You may have seen we have a pretty exciting new product that joined our Essentials Collection recently that’s been requested by a lot of our customers. When we launched our limited edition Capsule Collection 01 in 2023 it featured our Neoprene Zip Jumper, this jumper had a focus on access to medical devices, with zips along both sleeves and access along one shoulder. This was one of our most popular products from the range, with so many customers telling us stories of how much of a game changer this jumper was for their hospital stays and medical appointments. Knowing the impact this product had on the JAM community, and receiving feedback on what people loved and wanted to see more of in the future, we knew we had to bring out a redesign of the jumper to add to our Essentials Collection. This is how the Zip Access Jumper came along. This jumper has all of the best parts of the previous design, and is packed with a bunch of upgrades to make the item even more accessible to even more people.
So, let’s go through what all of the amazing features are! First of all we have the zips along both sleeves. These discreet zips are in the same colour as the jumper, making them very subtle in appearance. Each zip is placed on the inside of both sleeves, stretching along most of the length and completely opening up at the wrist. These zips provide access to arms allowing for things like IV drips, needles, blood pressure cuffs and other medical devices. This is useful for those that may require frequent medical intervention and means you don’t have to take off the whole jumper for them to occur. Unlike our previous design, where the zip stopped at the cuff, these zips go right to the end of the sleeve which means they can open up completely.
We then have the wider neck opening and access to the chest via magnetic press studs going down both shoulders.These press studs create a wider neck-opening which can make the jumper easier to get on and off around the head, which is convenient for those that require assistance from someone else to get dressed. This opening also provides greater access to the chest for things like chest ports. The magnetic press studs are strong enough to hold, but easily click together when required with minimal fine motor use. This updated design feature was included on the back of customer input telling us they wanted the flexibility of having access along both shoulders, and something a bit more subtle and easily accessed than the chunky zip in our previous jumper.
Although the neoprene-like fabric in our last design was buttery soft, it wasn’t very warm and used a 100% synthetic fibre. This is why we chose to use a cotton-blend fabric for the Zip Access Jumper. This soft and warm cotton blend fabric with a fleece inside helps keep you warm and comfortable during hospital visits or everyday wear. We also had many requests for the jumper to be in a darker colour/black, so any marks weren’t so obvious.
Last but not least we have our printed label instead of a traditional tag. None of JAM’s products have tags or care labels. Apart from the fact almost everyone finds tags annoying, for those with sensory-related dressing needs tags can make a huge difference to comfort, and therefore regulation and participation in other more important activities. Printed-on labels are also beneficial for those with reduced mobility who may be at risk of getting pressure sores from big bulky tags, or are unable to adjust their clothing to eliminate the discomfort caused by tags and labels.
Although these design features may seem subtle, combined they make for one very useful jumper! The Zip Access Jumper has definitely been created with those that have frequent medical procedures/hospital stays in-mind, however there are many people that could benefit from its adaptive design. For those that require physical assistance from others to get dressed, having the large access around the neck/head is an absolute game-changer for making the process so much more comfortable and easier. For those that donate blood or need to get injections, the easy access to the arms and shoulders without having to take off the jumper is so much more convenient. For those that have had injuries to their arms or shoulders, being able to easily access these areas for treatment and assessment is really helpful. For those that will be mostly using the jumper for hospital stays and/or medical treatments, even this group includes such a broad range of people. We’ve had customers who are in hospital for months at a time who say wearing our jumper is great for their blood-pressure getting checked every few hours, and then we’ve had people who receive chemotherapy who have said the dignity of being able to wear the jumper during treatment has had a real positive impact on the experience. As always with JAM’s products, the best part is that actually anyone can wear it! You don’t necessarily need to have these access needs to want to wear just a really comfy everyday jumper.
We’re so proud of our Zip Access Jumper, and hope the JAM community love it as much as we do!
