What do Robert Scoble, Steve Wozniak, Leo Laporte, Guy Kawasaki, Andrew Zimmern, and Amy Tan have in common? High tech needs and travel. And that’s where the ScotteVest, or SeV, comes in. Each person listed above is a fan of different pieces. SeV are now looking to add the police to that list.
And you know what? They’ve got something here in the CCW Enforcer Jacket.
The company’s CEO Scott Jordan, the “Scott” part of the name, used his patented TEC system. TEC stands for Technology Enabled Clothing. And if you recognize the name, it may be from “Shark Tank”; he received an offer but decided to walk away. The company is now worth $60 million plus.
Their introduction into the security and law enforcement market began with the Alpha Jacket a few years ago. It has evolved enough to earn a new moniker and a lot of the changes come from the customers themselves.
First, while the Alpha jacket had 33 pockets, the Enforcer has 30. And it’s still plenty. “We removed the dagger pocket on the sleeve, which was on the left side of the pocket. There used to be a zip right down there where you could fit in a full knife,” says Gavin Griffin, SeV’s marketing and public relations implementer. The company receives feedback all the time—it just wasn’t working.
There is at least one pocket within a pocket
- 2 BudBucket pockets
- 3 pen pockets—one on the right,
- two on the left
- Eyeglass pocket and secret pocket
- with chamois
- Divided digital camera pocket with MyMemory pocket
- Extendable key holder and water
- bottle loop
- 2 cellphone/smartphone/mp3 player pocket with touchscreen cover
- 2 rapid access vertical panels
- RFID-blocking travel documents and wallet pocket
- 2 tablet pockets
- 2 handwarmer pockets
What to do with all of them?
It’s clear the company likes pockets. Who doesn’t? It’s easy to walk down the aisles of SHOT Show and turn in nearly any direction to find one more tactical apparel company that has figured out one more clever way to add or hide another pocket. Instead of attaching a face of webbing to literally hang a pocket (Is it more of a pouch if it’s not sewn onto the shell?), SeV decided to layer as many as they could, all the while keeping a clean silhouette. The intent there is to provide you with as many options as you need—I’m going on a limb here saying this—and not necessarily need to fill up each one to the brim.
This isn’t the only piece SeV has. Typically trending towards the high-tech consumer they also make vests, shirts, boxers, hats, pants and more. They even came up with an interesting carry-on challenge—one that I was unable to attempt before deadline. Think of your carry-on bags—your tablets, your chargers, your, laptops, your magazines. They claim you can do away with that by wearing one of their products. “TSA has been trained in every single one of our products—and they love us,” says Griffin. “Why that happens is because when you stuff everything in a backpack it’s all layered on top of each other. And when you get to the TSA, you still have to take your laptop out like normal, but you just take your coat off and go through. Everything is super organized…it’s really rare for the TSA unless you have something illegal to go through one of our jackets.”
In the end game though, there’s a good chance you’re not wearing your laptop in your coat walking the beat or sitting in a patrol car.
You could, though. I did. I wanted to know if I could function the same with my Enforcer “fully loaded” as I could without? Let’s call it a comfort curve. The convenience of having my tech right there was immense. I no longer had to worry about forgetting where I put my iPod (it’s right there in my pocket), search around the house finding my wallet (it’s right there in my RFID pocket in my pocket), or untangle that earbud cord from some mysterious knot known only to the depths of the netherrealm (it’s right there in the lining, and stored in its own pocket).
Convenient as it was, it was also a bit cumbersome since tablets don’t contour very well yet. My Nexus runs under 10.5 inches at its longest and I’d imagine it acted similar as a hard body armor insert—just lighter.
Later I loaded the Enforcer CCW with as much tech as I could find. Save for the water bottle I left my hand-warmer pockets in the front 100% empty. Remember how I said the layered pockets give you the option of filling them? Here’s where I learned that little piece of advice. With all the pockets on top of each other the tech will sit on top of itself as well. In comparison to empty, the full pockets were slightly noticeable. In its defense, all that stuff should have been MUCH more noticeable than it what it was.
The trick here is to have the vital equipment you need at-hand. And quick. Even over-full I was still able to reach into one the massive chest pockets and grab onto the Next Level Training SIRT Model 107 pistol with an easy draw.
“You potentially have the capability to carry one to four pistols with you,” says Griffin. “But when you get into the four pistols there is going to be a tiny bit of show. Those that wear CCW jackets are really concerned about the show but we really tried our best at keeping the pistol up against you.”
Aside from a holster system in each, also available in the outer-most chest space is a small patch of MOLLE for pouches. Mind depth here: too large and they’ll be noticeable. SeV suggests this is a good place for officers to mount their badge; remember that the Enforcer CCW jacket trends more towards the plain-clothes officer. And mind placement here: if your badge and gun are in the same pocket, showing your badge will also reveal the concealed weapon.
The SeV Enforcer CCW was designed for colder weather. With the sleeves attached you’ll be more than comfortable from roughly 25 to 45 degrees F. Unzip the sleeves above that range. That said, note that you’ll also be wearing your tech with you. The main body is warm and well insulated; they even put in some water resistance.
The neoprene-like fabric has a tight weave. You’ll be surprised at the touch and feel. I noticed it’s smooth yet thick enough to let your eye ease over any bumps. Worry less about keeping a professional look with the Enforcer CCW fabric; I have a long-haired German Shepherd whose hair sticks to everything. A simple swipe with my hand brushes it clean.
“This is definitely a little bit more water resistant than our average material…you probably got a solid 30 to 40 minutes in a serious downpour with some serious saturation in the jacket,” says Griffin, adding that it’ll air-dry in about an hour. While it is machine washable, SeV suggests you don’t throw this in the dryer, as it may damage the touchscreen plastic. Apply extra water protection if you want more water proofing.
What I’d like to see
As I wore the jacket a few things stood out. Like SeV’s customers suggesting changes, I have my own. Some however, start to turn the Enforcer away from CCW and more towards a duty jacket.
- Insert sleeves in the chest pockets for body armor inserts—soft or hard
- Exterior place for body-camera
- Exterior place for a badge
- Attachable patch spots on shoulders, upper back, chest for “Police” patch
- Exterior pen holder
- Color-coding for the wire pass-through—it’s a bit of a puzzle to figure out where wires go in and out
