I technically can’t call this a product review, because I’m about to write about a new product from ScotteEvest, and as most of you know, I sit on their advisory board. So consider it more of a “hey, cool, check this out!” post. That said, there are tons of reviews already out from people with no connection to ScotteVest, and you can read them to get more insight.

ScotteVest just came out with their Fleece 7.0. I’m not going to do a whole review, I’m just going to mention one new thing that I truly love about this redesigned fleece: The cool new feature here allows you to use your Smartphone without having to take it out of your pocket. And I don’t mean to just answer calls, I mean to actually use it.

Biggest complaint for any type of Smartphone: To do anything with it, it needs to be in front of you, regardless of circumstance. Rain. Snow. Dark alley. Empty subway platform… To use it, you need to take it out, and show it to the world. In NYC, where I live, there’s actually a campaign from the NYC Police Department that encourages you to NOT use your phone on public transit, lest it get jacked from you as you’re concentrating on Angry Birds.

Is the SeV Fleece 7.0 the full-on solution to the above problem? Not entirely. But it definitely helps a bit:

If you put your Smartphone in the left jacket pocket with the screen facing down, the screen rests against a piece of “clear-touch fabric” (as the SF Gate said, “think vinyl”) that lets you use it perfectly without taking it out of your pocket. It also cuts down, probably by 70% or so, the “hey, look at me, I have an expensive Smartphone for the stealing right here!” problem.

Does it make your phone invisible? Of course not. And you should always be aware of your surroundings. But for someone like me who primarily uses their Smartphone for anything BUT making phone calls, this is a nice touch.

Of course, because it’s a SEV, it has tons of pockets, some visible, some not, that allow you to carry your gear without looking like you’re carrying your gear, which has always been their goal.

As mobile becomes more of the norm, this logic would seem to make sense. Until phones recognize their user and automatically shut down when grabbed by someone else (hey, why doesn’t that exist yet?) this is a nice feature.

Again, this isn’t a true “review,” since I’m involved with the company, but it’s something I haven’t seen yet, so I thought it worth mentioning.

Check it out here: Use code 20HARO for 20% off all SeV items. Enjoy! :)