Published Dec. 14, 2021
If you haven’t used heated gloves before, you’re in for a real treat. Say goodbye to frozen limbs and chills that prevent you from doing even the simplest tasks.
During my time in the Marine Corps, I once had a company commander who was just sure that our issued cold-weather gear would instantly transform us into helpless babies. He seemed convinced that just having a beanie in your pack would make the rounds fall out of your magazine and turn into the Taliban’s favorite flavor of jelly beans. If he found out about gloves that not only insulate hands from the cold but actively keep them warm, he’d probably have a seizure.
Luckily, none of us are subject to such rules on our own time. If you’d like to put modern technology to work for you and stop watching your fingers turn into icicles, you’re in the right place. Let’s find the perfect pair of heated gloves for you.
Best Overall
Our pick for best overall needs to be a quality item that’s versatile enough to meet most people’s needs most of the time. That’s exactly where the Outdoor Research Gripper excels.
Outdoor Research has built a reputation on outdoor adventure gear, but the Gripper is just as relevant when you’re shoveling snow or running errands around town. It’s well-built to keep your hands warm and sheltered from the wind. You can even use these gloves with a touchscreen, so you don’t have to choose between using your phone and feeling your fingers.
One tradeoff associated with being so versatile is that these gloves aren’t rugged enough for more hardcore winter activities like skiing and snowboarding. They don’t belong on a snowmobile or outdoor job site. Anywhere else, though, they’re a solid choice.
Product Specs
- Sizes: Extra small, small, medium, large, extra large
- Heat settings: Low, medium, high
- Intended use: Daily winter activities
PROS
Textured palm provides excellent grip
Index finger and thumb are touchscreen-compatible
Provides above-average wind protection
Suitable for day-to-day use
CONS
Not cut out for winter sports
Inside-cuff gloves allow snow in sleeves
Warm, but not necessarily hot
Best Value
If you looked at what most heated gloves cost and got discouraged, we have good news for you. Savior set out to make warm hands a thing of the past with these gloves––no matter what your budget is.
For half or even a third of what you’d pay for high-end heated gloves, you can get a pair that’s warm enough for cold winter weather and provides enough coverage for outdoor sports. Take comfort in the three selectable power levels. Tighten the gauntlet over your sleeve to keep snow out. When you need to get in touch with the rest of your group, you can use your phone without taking these gloves off.
These might not be the end-all-be-all of heated gloves, but they’re a whole lot better than stuffing hand warmers in your old gloves.
Product Specs
- Sizes: Extra small, small, medium, large, extra large, double extra large, triple extra large
- Heat settings: Low, medium, high
- Intended use: Snow sports
PROS
Huge selection of sizes to choose from
Reflective strips increase visibility in low-light situations
Protected by a waterproof membrane
Gauntlet goes over sleeves to keep snow out
CONS
Be careful to not turn the power on accidentally
Does the power level light need to be so bright?
Long-term durability remains to be seen
Editor’s Pick
One way to get the most out of your gear is to make all your gloves and mittens heated with these battery-powered liners from Hestra. Welcome to the world of premium winter clothing.
These liners are built to keep your hands toasty, and it all starts with superb build quality. Hestra is a premium gear manufacturer and backs all its products with a limited lifetime warranty. You’ll want to wear these liners under a protective shell to prevent water from damaging the batteries, but they can be worn as-is when weather is less of a concern.
This particular liner is for women’s gloves, but men’s sizes are available, too. Maybe this can be your excuse to buy some Hestra outer gloves, too.
Product Specs
- Sizes: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
- Heat settings: Low, medium, high
- Intended use: All winter activities
PROS
Enhance your existing winter wardrobe with heated liners
Build quality is as good as it gets
Recharge the battery packs via USB anywhere
Backed by a limited lifetime warranty
CONS
Not meant to be worn without an outer layer
Can be a chore to reach the power button
Price is as steep as the ski slopes
Best Heated Ski Gloves
When it’s time to go steep and deep, don’t let the cold hold you back from going chest-deep in powder. Outdoor Research has the answer once again, this time with Lucent heated gloves.
These gloves pick up where most leave off to tackle the most extreme winter weather for hours at a time. After five years of crushing the heated ski glove game, OR updated the Lucent with a more rugged shell and touchscreen-compatible material on the thumb and index finger. It still has the same waterproof Gore-Tex layer and EnduraLoft insulation to keep you warm even when the heater is switched off.
This glove is pretty serious overkill for life in town, but it’s our pick for skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling.
Product Specs
- Sizes: Extra small, small, medium, large
- Heat settings: Low, medium, high
- Intended use: Snow sports
PROS
Waterproof, windproof, and borderline cold-proof
Upgraded exterior is even more durable
Touchscreen-compatible thumb and index finger
Covered by the Outdoor Research Infinite Guarantee
CONS
Priced several times higher than conventional premium ski gloves
Heater interferes with avalanche beacons
Noticeably bulky compared to the other gloves here
Best Heated Motorcycle Gloves
Klim has long been the go-to for adventure motorcyclists, and the Hardanger HTD gloves can help you extend your riding season into the colder months of the year. This is our pick for staying warm while you brave the Alaska Highway, the Siberian Plain, and the local Starbucks parking lot.
The value of these motorcycling gloves is in the details. Klim thought of everything––uninsulated palms that let you feel the controls, a rubber wiper for cleaning your visor, CE-rated knuckle armor, and durable goat leather in high-wear areas. Of course, there are also usual suspects like Gore-Tex waterproofing and touchscreen compatibility.
These gloves are priced competitively, given everything they offer. It might be worth picking up an adventure bike just so you have more excuses to wear them.
Product Specs
- Sizes: Extra small, small, medium, large, extra large, double extra large, triple extra large
- Heat settings: Low, medium, high
- Intended use: Motorcycle riding
PROS
CE Level I armor on the knuckles
Goat leather protects the palms and fingers
Hours of warmth available from three heat settings
Gauntlet keeps rain out of your sleeves
CONS
Heated grips go a long way with uninsulated palms
We hope you like black gloves
Small sizes can be hard to find
Best Heated Work Gloves
If your job requires you to handle business without giving one solitary crap about how cold it is outside, do yourself a favor and layer up with a pair of ColdWork M-Pact gloves from Mechanix.
That’s right, Mechanix gloves aren’t just for wrenching in a garage. These work gloves are built from thick leather to keep up with your unrelenting work ethic. They’re waterproof to keep you dry all day. Best of all, the heating elements are controlled by an app that lets you choose exactly what temperature you want them to be.
At more than $200, these will probably be the most expensive work gloves you own. If your job keeps you outside all winter, that’s a steal.
Product Specs
- Sizes: Extra small, small, medium, large, extra large, double extra large
- Heat settings: Continuous
- Intended use: Work
PROS
Control heat with the Clim8 app
Protect your hands with leather and impact-absorbing panels
Waterproof layer keeps hands dry
Sensor monitors skin temperature to avoid overheating
CONS
One of the more expensive work gloves out there
Leather palms aren’t the most grippy
Is the app a benefit or a nuisance to you?
Best Heated Hunting Gloves
What most people don’t realize about hunting is that it’s mostly sitting or walking alone in the woods for hours on end. That proposition is a whole lot more appealing if your hands are warm the whole time.
These Camo 7V heated gloves from Volt are built specifically with hunters in mind. Rechargeable batteries keep hands warm and comfortable, right down to the tips of your fingers so you’re ready to take a shot at any moment. Camouflage comes in the form of Mossy Oak Country, and the exterior of these gloves is made from soft fleece that doesn’t make a sound.
We’re sure there are people out there who use iron sights and think gloves are for wimps, but if these heated gloves let you spend more time doing what you enjoy, who can fault you?
Product Specs
- Sizes: Extra small, small, medium, large, extra large, double extra large
- Heat settings: Low, medium, high, extra high
- Intended use: Hunting
PROS
Heating element extends to the fingertips
Fleece exterior is silent
Camouflage pattern outsourced to Mossy Oak
Waterproof and breathable to stay dry
CONS
Too bulky for the most precise tasks
Better keep the light-up power level indicator covered
Good hunting gear isn’t cheap
Why you should trust us
Residents of the frigid north are no strangers to cold temperatures. I don’t get cold very easily, and even I get pretty miserable when my fingers go numb. I’ve also seen how uncomfortable conditions like Reynaud’s and chilblains can be. That kind of thing is no fun and you shouldn’t have to endure it if you don’t have to. We’ve pulled together some of the best snow boots for men and women, so we’re no strangers to finding the best winter gear.
Types of heated gloves
You wouldn’t wear gardening gloves to shred the gnar at your local ski area and you wouldn’t try to drive to work wearing mittens fit for an arctic exploration mission. The same goes for heated gloves; you need to pick the right gear for the job. Don’t worry, it isn’t complicated and we did the homework for you.
All-purpose heated gloves
Why are you shopping for heated gloves in the first place? If your reasoning is that your hands are always cold, you need a glove that’s comfortable doing everyday tasks like driving to work and running errands. Rugged, waterproof shells are nice to have but not necessary. You also don’t need tons of insulation and a long-lasting battery.
The good news is that there are plenty of heated gloves that will do what you need them to do for a reasonable price. We found some great options for everyday use that barely crack the $100 barrier. In the world of heated gloves, that’s pretty good.
Specialized heated gloves
If you have more specific plans for your heated gloves, you’ll need to pick something that’s up to the challenge. We found a few options that are great for skiing and snowboarding, hunting, and riding motorcycles. All of these provide capabilities beyond what basic heated gloves can offer.
These specialized gloves are designed with a specific activity in mind. Hunting gear needs to be camouflaged. Motorcycle gloves can’t interfere with feeling the bike’s controls. Winter sports require gloves that minimize hot chocolate breaks in the lodge. In any case, there’s probably something out there for you if you know where to look.
Heated liners
Heated liners are ideal for people who plan on doing a lot of different things with their heated gloves. Liners slip into other gloves, mittens, or shells to make your battery-powered warmth more versatile. We found a great option from Hestra that you’ll want to take everywhere you go.
The downside of heated liners is that they aren’t meant to be worn alone. They offer little to no protection against water and wind, and they might even be damaged if you get them wet. You could probably get away with wearing them in the car or around town when the weather is cooperative, but most of the time you’ll need to pair them with an appropriate shell.
Key features of heated gloves
Battery life
All that heat has to come from somewhere, right? The type of battery used in a pair of gloves will determine how much heat they can create and how long they can sustain it. Just how long a given battery will last can be tricky to determine because there are multiple factors at play, like ambient temperature, battery capacity, and electrical draw created by the heating element.
Batteries are often described in terms of milliamp hours. More milliamp hours translates to more energy being stored in the battery, so a higher number should correlate with longer battery life, right? Not necessarily––remember that energy is drawn from batteries at different rates. If one battery has twice as much power as another but uses it twice as fast, their battery life will be roughly the same.
Heat settings
Some heated gloves are either on or off––you get maximum heat or no heat at all. Others will allow you to choose a heat setting that generates just the right amount of heat. This is a great way to match your environment and conserve energy.
Most of the time, all functions will be controlled by a single button on each glove. That button will turn the heating element on, cycle through the power levels, and turn it off. Some include a visible meter that indicates which power level you’re currently using. That draws some electricity from the battery, but it can be a nice feature that saves you some guesswork.
Shell construction
Heated gloves can be a big step up from traditional gloves, but they’re still subject to the laws of nature. If they absorb water, your hands are going to freeze quicker than if they were in the open air. If they don’t breathe well, your hands will sweat and eventually get cold, in addition to making your gloves smell like old gym socks.
Quality heated gloves have to be quality gloves first. Look for liners that wick away moisture and shells that keep water and wind outside where they belong. Insulation doesn’t need to be as thick as it would in a conventional glove, but it should be enough to keep heat from escaping and being wasted.
Benefits of heated gloves
Comfort
It should go without saying that comfort is the biggest motivator for people who buy heated gloves. Feeling your fingers slowly go numb is no fun, and neither is the burning sensation when they finally thaw out. Heated gloves are a great way to keep them warm when they don’t generate enough of their own heat to warm traditional gloves.
Temperature isn’t the only factor, though. We considered the materials used to make various heated gloves. If water soaks into a glove, you might as well take it off and go without. If the inner material is scratchy and rubs you the wrong way with poorly placed seams, it doesn’t matter how warm you are––you’re still going to be uncomfortable.
Improved dexterity
Numb fingers aren’t just painful, they’re borderline useless when it comes to doing things that require dexterity. Staying warm is the first step toward maintaining full use of your hands and fingers when the temperature plummets.
Most cold-weather gloves are bulky and make it difficult to use fine motor skills. Have you ever tried to fish keys out of your pocket with ski gloves on? It’s not easy. Heated gloves can keep you warm with less material getting in the way. They’re also arguably safer to drive in since there’s less physical interference between your hands and the steering wheel.
Safety
None of us try to be unsafe (hopefully), but sometimes it happens. Maybe your teeth are chattering while you wait for your car to warm up and decide to hit the road before the heater has a chance to do its thing. Good luck keeping a grip on the wheel and getting your radio to cooperate with frozen fingers. If you work outside, taking care of business without full control of your hands and fingers can be a serious hazard.
You’re better off investing in a pair of heated gloves that let you focus on what’s important. We found thin options for daily tasks and heavy-duty gloves for outdoor job sites.
Pricing considerations for heated gloves
Budget
Entry-level heated gloves cost significantly more than normal gloves. Anything less than about $150 is a value proposition. Some are a great bargain; some are a potential waste of money. We found some great heated gloves that can save you money, but there are lots of alternatives we passed up during the creation of this gear guide.
Getting a pair of gloves to generate a little bit of heat with a battery isn’t complicated, but it’s not something you want to screw up when your hands are trapped inside. At the very least, failure will let you down and make your hands cold. You could also get electrical burns, which are not a good thing.
MId-range
Here’s the sweet spot, folks. Most of our favorite heated gloves fall between $150 and $250. In this price range, you’ll enjoy a nice selection of quality gloves built for different purposes. Want something to keep your hands toasty while you walk the dog and run errands? A pair of midrange heated gloves can take care of you winter after winter. Looking for something a little more robust for work or days on the slopes? You’re covered, too.
Gloves in this range are well-built using quality materials. They’re sold by reputable manufacturers with decent warranties and customer service. In most cases, this is where we recommend shopping.
Premium
Premium heated gloves start around $250 and we’ve seen some go for more than $500. Stepping up to this price bracket will get you top-notch build quality, durable materials that stay warm even without the heater, and batteries that last longer and charge faster than less expensive options.
Most of the gloves in this price range are designed for skiers and snowboarders. They’re built to stay warm all day while being exposed to the freezing temperatures and high winds that are commonplace at ski areas and in the backcountry. It’s a significant financial commitment to pick up a pair of these, but when you’ve spent the kind of money it takes to get gear and a lift ticket, you don’t want to tap out because your fingers are cold.
How we chose our top picks
There are a lot of companies selling heated gloves these days. Many of them use the same heating elements repackaged and sold as different products. These might do the trick, but they’re not what we would want to rely on. We focused on reputable brands with a history of making quality gloves. Gloves that use quality materials and protect against cold air and moisture regardless of whether or not the heating element is activated took a front-row seat as we narrowed down our list of contestants. In the end, anything that didn’t make us want to use it got kicked to the curb.
FAQs on heated gloves
You’ve got questions, Task & Purpose has answers.
Q: What are the best heated gloves for Raynaud’s disease?
A: Any heated gloves can be helpful for people who experience Reynaud’s. According to Johns Hopkins, one of the best ways to manage this condition is to keep your fingers warm and dry.
Q: Who makes the warmest winter gloves?
A: There are many companies that sell quality winter gloves. Brands that cater to winter sports and work tend to be the best, but not all of them offer heated gloves. A few of the best options are right here on this list.
Q: Can you wash heated gloves?
A: Always check the label on your gloves for the most accurate information about cleaning them. How they can be washed will depend on how the electrical system is built, but also on the other types of materials used to build the glove.
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Scott Murdock is a Task & Purpose commerce writer and Marine Corps veteran. He’s selflessly committed himself to experiencing the best gear, gadgets, stories, and alcoholic beverages in the service of you, the reader.
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