Hot new product to combat the cold

Honiton woman Terry Jankowski lends a helping hand this winter after designing a new brand of hand muff.

Freezing cold temperatures during last winter’s big freeze gave a disabled Honiton woman a hot idea for a new product.

Terry Jankowski designed hand muff Smuffles after she struggled to put on gloves.

Now her 19-year-old son, Kasi, is at the helm of a new business, which is currently recruiting machinists.

“My mum is disabled and she came up with the idea of designing a hand muff, which is attached to the body by a strap,” he said.

“It is ideal for people with arthritis or mobility problems and even those who just find gloves impractical.”

Smuffles are being produced in a variety of materials - so they appeal to people of all ages.

Kasi said: “It is hard to text when you are wearing gloves, so this product is ideal.”

The Smuffles prototype was developed last March and the Jankowskis have spent the past six months sourcing materials and perfecting the product, so it is waterproof and machine washable.

Smuffles are available from TRIP Community Transport Association’s New Street offices, with �2 from every sale benefiting the charity. Otherwise, the product is only available via the company’s website - www.smuffles.com. Kasi says he is keen to recruit homeworkers to make the product.

“At the moment, I’m doing everything, from cutting out material to running the website,” he said. “I’m like a headless chicken.”

Machinists are being recruited for Smuffles now.

Details are available from Honiton job centre.