Whether you’re working on a jobsite, hitting the slopes, or just trying to survive a cold-weather commute, the right warm gear can make all the difference between a productive day outdoors and one cut short. Modern heated gear goes far beyond the disposable hand warmers of yesteryear to include heated jackets, vests, gloves, and rechargeable hand warmers that you can use over and over again.
To prepare a list of Everyday essentials To stay warm when the temperature drops, we tested dozens of items in real-life conditions, evaluating them on functionality, durability, comfort and battery life before choosing just eight for this roundup. Read on for our reviews of the best heated gear available today.
- Best Overall: Fieldshear Mobile Warming Warm Ranch Jacket
↓ Go to review - Best bang for the buck: Tideway softshell warm jacket with detachable hood
↓ Go to review - Best Women’s Jacket: Milwaukee Women’s M12 Warm Axis Quilted Jacket
↓ Go to review - Best Men’s Vests: Ororo Men’s Lightweight Heated Vest
↓ Go to review - Best Women’s Vest: Venustas Women’s Detachable Hood Heated Down Vest
↓ Go to review - Best Leather Gloves: Vasoto Heated Leather Work Gloves
↓ Go to review - Best Glove Liners: Snow Deer Rechargeable Heated Glove Liners
↓ Go to review
Our top picks
We put countless hours into testing warm jackets, vests, gloves and hand warmers in cold-weather conditions to find options that deliver on their promises. The picks below represent the best of what we tried, each chosen for warmth, fit and overall value.
The Fieldshear Heated Ranch Jacket is one of those rare finds that looks as good as it performs. Made from a proprietary blend of hemp, recycled polyester and organic cotton with a DWR finish, it’s tougher than traditional duck cotton while leaving you feeling ripped even after wearing it. The interior features a high-pile sherpa that provides comfort against base layers and warmth when you don’t want to turn on the heater.
Performance-wise, the Fieldshear has three heating zones—chest, upper back, and lower back—and lasts up to 12 hours per charge. It was the only choice we had The best warm jackets Guide to offering four settings instead of three, and the only one that lets you adjust those settings via a mobile app instead of just a control button. Metal hardware, corduroy collar and cuffs, and six pockets complete its premium feel, and even if those pockets aren’t warm, this is an overall standout jacket.
The TideWe Men’s Softshell Warm Jacket proves you don’t have to break the bank to stay warm. A 10,000mAh battery warms the chest and back zones for up to 10 hours, and it has two USB ports to keep devices charged, which some of the higher-priced options we tested don’t offer.
The shell is waterproof and wind-resistant, with an anti-static fleece lining, a detachable hood and adjustable Velcro cuffs that close for warmth. It also has five handy pockets and a clean profile that works well as a mid-layer or standalone jacket, meaning you get a lot of versatility for the money. In terms of downsides, the 5-volt battery heats up a little slower than the 7.4- and 10-volt options we tested, but we’ve been comfortable in 20-degree Fahrenheit temperatures, and that’s all that really matters.
Women will want to consider Milwaukee’s M12 Axis after a jacket made for an active lifestyle. Powered by Hexon Heat technology and a 12-volt RadLithium battery, it heats up faster than any jacket we’ve tested and lasts up to 12 hours, keeping you warm from sunrise to sunset. When we used it ourselves in our tests, the wind- and water-resistant Ripstop shell is compact enough to layer under an outer jacket when temperatures drop particularly low.
Although the Axis has a large pass-through pocket that lets you move the front of the battery back for comfort, the battery itself is on the bulky side (a trade-off for its extended runtime). Still, we liked its four zippered pockets to keep essentials safe, and without keeping the heat on, we found the lightly quilted design to be both stylish and surprisingly warm.
Take it from someone who’s done it: It’s easy to underestimate what a good vest can do. With carbon-fiber heating zones on the lower front, mid-back and collar, this lightweight heated vest can keep your core and neck warm for up to 10 hours. When we first put it on for our tests, we were struck by how soft and comfortable it was—no stiffness, no stiff inner wires—and the soft nylon shell did a great job of blocking the wind.
But our favorite thing about this pick is the heated collar, which provides significant warmth right where cold air enters. It also has three temperature settings that let you dial in comfort depending on the conditions, and it’s trim enough to wear as a mid-layer. Battery pocket placement feels slightly awkward against the hip, but that’s a small trade-off for an otherwise awesome Warm vest.
Venustas got a dedicated place in our hot vest Winter gear chest Filled with 90 percent premium white duck down with an instantly reflective lining, it’s really warm before you turn on the heat. When you do, four carbon-fiber heating zones—including an upper-back panel that extends near the neckline—heat up in 10 seconds and last up to 10 hours on the lower.
The detachable, fully lined hood is snug for a snug fit, and the water-resistant shell holds up well in wet conditions. A heads-up: We found the battery pack to run hotter when using the included wall adapter, though switching to a USB outlet solved the problem entirely. The heated pocket is a nice bonus on gloveless days, just be aware that the phone can get hotter than expected in there.
A lot of outdoor work requires both warmth and dexterity, and the Wasoto Warm Leather Gloves deliver on both. In our testing, the primarily leather construction gave us more grip and control than synthetic options, and the soft velvet lining kept our hands warm without making our palms sweaty.
These work gloves have three heat settings and a runtime of up to 8 hours, making them a solid option for long days in the cold. They’re easy to recharge with the included wall charger, and take just 4 hours to fully charge from completely dead. Just keep in mind that leather performs best in dry or mildly wet conditions rather than heavy rain or snow, and they don’t have touchscreen compatibility, so you’ll need to pull them on to use your phone. Still, they’re definitely one of the warmest and most comfortable pairs of heated gloves we’ve tested.
If you already have a favorite pair of gloves but you want a little extra on especially cold days, these Snow Deer Warm Glove Liners are worth a look. Lightweight and flexible, they work well on their own in cold weather (they offer more wind protection than plain fleece) and can be worn inside waterproof outer gloves if the weather is wet or snowy.
This Rechargeable gloves The back of the hand has heating wires that extend to the fingertips, easy push-button control on each wrist cuff, and a runtime of about 7 hours. The thumb and index fingers are also compatible with the touchscreen so you don’t have to worry about removing them to use your phone. Just note that these liners are not moisture-resistant, so wearing them under another pair is a smart move in rain or snow.
The Ocoopa UT3 Pro isn’t just a hand warmer – it is Hand warmer which outperformed every model in our tests. It was the only one of the eight options we tried that not only met but exceeded its advertised temperature, reaching 130 degrees Fahrenheit in under a minute and holding strong through our 6-hour freezer test. Its 10,000 mAh battery lasted about 8 hours on low, and we liked that its built-in USB-C port doubled as a power bank for charging other devices.
The UT3 Pro manages heat through smooth silicone pads on either side of its oval body and offers four settings for plenty of control. It’s so powerful that the mids and highs are almost uncomfortably warm against bare skin, though they feel amazing on frozen-cold gloved hands. Whether you’re skiing, hunting or watching a game from the cool bleachers, this IP45-rated warmer handles splashes, light rain and sweat without issue, and the included soft carry case makes it easy to toss into a gear bag or purse.
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