Travel Vest Buying Guide

February 7, 2022

Best travel vest for pocket lovers | SCOTTeVEST

Have you ever found yourself scratching your head trying to figure out how to pack everything for your trip? Or struggling to find your cell phone and ID as you go through airport security?

Tried different carry-on bags, crossbody purses, and even fancy tight-packing hacks, but nothing worked?

A new bag isn’t going to cut it. You need a travel vest.

A travel vest, which looks like just another travel jacket, doubles as an undercover carry-on bag. Using a travel vest in your journeys gives you packable, flexible storage and lets you keep all of your essential gadgets within reach.

Benefits of Travel Vests
What Makes the Best Travel Vest
Why Choose SCOTTeVEST Travel Vests
SCOTTeVEST — Pocket Science
Don’t Believe Us? Check Out Some Vestimonials of SCOTTeVEST Travel Vests
SCOTTeVEST for Women
SCOTTeVEST for Men
Final Thoughts: Best Travel Vest for Pocket Lovers

Benefits of Travel Vests

When people think of travel vest, they don’t usually have an immediate image of what that looks like. That’s why many people seek out “safari vests” or “photography vests,” instead. But instead of repurposing a vest that wasn’t built for your travel needs, get a vest designed to solve those problems.

Travel vests are versatile and functional clothing items that empower you to carry everything you need without lugging around an extra bag or purse. They’re lightweight, warm, and flexible enough to house all your gadgets.

Best of all, travel vests with pockets help you stay organized. Due to multiple pockets, you know where your important items are in a travel vest, unlike some bags that leave you rummaging around one large pocket.

What Makes the Best Travel Vest

If you want to invest in a travel vest, you need to find the right one for your needs. As you make your decision, consider a few factors, such as what devices you want to carry and what climates you’ll be wearing your vest in.

Let’s look at a few qualities that make up the best travel vest.

Weight: Your vest should be something you can wear during both your transport and your stay. If hot weather is the norm for your destination, look for a lightweight travel vest. Similarly, a down vest is perfect for cold climates, and a water-resistant vest for rainy conditions.
Pockets: Pockets separate the good vests from the best. Look for a vest with pockets that suit your needs. In other words, you should have enough pockets, and they should be big enough to carry your gadgets.
Style: Your travel vest isn’t a suitcase that you’ll bring on the plane and leave in the hotel. You will be wearing it. Get yourself a travel vest you can wear while you’re on your trip and feel comfortable in. You can get a functional travel vest without sacrificing style.
Tech compatibility: The best travel vest doubles as a phone charger and keeps your headphones and wires organized. Find a travel vest that is built around your technology.

Woman placing headphones organized in a SCOTTeVEST travel vest.

Why Choose SCOTTeVEST Travel Vests

In April of 2000, Scott Jordan launched SCOTTeVEST after his wife grew sick of carrying all of his gadgets in her purse. His goal was simple: create an attractive vest with pockets that make sense.

And it was a hit.

Since then, customers from around the world have trusted SCOTTeVEST with their essential gadgets. Scott has continued to invest in pocket science research to create the ideal travel vests for modern travelers.

Our vests are so popular they are frequently featured on Best Of and Top 10 Lists . And we offer a list of features that our competitors like Columbia and Patagonia can’t beat.

Here’s why customers prefer SCOTTeVEST:

Travel Vests With Style

What makes SCOTTeVEST different from the other travel vests? First of all, SCOTTeVESTs don’t look like travel vests. There’s no reason that a functional travel item needs to scream, well, travel gear.

SCOTTeVESTs are stylish full-zip pieces made of high-quality materials that you can wear while traveling around the world or chilling at home.

Low Maintenance

Tired of seeing all those Hand Wash Only clothes? Despite spending a fortune, you still have to do the hard work.

Here’s the good news:

That’s not the case with SCOTTeVESTs.

All SCOTTeVESTs are machine washable — as long as you remember to remove your wallet and gadgets.

Pockets for Everything

SCOTTeVESTs come with several pockets of various sizes. You can fit a key in one pocket and a laptop in another. The underlying pocket science also upgrades the pockets by providing protection, support, and multiple lifestyle improvements.

SCOTTeVEST — Pocket Science

Scott focused on understanding pocket science to make SCOTTeVEST a stylish and functional item.

While pocket science isn't rocket science, we have put years of research into it, and it’s a serious business for us.

Pocket science optimizes your travel vest pockets to keep you comfortable while protecting your items.

Here are some of the ways pocket science works in SCOTTeVEST apparel.

Invisible Item Carry

A pocket’s contents should remain hidden. That’s one of the primary tenets of pocket science.

What does that mean for you?

SCOTTeVEST pockets are designed so you can carry all your items without announcing them to others. You can walk around without a cell phone outline or a water bottle bulge.

Everything stays in its place. From the outside, it looks as if you’re wearing a simple vest.

All Your Items Organized to Perfection

Simply adding pockets doesn’t make a vest the best. Pockets have to be thoughtfully designed and placed.

SCOTTeVEST pockets are optimized for specific devices. They’re the right size and explicitly designed to prevent your items from falling out and getting damaged. We even have a pocket specifically for your passport, so you can save time rooting around looking for it.

With a SCOTTeVEST, you’ll have your items in places that make sense. Everything is easily accessible yet organized. It makes going through security a breeze. Plus, you can forego the carryon, saving you from fighting for overhead storage on the plane.

Pickpocket-Proof

When traveling, the last thing you want is to reach into your pocket only to discover that your wallet is missing.

That’s why each SCOTTeVEST pocket is designed to be pickpocket-proof — we even have a pickpocket guarantee. None of our competitors offer this promise.

SCOTTeVEST travel vests conceal most of the pockets and employ zippers instead of velcro to ensure this protection.

SCOTTeVEST secure travel vest with an RFID pocket to protect your credit cards.

In addition to the general security of all items, SCOTTeVEST also offers RFID blocking technology for pockets that hold credit cards.

Balanced Weight for Maximum Comfort

A travel vest should be comfortable. Carrying your items shouldn’t weigh you down or cause pain in your back and shoulders.

That’s why Scott worked with chiropractors to ensure maximum weight balance throughout his vests. SCOTTeVEST’s pockets are placed in a way to keep you comfortable whether you’re at the airport or hiking the Amazon.

Don’t Believe Us? Check Out Some Vestimonials of SCOTTeVEST Travel Vests

“Best. Travel. Product. Ever. I own a vest, jacket & trench! I’d never leave home without a SCOTTeVEST product on.”
— Pamela M.

“My husband loves his SCOTTeVEST. He’d carry our passports, phones and money/cards. No way a pickpocket could get in there unless they stripped him in the street.”
— Dawn P.

“Lightweight. Secure. Comfortable. Pockets pockets pockets. Will buy another one as soon my travel plans are confirmed.”
— Teri H.

“If you travel, this is the BEST! No one can rip you off--no pickpockets. I walked into a "nest" of pickpockets in a museum and it was hilarious! I felt hands on my sides, etc. but no one got a thing!”
—Mary L.

“Love my SCOTTeVEST! I use it for traveling and for my camera lenses when I am taking pictures for the day... no need to carry a camera bag... which is huge!!!”
—Micki T.

SCOTTeVEST for Women

Here are SCOTTeVEST’s five travel vests for women and a guide to help you choose the best travel vest.

Q.U.E.S.T Vest

With 42 pockets, the Q.U.E.S.T is the ultimate women’s travel vest with hidden pockets. It’s suitable for all seasons and can fit a 9.7” tablet and a 15” medium laptop.

The Q.U.E.S.T has 18 interior pockets, including places for your glasses, camera, phone, tablet, and laptop. It also features a removable RFID blocking pocket, two portable charging pockets, and a Bluetooth headphone pocket.

For adventurous types, this vest also comes with a detachable carabiner key holder, magnetic closures, and handwarmer pockets.

Best travel vest for: The ultimate technology fan.

Featherweight Vest

As the lightest SCOTTeVEST available, the Featherweight Vest is ideal for hot climates. It still offers 16 pockets, which provide room for a phone, tablet, water bottle, and credit cards.

The Featherweight also comes with a removable RFID blocking pocket and detachable carabiner key holder.

Best travel vest for: Hot weather.

Fireside Fleece

If you want a fleece vest that can carry all your essentials, the Fireside Fleece is your best bet. With 15 pockets, it’s an excellent vest for women who want to stay warm and leave the purse at home.

In the Fireside Fleece’s 10 interior pockets, you can carry a tablet (from 9” to 12.9”), phone, glasses, camera, and more.

Best travel vest for: Cold climates.

RFID Travel Vest

The RFID Travel Vest is perfect for everyday wear and keeps your information safe from hackers with RFID blocking security pockets. It’s an excellent option for spring, fall, and summer.

With 18 total pockets, there’s a place for all your essentials and more. Its interior tablet-compatible pocket supports devices up to 11”.

Best travel vest for: RFID blocking.

The 101

If you want to travel light, the 101 Vest will get the job done. This lightweight vest has nine pockets, including four zippered front pockets for easy access.

The four interior pockets are perfect for holding your pens, ID, tablet, and travel documents.

Best travel vest for: The minimalist traveler.

SCOTTeVEST for Men

Here are the five SCOTTeVEST travel vests for men and a guide to help you choose the best travel vest.

Q.U.E.S.T Vest (Scott’s Choice)

The Q.U.E.S.T is the perfect travel vest for anyone looking to go on a quest — be it to a mountain, a lake, or a strange tree in the Amazon. Featuring 42 pockets, it’s the ultimate men’s travel vest.

In the Q.U.E.S.T’s 18 interior pockets, you can hide your camera, tablet, phone, glasses, and even your laptop. To protect you against hackers, it contains an RFID blocking pocket. It also has two charging pockets and a Bluetooth headphone pocket to let you have all the fun.

If a situation calls for it, you can also find a detachable carabiner key holder and handwarmer pockets in the Q.U.E.S.T travel vest.

Best travel vest for: Tech lovers.