*By Steffon, Founder of AirVest*
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Most product stories go like this: founder has idea, founder finds product, product launches, everyone is happy.
That's a clean story. It's also not entirely true — at least not for AirVest.
The reality was messier, slower, and more humbling than I expected. And there's one problem we're still working on right now that I want to be completely upfront about.
Because I'd rather you hear it from me than find out later.
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## The Search That Took Way Too Long
When the idea for AirVest first took shape, I assumed the hard part was the concept. Once I knew what I wanted to build — a fan-ventilated cooling vest built for Singapore's outdoor workforce — I figured the product would follow.
It didn't.
What followed was months of sourcing, sampling, testing, and rejecting. Sample after sample came in that simply wasn't good enough — not for a real job site, not for the kind of workers I was building this for.
Some were too heavy. You'd put them on and immediately feel the weight pulling on your shoulders — not ideal when someone is already carrying tools, climbing scaffolding, or moving through tight spaces for eight hours straight. A vest that adds fatigue defeats the entire purpose.
Others were too bulky. They added unnecessary width and restricted movement in ways that would simply not be acceptable on a working site. Practical wearability isn't optional — it's everything.
And then there was the fan quality. This one frustrated me the most. A cooling vest lives and dies by its airflow. I came across samples where the fans were underpowered, inconsistent, or simply loud in a way that felt cheap. If the core function of the product doesn't perform, nothing else matters.
Every rejected sample was a lesson. But lessons don't feel like progress when you're sitting on a pile of prototypes that aren't good enough and wondering if the right product actually exists.
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## When It Finally Clicked
The version of AirVest you see today came together after a long process of narrowing down what actually mattered — and refusing to compromise on those things.
Weight had to be under 500g. The fans had to deliver real, felt airflow — not just technical specs on paper. The vest had to sit flat against the body and fit over existing uniforms without adding bulk. And it had to meet Singapore's ISO 20471 high-visibility standards, because a safety vest that doesn't meet safety requirements isn't a safety vest at all.
When a sample finally checked every one of those boxes, it was a quiet moment of relief more than celebration. Not "we did it" — more like "okay, this is real now."
That became the AirVest Signature Series. The product that's available today. And I'm genuinely proud of what it does for the people wearing it.
But there's something I need to address.
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## The Problem We Haven't Solved Yet
Singapore has two predictable weather conditions: blazing heat and sudden, heavy rain.
AirVest was built to solve the first one. The second one? We're not there yet.
The current design is water-resistant — it can handle humidity, light moisture, and the general dampness that comes with working in Singapore's climate. But heavy rain is a different story. With electrical components built into the vest — the fans, the speed controller, the battery system — operating in heavy rain introduces a genuine electrical safety concern that I'm not willing to overlook.
Right now, our recommendation is straightforward: if it's raining heavily, seek shelter and switch the vest off. That's the honest, responsible answer.
But it's not good enough for the long term. Outdoor workers in Singapore don't get to pause their schedules every time the sky opens up. The unpredictability of tropical weather is part of the daily reality they work in — and a product that truly serves them needs to account for that.
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## What We're Working On
The next iteration of AirVest is already in development — and the focus is on solving this exact problem.
The direction we're exploring is better water-resistant materials throughout the vest — not just the outer shell, but the way the electrical components are housed, protected, and sealed. The goal is a vest that maintains its safety credentials in wet conditions without adding weight, reducing airflow, or compromising the core wearability that makes the current design work.
It's not a quick fix. Material science and electrical safety don't move fast, and I refuse to rush something that directly affects the safety of the people wearing it. If it takes another round of samples, another round of rejections, and another longer-than-expected journey — that's what it takes.
The workers who wear AirVest deserve a product that was built carefully. Not quickly.
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## Why I'm Telling You This
I could have left this out. A lot of brands do.
But the whole reason AirVest exists is because I saw a real problem that the industry was ignoring — and I didn't want to be that kind of brand. The kind that papers over problems with polished marketing.
The current AirVest is the best version we could bring to market right now. It does exactly what it promises in the conditions it was designed for. And we are actively working to make the next version better — more capable, more resilient, and ready for whatever Singapore's weather decides to do.
That work is happening. And when it's ready, you'll be the first to know.
Until then — if you're working outdoors in Singapore's heat, the vest you need exists today.
The one that handles the rain is coming.
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*Follow AirVest's journey at [www.airvest.sg](https://www.airvest.sg) or reach us directly on WhatsApp at +65 9295 9194. We're always open to feedback, questions, and conversations with the people who work outdoors every day.*