It’s not often you see something that looks like a 1950s flight jacket and realise it could also survive a cyberattack.
But that’s exactly what Vollebak has created with its new Electromagnetic Shielding Bomber.
Hot on the heels of the brand's Cymatic range launch, the new jacket is built using the same silver-threaded shielding fabric developed to test the Curiosity Rover for Mars.
As a result, it can block signals from Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile networks, Ku-band satellites, and radar systems.
It even includes a chest pocket that functions as a wearable Faraday cage, shielding your phone from being tracked, pinged or hacked, whether it’s switched on or not.
NASA-grade protection for everyday wear
To create the jacket, Vollebak teamed up with German engineering lab Shieldex, the same people behind high-tech materials used in digital forensics, medical sensors, and satellite cloaking.
The bomber’s outer shell is made from lightweight ripstop nylon that’s been metallised with pure silver, not just coated but grown into the fibres at a molecular level (see also: How Vollebak built the first lab-grown sweater).
Around 18% of the fabric is silver, making it not only antimicrobial but also electrically conductive, essential for shielding against electromagnetic radiation.
The jacket blocks signals between 0.2GHz and 14GHz, which covers most everyday wireless tech: 2.4GHz Bluetooth, 5GHz Wi-Fi, and even high-frequency radar.
Shielding effectiveness is said to be rated at 60dB (a 99% attenuation), meaning your devices are essentially sealed off from the outside world.
A flight jacket for the age of surveillance
Inspired by the original MA-1 bomber silhouette, the cut is cropped, the cuffs ribbed, and the pockets functional, but this isn’t just a style throwback.
The Electromagnetic Shielding Bomber represents a step toward clothing that could one day protect against more than just the elements.
As the electromagnetic spectrum becomes increasingly saturated with signals and interference – and with space travel and cybersecurity concerns on the rise – it’s a bold reminder that the future of fashion might need to be as protective as it is progressive.
The Electromagnetic Shielding Bomber is available now at Vollebak for a recommended retail price of £2,495/ $3,295/ AU$4,795.
