I joke that diabetes is the only thing I have got from home. But over the years, I have learned to live with it. One of the things that has helped me control my sugar levels well over the past few years is my daily insulin shots. But being on insulin can be a pain especially if you have to travel a lot or live in an area where power cuts are common. And this is exactly the type of consumer Godrej Insulicool is trying to tap.
The Godrej Insulicool is a small portable box that can keep your insulin vials or syringes in a temperature-controlled environment. It is about 1.6 kg heavy and has a strap that lets you take it around easily. I usually keep my extra insulin vials in the fridge and the Insulin Pen with the vial I’m using is usually at room temperature when it is not very hot. ‘
Here’s the Godrej Insulicool next to a small box of Vaseline to give you an idea of its size. (Image Source: Nandagopal Rajan/ The Indian Express)
When you switch on the Insulicool, it immediately shows the temperature level inside. This starts dropping in a few minutes and takes some time to come to rest at around 6 degrees Celsius.
The unit comes with a 20,000 mAh battery pack to keep your vials cool when on the move or facing power issues. (Image Source: Nandagopal Rajan/ The Indian Express)
Inside there is a rack which lets you store loose vials easily. Since I usually buy vials in a pack of five and keep them in their packet till I have to put them in the pen, this rack is a hindrance. But this can be removed and you can store the box itself or an entire insulin pen in the Insulicool. Interestingly, I even have a tablet that needs to be stored cool, and there is enough space to add that here as well. But the space is limited if you have to store different types of things.
One of the best aspects of the Godrej Insulicool is the power backup from a 20,000 mAh battery pack. This is good to keep the Insulicool working for another four hours. And you can even use the car charging socket to charge the cooler when on the move.
The Godrej Insulicool comes with a rack to store your vials. (Image Source: Nandagopal Rajan/ The Indian Express)
However, one aspect that is a bit worrisome is that cooling does not last for more than 10-15 minutes if there is no power supply. This is something you will need to be mindful of all the time.
At Rs 5,999, the Godrej Insulicool is a good investment for insulin-dependent diabetics. But if you like me don’t have issues with either long travel or power back up then maybe this is not really worth it. But I personally know so many people who need this in remote parts of the country.