L.L.Bean invites Freeport shoppers to stay warm, the way NFL players do

Photo / William Hall One of six heated benches outside the flagship store of L.L.Bean in Freeport was awaiting use this week.

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By William Hall

As holiday shoppers relax on heated outdoor benches L.L.Bean Inc. recently installed outside its flagship store in Freeport, NFL stars like New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton will be using the same patented technology to take a load off.

The six benches surrounding Discovery Park on the Bean campus are made by Dragon Seats, a Cleveland company that supplies similar furniture to 19 pro football teams and 50 NCAA Division I college football programs.

Bean is partnering with Dragon and MasterCard to provide the seating through Dec. 31. Each of the customized, 12-foot-long, hollow fiberglass benches is equipped with a 120-volt portable heater, which maintains the surface of the bench at a comfortable temperature, according to Dragon.

The Bean benches will be warming shoppers from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. as part of the company’s Northern Lights Experience, a holiday celebration that includes evening light shows, window displays and a “Twinkle Light Tunnel.” To encourage social distancing, much of the festivities are outdoors.

“There are so many things to do and see at Northern Lights, and we’ve created a new, socially distanced version of our favorite winter tradition,” said Kelly Warsky, Bean senior manager of brand experience, in a news release. “In partnership with Dragon Seats, we will deliver plenty of cheer with incredibly warm, customized and cozy benches to keep our customers outside and happy.”

Bean did not respond to questions from Mainebiz about the cost of the seating. But last year, six Dragon benches worth $105,000 were purchased by Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown for donation to his alma mater, Central Michigan University.

On its website Dragon says it's the only manufacturer of heated benches, “which not only provide an ergonomically comfortable seat for a player, they also keep a player’s muscles loose, flexible, and more elastic.”

The physical benefits even reduce the risk of injury, the company says, citing research by the American College of Sports Medicine.

Dragon’s founder, Frank Floyd, invented the heated benches 20 years ago, and first began supplying them to the Cleveland Browns. Since then, the benches have become a staple at cold-weather venues. Teams typically use four to six of the benches per sideline, and they seat six to eight players each.

The Kansas City Chiefs, 2020 Super Bowl champions, use the benches. So do the New England Patriots.

(Coincidentally, seats for fans at those teams' stadiums come from North Berwick-based Hussey Seating Co.)

Unlike the Bean benches, however, ones on the sidelines usually feature heated posts to keep players’ helmets warm. There are even heated slide-out foot decks.

Of course, that technology isn't needed when you’re playing at the Miami Dolphins’ home stadium, as the Patriots will be in their next game on Dec. 20. For warm weather, Dragon also supplies benches that use interior air conditioning and misters to keep players comfy.

There’s no word from Bean on whether the company's Freeport store will be installing such benches in July.