TempraMed VIVI CAP Review - The Best Insulin Cooler Travel Case For Insulin Pens?

With so many insulin cooling products on the market nowadays, it can be difficult to choose the best one for you.

Honestly, different products are good for different reasons, and if you use insulin pens, then the TempraMed VIVI Cap insulin cooler is a perfect solution. 

I’ve been testing the device out for the last couple of weeks in Canada, and I’ve checked it out in both cold and hot areas of the country. 

I’m going to take you through how the VIVI Cap works, some pros and cons, and whether I think it’s a worthy investment as an insulin cooling product. 

Who are TempraMed? 

TempraMed is a health company creating awesome insulin cooling solutions based on a patented technology that combines unique insulation and heat-absorbing materials monitored and controlled by a customized designed electronics system.

Why is it important to keep your insulin at the correct temperature? 

There are several reasons why it’s important to keep your insulin cool and at a functioning temperature. 

Firstly, insulin is expensive, and if it gets too cold or too hot, it will no longer work effectively, or no longer work at all.

So you want to make sure you’re keeping it at a safe temperature. 

Not only that, it’s not safe to use the insulin that has either frozen or overheated.

Both versions could put you at risk. Remember, damaged insulin is not always visible to the naked eye.

If your insulin has gone cloudy, then you’ll know it’s not working. 

But I once froze some insulin (or should I say a hotel did) and after it “defrosted” it looked exactly as it should, but it no longer worked!

So it’s important to be careful. 

Using damaged insulin can result in:

• Blood glucose fluctuations
• Increased insulin dosages
• Risk of hypoglycemia

Thankfully, there are a range of insulin cooling solutions and options available to diabetics nowadays, and the VIVI CAP  is a pretty cool one. 

What is the VIVI Cap?

The VIVI Cap is a thermal insulin pen carrying case that has been scientifically proven to protect your insulin from freezing or overheating.

Two very real possibilities when you’re traveling to new destinations, or even just being out and about in daily life. 

The VIVI Cap is intended to keep insulin pens cool within safe temperatures below 29 degrees C (84.2 F) for a minimum of 12 hours even in a constant environmental temperature of 37.8 C (100F) when the cap is placed within a personal bag, such as a handbag. 

The temperature of the cap is regulated by thermal insulation and heat absorbent material, so it’s a passive process.

The cap is reactivated to provide safe storage conditions whenever the temperatures drops below 26C (78.8F) for subsequent periods of 12 hours and for up to 365 days. 

How does it work? 

It’s VERY simple to use.

You simply replace your current insulin pen cap with the VIVI cap and you’re ready to go!

They call it the “Click & Go” and that is literally how it works....you Click & Go! 

When you open your packaging, you’ll see there are 3 different rings, one of which will match the insulin pen you are using.

There is an indicator in the instructions, for which ring sizes with which insulin pen.

For example, my Humalog takes size K. 

You click that into your pen, then remove the small label section of “K”.

Then you click the VIVI Cap on your pen.

Click the bottom at the top and if the light turns green, then you are good to go. 

If it’s red, then it means the device needs to be left in an ambient temperature of less than 26 degrees Celsius for at least 5 hours, or pop it in the fridge for an hour, until it turns green. 

You shouldn’t use the device if it is flashing red, it needs to be green to function properly! 

VIVI Cap Fits The Following Pens

FlexPen®

NovoLog® | NovoLog® Mix | Levemir® | Victoza®

FlexTouch®

NovoLog® | Tresiba® | Fiasp® | Levemir® | Saxenda®

KwikPen®

Humalog® | Humalog® Mix | Basaglar®

Solostar®

Apidra® | Lantus® | Admelog® | Soliqua®

Benefits of the VIVI Cap

1. Long term use

This product will work every day for years without any maintenance. This means it’s a pretty long-term investment.

Once you’ve got it, there’s no reason why it won’t keep working for you for years to come.

This is pretty good in comparison to some other insulin cooling products, which do require some maintenance or do actually have a shelf life to them. 

2. Lightweight & small

This product is extremely small and will easily fit in your purse, or day pack.

This means it’s easy and breezy for taking with you on daily trips, day trips, or even packing with you on a weekend break away.

You won’t need to worry about sacrificing space in your luggage! (I know how precious that is ;) )

3. No need for water, ice packs, refrigeration, or battery charging

Typically, *almost* every insulin cooling product I’ve tried in the past requires some sort of “extra work”.

Whether that be popping the product in the fridge, in water, or having to charge it.

Well, with the VIVI Cap, you basically don’t need to do anything. So it’s pretty much fuss-free and not exactly complicated to use. 

4. It’s simple

This is such a simple product to use, there are no complicated steps involved, there are no waiting times, it’s simply a case of popping the cap on and you’re ready to go.

I think that’s pretty cool. 

5. 3-year warranty

It’s always a good sign when a company has a long warranty policy on their product, it means they really believe in it and are confident you’re not going to have any issues.

Well, the guys at TempraMed have a 3 years warranty. I’d say that’s pretty good. 

Cons of the VIVI Cap

1. One pen at a time

The whole point of the product for me is to keep the current pen your using at the right temperature, which is important, and it’s pretty good for using active pens. But it doesn’t solve a solution if you’re carrying multiple pens with you.

However, I don’t think that’s the purpose of the product.

You can keep the rest of your pens in a refrigerator, and this product works well for your in-use insulin pen. 

They are working on a product that will allow you to cool multiple insulin pens at one time, so that’s exciting!

2. The price point

Now, considering the fact you only have to purchase this product ONCE and it will last years, means I think the price is actually a pretty good investment. But some people may think on initial thoughts, it’s expensive. But you’ve got to look at it as a long-term investment, and can you really put a price on the value of your insulin? Insulin is expensive and it’s worth protecting. 

Is it good for traveling with diabetes?

I think the VIVI Cap is a great addition to any traveling companion with diabetes. It’s a great solution to bring with you when you’re off out on a city-seeing trip, doing a hike, or even on a camping trip. It will keep your insulin pen at the correct temperature! But, I don’t think it’s a full solution on its own, as you’ll be carrying more than one pen with you when traveling. Rather, this is a perfect solution for the in-use insulin that you’re using on a daily basis. 

Overall verdict?: Is the VIVI CAP worth buying?

I think this is an effective, easy-to-use solution for keeping insulin pens cool. It’s an investment that doesn’t require future purchases or even maintenance, VIVI Cap does not require any maintenance, you don’t need to charge it or to place it in the fridge. After initially fitting it to your insulin pen with one of the supplied adaptors, simply use it as your pen cap. It fits most of the prefilled insulin pens. There is a VIVI Cap available for refillable insulin pens as well.

Other products TempraMed create

If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself, I really love the idea and technology behind this product, but I’d like it for insulin vial use, then you’re in luck. They’re working on a VIVI Vial product that will work to prevent insulin vials from overheating and freezing!

Where to buy the VIVI CAP?

You can buy the product directly on the website right here! 

I hope you’ve found this TempraMed VIVI Cap review helpful, and hopefully, you’re one step closer to finding an insulin cooling solution that’s right for you.