Jessica McCabe (How to ADHD) shares her experience with PYVOT Weighted Vests and Hoodies

Jessica McCabe, the creator and host of the YouTube channel How to ADHD:

Most products don’t cater to neurodivergent needs. When they do, getting our needs met often happens at the expense of other human needs. Like…feeling cute.

Pyvot, perhaps because it’s designed by someone who is neurodivergent, is different. 

When I first put on my sky-blue weighted Pyvot vest, I felt like I’d stepped into another dimension—one in which those who are neurodivergent don’t have to choose between fashion and function. 

 

The feel of the vest was perfect, soothing, calming to my nervous system. It was like a weighted blanket I could wear! The pockets (there are pockets!!) were soft and sensory-perfect for me. But it was also *cute.*

The color was beautiful; the cut was tailored. It fit me better than most of my regular clothes do. It struck me that this potentially helpful tool for self-regulation was something I would choose to wear just because I like the way it looks on me. 

Which is great, because as anyone who’s neurodivergent knows—the fewer barriers and more incentives we have to *use* the tools we have, the more likely it is we’ll actually use them. 

And I do. 

 

I even wore it in my author photo for my upcoming book because I liked it so much I didn’t want to take it off for the majority of the shoot. This is the photo we decided on:

 

One evening, I wore my Pyvot vest out to dinner, and the host at the restaurant aggressively questioned my service dog. I felt the beginnings of a panic attack— but it didn’t come. While I can’t be sure that the vest is why, I wouldn’t be surprised; whenever I wear it, I do feel more secure. My guess is that it helped me regulate just enough that I had time to tap into my other strategies. 

I’ve worn the vest quite a few times since then. I love the way the vest feels on me; I love the way it looks; the fitness benefit is honestly just, a nice bonus. I don’t even really think about it. I’m just grateful to have a self reg tool that I feel adorable in.

The true test for me, though, was the hoodie. While vests, for me, are an occasional thing, I *live* in hoodies. And a lot of the ADHD community is the same. I was worried it would be too heavy; the vest was perfect, but would it be too much to have an entire weighted hoodie? I don’t like weighted blankets that are too heavy, because they feel too restrictive. I get restless. 

When I first tried one on—a beautiful olive green—I giggled. And couldn’t stop giggling. How was this still the perfect weight?! The quality was just as high as the vest, too; everything about it felt sensory-good and fit me perfectly. It’s a small thing to some, but not to me: the zipper was smooth, and the waist even had the perfect amount of stretch. I pulled the hood over my head–that part wasn’t weighted, which was good. It meant I could wear it even when my neck and shoulders are sore. 

It’s now my go-to hoodie. 

While Pyvot is definitely not my least expensive sensory regulation tool, their gear is so well designed that it’s become an instant favorite. I’m really glad Pyvot created such thoughtful designs and hope they continue to do so. It feels like a hug, yes, but it’s more than that: it’s validation that those of us with greater sensory and self-regulation needs exist. And that we deserve to have high quality, fashionable choices, too. :)