Southwest Technologies CAP602 Elasto-Gel Cranial Cap Large/XL

I love how well this cranial cap cools all over the head. I know of no other product that does that so very well. I've been using extra large-sized ice bags, and they can wrap around a fairly large area, but nothing like this, which engulfs the WHOLE head other than face (a good eye mask used at the same time as this hood can be a wonderful combination, by the way). I hadn't felt that before, and it was wonderful to discover this product and that feeling of whole-head cooling coverage it gives since my headaches are whole-head headaches. It's rather comforting in a way, too, like being wrapped up in a soft warm blanket when you're chilled. Speaking of soft, the surface of this thing is surprisingly soft to the touch. It looks plastic-like in the photo to me, but it's a very soft cloth-like feeling. The cooling comes at all areas equally in my experience, which is unique for me with head-cooling products.I bought the VERY expensive "Soothe-Away Thermal Therapy" system, which has an electrical pump pumping water through tubes into attachments that go on your head, and that doesn't come close to the wonderful cooling feeling and coverage that this product without all the trouble of refilling a pump machine with distilled water regularly, or the far greater cost of that system.Of course, as with any product you cool in the freezer, the cooling wears off. But I find this hood can last as long as 45 minutes before I feel that the cooling power of it has worn off. Even then, I'll sometimes leave it on longer and derive benefit. But really, after 30 to 40 minutes usually, I find this hood needs to be placed back in the freezer for a refresh. That's longer than what I get from any gel-pack or other freezer-cooled product I've tried, so I'm happy with the duration of its effects relative to what's available that I know of.Ice bags last longer, especially the largest ones, and they can contact a lot of your head at once. But they leave a lot untouched at any given point in time (I rotate those around to get different areas), and the most problematic thing with ice bags or gel packs is that you have to hold them in place or else stay still after balancing them somewhere. This hood avoids that need, which is wonderful: hands-free operation, and the ability to move around to reach for something or whatever!I could have deducted one star for the fact that the strap for the neck is too short for me. The size of the cranial cap is perfect, so I don't think the larger sized unit would've been necessary or even good for me. I get around this by using my over-the-counter neck brace that I get from a drug store, which is merely a thick foam pad with Velcro straps. Putting on this hood, not using the hood's neck strap, and then putting the neck brace around the outside of the hood's neck portion works perfectly for me, so I didn't deduct that star because of the neck strap being too short for me. Besides, I can get the neck strap on as it comes, but it's just a bit uncomfortable for me, perhaps only because I have a large Adam's apple (if I were female, I might not have felt the neck strap was too short at all). I suppose I'd deduct 0.5 stars for the neck strap issue, so I could round up to 5 or down to 4. I went with up, because, in sum...I just LOVE how this feels on my head: cooling all over like nothing else gives, lasting longer than other freezer-cooled or ice-filled products, and comforting.I had this on my Wish List for a long time--just so I wouldn't forget about it or not be able to find it in a search again--before deciding to pay what for me is a fairly high cost, and I'm so very glad I finally just went ahead and bought it. If you're reading this, you have very bad headaches on a regular basis like I do (mine are severe daily), and you likely use ice bags and gel packs of various brands, models, sizes, and types like I do. With all that experience and all these things I've acquired, this is by far the best I have or have tried, all in all, and worth the cost. If you had the money buying more than one so you can rotate them in the freezer would be just wonderful. But even though I can only really afford one right now, I can say that even if you only get one and even if it does lose its cool (like the others) and need recharging in the freezer, I highly recommend this product and I hope you find yourself as happy with this as I am!When possible, I'll buy one or two more so I can rotate them in the freezer for the worst of my headaches, when I can use one for a half hour to 45 minutes, then pop a fresh one on for some pretty long-acting, all-over head cooling. I'd recommend that even more than just one of these, though it obviously makes sense to buy one for now to see how you like it first. I encourage you to try that!

Having suffered from 2 heat strokes in the past from competitive running, my body tends to overheat rather easily so getting it back to normal temperature as quickly and safely as possible is very important. I would also tend to get very severe heat related headaches after training, especially in the warmer months. I wear an ice vest to help regulate the body temp before and after runs, but my head always seemed to stay very warm. I would set ice packs on top my head and it helped, but keeping the ice pack on while even lying down proved difficult, let alone doing anything else. I was given this as a gift and it is one of my most favorite and appreciated things. The difference it makes with cooling my head, relaxing the muscles and ease of use just make it perfect. It fits snug, but not tight. Its heavy enough to allow the cool to sink into your head but not so heavy that it feels awkward. It also gradually cools vs freezing your head. I definitely recommend it to anyone who gets heat or stress related headaches or just needs to relax the head muscles or cool down. Soft material as well. So much better than trying to hold a towel and ice pack on your head and works much more efficiently going not just over your head but down the back as well.

I heard that cold caps helped with hair loss during chemo. I did some shopping around and found this to be the best choice. I bought two, and during chemo I have my nurses switch out the two from the freezer. I do have thick hair and I do have a lot of hair come out when I wake up and brush my hair. I've noticed that there is more now but I'm on my 4th chemo session and I still have hair! I will keep wearing this cap and I do believe it helps! I would recommend buying 3 if using for chemo, due to the cold doesn't last long and switching just two out doesn't give them enough time to refreeze. I don't wear anything on my head, just this cap, I find the cold to feel good too.

I purchased this same product...in name only...3 years ago, from Amazon. After hundreds of uses, it sadly was finally time for a new one, as the gel on the inside had apparently started to break down, and slide around, creating large lumps and vacant spots. I'd gotten so much great use out of this cap, I not only wasn't upset about it's failure, but I didn't hesitate to buy a new one. I searched my Amazon purchases, clicked on "purchase again", and completed checkout.Unfortunately, after a couple uses, it's become very apparent to me that this is newer "version" of the Elasto-Gel Cranial Cap is SUBSTANTIALLY inferior to the old design, in both quality/build AND functionality. It's pretty obvious the manufacturer has done some cost-cutting in the materials department, to improve their profits...which greatly diminished the overall quality of their product. This happens all the time in manufacturing, with various products, but I've never seen such a drastic degradation of a product, firsthand. I'm returning this junk to Amazon for a refund, and will have to go back to crushed ice in a gallon freezer bag.Pros- If you have a small head/neck, and can't take too much cold, this may still work for you. Otherwise, it's useless.Cons- MUCH Smaller design. Original weighed 3.5 lbs, new design weighs only 2.25 lbs. Head and neck size are considerably smaller as well.- Does not stay cold NEARLY as long as the old design. Where I used to get a good 30-45 min. of extreme cold, and a couple more hrs of comfortable cooling....I now get 15-20 min. MAX, and it's done...warm and ready to go back in the freezer.- Velcro barely touches the other side, enough to hook on the edge, and still chokes me. The old design had no such issue.