PRESS RELEASE
NEW YORK — Tactical apparel and gear manufacturer 221B Tactical (“221B”) announced the launch of Maxx-Dri Vest 5.0., the newest version of its body armor ventilation vest. The product launch comes on the 10th anniversary of the founding of the company and Maxx-Dri Vest as its flagship product. More than 300,000 Maxx-Dri Vests (“MDV”) have been sold to date.
Maxx-Dri Vest (“MDV”) makes wearing body armor more comfortable for police, military, and anyone who wears body armor—even for long hours in hot humid weather.
Worn between the user’s base-layer shirt and body armor, MDV is constructed from a patented ultra-lightweight 3D material. It creates a “layer of space” that allows fresh air to flow in and perspiration to escape. In hot weather, this keeps the user of body armor cooler and drier. It also minimizes odors and the breakout of rashes. In cold weather, it minimizes the build up and freezing of perspiration, potentially causing hypothermia, from going into warm buildings and cars and then back out into the cold.
Maxx-Dri Vest was invented by Suresh Madhavan, 221B co-founder and CEO and a former police officer of 13 years. As an officer, he had promised his mother to always wear his body armor. He eventually invented MDV because, he says: “Wearing body armor can be uncomfortable, at best. Oftentimes it’s miserable—especially after long hours in hot, humid weather.”
Over the past 10 years, the company continued to improve upon the basic concept.
“Maxx-Dri Vest 5.0 is a major upgrade that makes wearing body armor much more bearable!” says Madhavan. “It delivers the benefits of MDV on steroids. It provides more ventilation and is more adjustable than previous versions, for greater comfort in both hot and cold weather, to help keep police and other users more focused and safe.”
More Adjustable, More Effective
According to Madhavan, Maxx-Dri Vest 5.0 provides these five improvements over previous versions for greater comfort in hot and cold weather:
1) Removable Side Straps. In v4.0, the side straps are permanently attached to the back of the vest and attach to the front with hook-and-loop material. This doesn’t work for everyone. Many users cut the strap off. They want to quickly throw the vest on, throw the body armor on top of that, and make all adjustments with the armor vest. With v5.0, the side straps attach to both front and back with hook-and-loop, and can be completely removed.
2) Greater Adjustability of Side Straps. Because the side straps are now fastened with hook-and-loop material on both ends, they can be length-adjusted on each end. This makes the vest fully adjustable. It provides more (or less) length to adjust for girth, and adjustment can vary from one side to the other.
3) Less Movement, Better Stability. To better keep armor in place, to keep it from shifting, non-slip grip material was added to the front as well as the back MDV 5.0. On v4.0, this grip material is only on the back. The all-around grip material is helpful for users who want to remove the side straps.
4) Upgraded Material. The patented material is now 1.5mm thicker than on v4.0, expanding the layer of space between body and armor. In addition, the holes in the honeycomb weave are now larger, so more air gets through.
5) Extended Coverage. The length of the material along the torso and rib cage is extended by one inch on each side. This provides more coverage under the body armor: More heat and moisture escaping. More air flow. More total ventilation.
90-Day Trial and Lifetime Guarantee
All versions of Maxx-Dri Vest enjoy a lifetime guarantee against breakdowns due to manufacturing defects, Madhavan says, “because they are so well constructed and the material so durable.” For Maxx-Dri Vest 5.0, the company is making a special offer of a 90-day trial period, 60 days more than offered on previous versions. “We’re so confident that police and other body armor users will love it, that we’re offering a full money-back guarantee,” say Madhavan. “You can return it for any reason! We’ll even pay return shipping.”