Squease vest

Hi there - I actually have an answer prepared for this question already.

I bought a Squease vest a while ago, and this is the feedback I sent through to the people who make it, after the rental period:

'Yes, I have found the jacket useful, and I would like to purchase it.

In terms of feedback, I do think that product is a great idea, and well designed.

In terms of the specifics, I did find that one issue was that the jacket didn't provide any pressure around my shoulders - given how much tension I feel I hold around that area.

There was a small amount of 'squeeze' through the shoulder straps standing up, though not as much as elsewhere, but sitting or lying down - as I found as I often was with the jacket, using it to help focus on work, or helping me with insomnia - negated what little pressure there was completely, as the jacket slackened.

I also wondered if perhaps velcro was the ideal choice for fastening, getting the right amount of pressure could be something of a balancing act at times, making sure it was tight enough to make a difference, but not so tight it become too uncomfortable - the problem with velcro is that it has be unhooked and rehooked even for a small adjustment.

Sometimes, for example, I might have fully inflated the jacket, but feel like it just wasn't quite tight enough, but unstrapping the velcro then attempting to re attach it became a struggle, meaning I generally had to deflate it, adjust the velcro and re-inflate it.

I found myself wondering if some sort of adjustable straps which could be tightened more easily when the jacket was fully inflated could allow for such 'fine-tuning'.

I found myself wondering if fabric straps with a runner which meant the jacket could be slackened or tightened in one movement, without having to rip off velcro for even a small change could be more effective in this sense.

I even got as far as imagining a kind of 'harness' of cord would actually allow for four or six strands to run through the jacket, i.e. including through the shoulder straps, meaning that the user could tighten and then tie it as appropriate, not only around their chest and waist, but also across their shoulders and so-on.

Perhaps it seems like quibbling, but with a product as useful as the jacket, it seems like anything which can optimise that sense of calming pressure is worth considering.

This would allow the user to 'tug' themselves for an extra tight squeeze, purely temporarily... on-top of the prolonged pressure that the jacket can provide - if that makes sense?

I thought that this further degree of immediate control for users might be beneficial - I found that as I would wear the jacket for quite long periods, I would encounter further moments of stressful situations (those typical for autistics, such as social interactions and sensory intrusions) made me feel like a further, brief 'squeeze' of even more intense pressure - the kind that I wouldn't want for more than a few seconds - might help to make me feel back in control and more relaxed.

Similarly, while the jacket is perfectly inconspicuous - as it was intended to be - and I understand the benefits of this, having worn the jacket in public on numerous occasions,  I wondered if - in an ideal world - another, more 'heavy-duty' version could be available.

That is to say, a similar product without the constraint of visibility being a factor - I got quite carried away with the idea in-fact, considering a full 'body-sock' variation, that could perhaps link together in seperate 'pieces' and so allow for areas not covered by the jacket currently to be 'squeased' - i.e. shoulders/neck, upper-arm, lower-back, upper legs and so-on.

Obviously I understand that this is simply my imagination, and that being asked to actually sit-down and design something along these lines would be a difficult task in ways I'm surely overlooking - but certainly the basic concept seems sound enough to attempt this, as the current product demonstrated - to me at-least.

One other very small issue was the stiffness of the pump, after using the jacket routinely for the first day or two I actually had to stop for a day or two after that, as my fingers were aching so much I couldn't pump it anymore!

I did get accustomed to this afterwards, and it wasn't a problem beyond that first few days, but still, I thought I should mention it - obviously I don't know how the ins-and-outs of issues such as it would affect cost and so-on but I am aware you can get automatic pumps for products such as inflatable beds and so-on, and it did seem like perhaps that could be useful to consider here in some form perhaps - just an idea of course.'

I hope that might help at least a little bit for you.