FitBack and Torch Coat product inventor Anthony DeVito answers some questions…
Q: What got you into the Heated Clothing business?
A: I started with my first product, the Torch Coat Heater, which is a battery powered heater designed to fit into the jacket of your choosing. I came up with the idea for Torch because I was traveling to northern Michigan for a winter wedding (at the time I was living in sunny LA) and I needed something that could be worn at a wedding but still provide a good amount of heat. There was literally nothing on the market so I started thinking of ways to make it happen, and that’s when the idea for the Torch Coat Heater was born. I eventually launched a successful crowdfunding campaign for Torch and in the following years successfully sold Torch on our website. Soon enough people started asking if we had heated gloves and heated insoles, so last year we experimented with a few products and found that there was definitely a demand. This year we developed our own products and designs and placed a larger order for this upcoming winter. We even added a new heated base layer shirt.
I was very passionate about adding FitBack to our lineup as well, because I suffer from back pain due to a degenerative disc in my low back.
We love winter sports, specifically snowboarding, and hate the cold so we love what we do, and product testing is the best part! We also believe that heated apparel is going to become very common. With the batteries shrinking and becoming more powerful, thanks to the demands with cell phones and automobiles, we think we will have soon have very small batteries that can power our clothes for extended periods of time.
Q: Why do you think a heated back brace could help many who suffer from back issues?
A: Heat therapy is very common for relieving low back pain and we are trying to make it more convenient for everyone so they can enjoy heat anywhere. Convenience is a huge barrier to pain relief. Most heated back wraps use a microwaveable heat pack which makes it hard to get the right temperature and even more inconvenient on the go because a microwave is required. Other heated back wraps need to be plugged in, and those with batteries use outdated and bulky batteries. We use our custom, super slim power bank that connects with a USB, so it can also be used to charge cell phones or tablets. There is not one other heated back wrap in the world that can claim that (as of this writing).
So by being as portable as we are, you can now enjoy heat therapy anywhere and I believe that is the biggest reason why are going to be able to help so many people. In fact, I used it all the time on the slopes, where no other product would have worked. The heat is very nice in the cold, but it also works to loosen the muscles, increasing the range of motion, and potentially decreasing the chances of injury. That is why we also say it is a performance back brace.
Q: Your Coat Heater was featured on UnBox Therapy and got a great reception. What’s it like seeing your hard work get a good response from someone so well known in the tech world?
A: Getting featured on Unbox Therapy was so great and even better with such a good review. Running a business can be stressful, and at times you can feel like giving up when things get rough.
Things like getting featured on Unbox Therapy can really put the wind right back in your sails. It really made us realize that we are on the right path, and it also gave us a sense of hope for our new ideas and products that we are coming out with. I can only hope we get such a good reception with our new products, and that review set the bar pretty high so we are even more motivated to work harder now and come up with new products that people love.
