in January. (More Kickstarter stories.)

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