For individuals who love exercising open air year-round, hand heaters may help hold you centered and comfy on walks or runs when your fingers really feel like icicles. Your palms and fingers are extra prone to the chilly since they’ve little fats and plenty of blood vessels on the pores and skin’s floor, so investing in a single the most effective hand heaters is crucial, says Kevin Huffman, DO, a physician of osteopathic medication and licensed health and wellness specialist.
Hand heaters are available many varieties, from disposable to battery-powered handheld models and heated gloves and mittens. When purchasing, warmth time, battery life, most temperature, and measurement and weight are key standards to search for. To search out the most effective hand heaters in your winter adventures, we first spoke with three specialists—an osteopathic physician, a wilderness first responder, and a paramedic—to be taught extra about cold-weather security and what options to search for when purchasing. Then, we examined ten expert-approved hand heaters whereas operating, mountaineering, and snowboarding exterior in chilly circumstances. Another excuse to belief our picks? We had an authorized private coach from our Overview Board evaluation this story for accuracy and security.
How Do Hand Heaters Work?
There are two primary sorts of hand heaters—air-activated and battery-powered (or electrical). Air-activated hand heaters are made out of iron powder, water, salt, and activated charcoal, amongst different elements, that when blended and uncovered to air, oxidize to provide warmth. Electrical hand heaters—whether or not handheld or pre-installed in gloves and mittens—depend on a chargeable, battery-powered heater.
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Key Specs
Warmth Supply: Electrical | Weight: 7.2 ounces | Warmth Period: 6-14 hours | Temperature Vary: As much as 130 levels Fahrenheit | Our General Ranking: 5/5
Who It is For
Finest for strolling, commuting, snowboarding, and extra in very chilly climate circumstances.
Why We Love It
Survival Frog’s Rechargeable Hand Heaters are fast to warmth and keep their temperature for a full day of out of doors adventures. When testing this hand hotter, we had been shocked by how shortly they reached their most temperature of 130 levels (in simply 10 seconds!). The battery life was spectacular, too—lasting us for 5 full makes use of on a single cost.
Together with the ergonomic design, which we discovered snug and straightforward to carry, we love that the heaters warmth on either side, conserving your palms additional toasty. And with three easy-to-adjust warmth settings, these heaters are helpful in several climates. Plus, the heaters additionally double as a transportable charger in your gadgets by a USB port—a useful security characteristic if you happen to’re on the go.
Potential Flaws
- The heaters have a protracted cost time: We began charging them within the afternoon, and it wasn’t till the following morning that they reached a full cost.
Most Helpful Perception
“The heating capability and consistency of this hand hotter is basically nice and helpful indoors (chilly places of work), strolling round exterior, and when attending outside occasions throughout chilly winter nights.” —Elise Wojczyk Wang, Verywell Match product tester
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Lengthy cost time
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Brief battery life
Key Specs
Warmth Supply: Electrical | Weight: 7.2 ounces | Warmth Period: 8-15 hours | Temperature Vary: As much as 131 levels Fahrenheit | Our General Ranking: 4.9/5
Who It is For
Finest for shorter outside actions in chilly climate, like commuting, shoveling snow, ice skating, and extra.
Why We Love It
Compact and straightforward to make use of, Ocoopa’s Electrical Hand Hotter is a superb choice to hold your palms heat on the go. We recognize the double-sided heating, which we discovered helpful for warming each palms directly with only one hotter. The low-profile design additionally makes it simple and comfy to carry one hotter in every hand—even inside gloves and mittens.
Throughout testing, we had been impressed by the heaters’ fast, even, and intense heating. At one level, we even needed to shut them off as a result of our palms obtained too heat. With three easy-to-adjust warmth settings, you’ll be able to customise to your wants relying on the local weather. Plus, three charging ports mean you can cost your gadgets on the go if wanted.
Potential Flaws
- Whereas the producer claims an eight- to 15-hour battery life, we discovered that it solely lasts as much as 4 hours on medium warmth.
- It took about 5 hours for these heaters to achieve a full cost, so that you’ll have to plan accordingly earlier than every use.
Most Helpful Perception
“I am actually impressed by how shortly this hand hotter heats up. Turning it on and altering warmth ranges, both up or down, might be felt immediately.’ —Anna Knief, Verywell Match product tester
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Heats shortly
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Handy belt design
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Has a pocket for storage
Key Specs
Warmth Supply: Electrical | Weight: 17.9 ounces | Warmth Period: 5-14 hours | Temperature Vary: As much as 130 levels Fahrenheit | Our General Ranking: 4.6/5
Who It is For
Finest for lounging, walks, hikes, and backpacking—particularly if you happen to choose a heated pouch design.
Why We Love It
Not like different hand heaters that you need to maintain or match into your pocket or glove, Ororo’s Heated Hand Muff is a cozy heated pouch that you could slip your palms proper into. It comes with a detachable belt (with pockets), permitting you to retailer your telephone, exercise headphones, or a satisfying snack on the go.
Throughout testing, we discovered that this heated muff warms shortly and holds a cost for a number of hours. We love that it’s simple to regulate between the three warmth settings. Plus, it’s machine-washable (with out the battery), and we didn’t discover any change in high quality after a number of wears and washes.
Potential Flaws
- All collectively, the muff, belt, and battery really feel heavier than different heaters on our checklist. However it’s a good sacrifice for this hotter’s cozy consolation and useful storage.
Most Helpful Perception
“It is fuzzy and furry inside, which is basically cozy, and the ribbed cuffs the place your arms go in are comfortable. Along with a battery pocket, there are two extra pockets, which had been in a position to match my telephone and AirPods.” —Phoebe Sklansky, Verywell Match product tester
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Warmth shortly
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Sturdy
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Comfy
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Lengthy cost time
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Brief battery life
Key Specs
Warmth Supply: Electrical | Weight: Not specified | Warmth Period: As much as 8 hours | Temperature Vary: As much as 130 levels Fahrenheit | Our General Ranking: 4.3/5
Who They’re For
Finest for shoveling snow, sledding, snowboarding, ice skating, and extra.
Why We Love Them
Heated gloves are a stable selection if you wish to keep heat whereas collaborating in actions that require your palms, like shoveling snow, sledding, snowboarding, and different snow sports activities. We love Weston’s Heated Gloves as a result of they warmth as much as 130 levels in a matter of minutes and keep constant for a number of hours. We additionally recognize that the three warmth settings are simple to regulate.
The sturdy, waterproof outer layer retains our palms dry and guarded within the snow. The adjustable wrist straps are significantly useful for blocking out the chilly wind in excessive circumstances. Plus, the gloves are snug and machine-washable.
Potential Flaws
- These gloves take as much as six hours to completely cost, so that you’ll have to plan forward.
- We discovered that the battery solely lasts as much as 4 hours on the best warmth setting.
Most Helpful Perception
“The place these gloves excel is in effectiveness! They heated relatively shortly and stored my chronically chilly palms heat on the best setting. I like that the wrist has an adjustable strap, which you should use to customise the match.” —Michelle Parente, CYT, licensed yoga trainer, commerce editor, and Verywell Match product tester
Bonus Favorites
Whereas we didn’t take a look at the remainder of the hand heaters on our checklist, we expect they’re value contemplating after thorough analysis. They’ve options and costs similar to the hand heaters we examined.
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Heats shortly
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No cost required
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Reusable
Key Specs
Warmth Supply: Chemical response (water, sodium acetate, and steel) | Weight: 4 ounces | Warmth Period: 30-40 minutes | Temperature Vary: As much as 130 levels Fahrenheit
Who They’re For
Finest for fast actions exterior in chilly climate, like strolling your canine or training sprints.
Why We Love Them
Hotsnapz’s reusable Hand Heaters use a chemical response to warmth immediately as an alternative of a chargeable battery. However in contrast to HotHands’ Hand Heaters, which have the same heating supply, these are reusable, making them an excellent cost-effective decide.
With a fast snap of the gel pad, these heaters warmth in seconds and supply 30 to 40 minutes of heat. To reuse, merely boil them in water for 10 to fifteen minutes and allow them to dry. We love that they’re light-weight and might simply match inside a glove or small pocket. Plus, they meet TSA tips, so you’ll be able to take them with you while you journey.
Potential Flaws
- Whereas they aren’t best for spending lengthy durations within the chilly, you’ll be able to carry all eight with you for greater than 5 hours of warmth.
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Light-weight
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Heats shortly
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Lengthy warmth time
Key Specs
Warmth Supply: Chemical response (iron powder, water, salt, activated charcoal, wooden fiber) | Weight: Lower than 1 ounce | Warmth Period: As much as 10 hours | Temperature Vary: As much as 135 levels Fahrenheit
Who They’re For
Finest for skiers, snowboarders, or anybody who spends many hours exterior within the chilly climate.
Why We Love Them
HotHands’ Hand Heaters provide a protracted warmth time, a handy small measurement, and a low worth level. When you’re heading out for a protracted day on the ski slopes, we like that you could simply stash a pair or two in your gloves, mittens, or pockets. They common round 135 levels F for as much as 10 hours, so that you might be assured they’ll final all day.
They’re additionally the most suitable choice when you’ll be able to’t recharge a battery, like throughout a tenting journey. Plus, we love that they’re air-activated and TSA-approved, making them an simple, no-fuss possibility for journey.
Potential Flaws
- You possibly can’t management the temperature on these hand heaters, so they may warmth up an excessive amount of for some.
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Heats shortly
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No cost required
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Small and light-weight
Key Specs
Warmth Supply: Lighter fluid | Weight: 2.6 ounces | Warmth Period: As much as 12 hours | Temperature Vary: Not listed
Who It is For
Finest for a brief canine stroll, a fast run, or to heat up your palms after you’ve been exterior.
Why We Love It
For a reusable possibility that doesn’t require electrical energy, we suggest Zippo’s Refillable Hand Hotter. As a result of it runs on lighter fluid, when you fill it up and lightweight it, it stays heat till the fluid runs out, about 12 hours later. This hotter is a superb possibility for cold-weather strolling or tenting while you may not have entry to electrical energy because it’s simple to refill on the go.
It does require a flame to activate, however as soon as it’s activated, this hotter provides flameless warmth. The outer case is steel, and we like that it comes with a pouch, so it’s simple to regulate the temperature and retailer the hotter for later. Plus, the slim, light-weight design suits properly in small palms, gloves, and pockets.
Potential Flaws
- You possibly can’t flip this hotter on and off, and the warmth lasts for hours, so you might find yourself with a sizzling hotter while you don’t want it.
Hand Heaters We Additionally Examined
In whole, we examined ten hand heaters, however not all of them scored properly sufficient to earn a spot on our checklist of prime picks. Whereas these three hand heaters had note-worthy options, they finally scored decrease in key classes than our prime picks.
- Snow Deer’s Electrical Heated Gloves are very heat and stored us cozy whereas shoveling snow, sledding, and commuting. Nonetheless, we discovered that they solely maintain a cost for 2 hours on the best setting, which isn’t lengthy sufficient for a full day of out of doors actions within the chilly.
- Sturdy and fast to warmth, Celestron Components’ FireCel+ Hand Hotter may need been a stable selection, however we discovered it to be a bit cumbersome and too sizzling to carry with naked palms.
- Karecel’s Rechargeable Hand Heaters warmth shortly and maintain a cost for as much as eight hours, however the temperature is inconsistent, generally getting too sizzling or too chilly with out us altering any settings.
What to Search for When Looking for Hand Heaters
- Warmth Supply: There are two primary sorts of hand heaters: disposable and reusable. Disposable choices usually warmth up when uncovered to air. These are nice for while you gained’t have entry to a charger, or as a backup in a pinch. Reusable hand heaters come within the type of dealt with gadgets or gloves and mittens and normally require a chargeable battery.
- Warmth Period: Hand heaters can maintain warmth for wherever from half-hour to fifteen hours. For shorter actions like strolling, a hotter with a shorter battery life could also be sufficient. Nonetheless, if you happen to’re headed out for a full day of downhill or cross-country snowboarding, snowshoeing, or mountaineering, you’ll want to select a hand hotter that stays heat for a number of hours.
- Dimension and Weight: The scale and weight of hand heaters can range, and selecting the best one for you relies on your most well-liked actions. Bigger, heavier heaters could present extra insulation, warmth, and length—making them a sensible choice for sports activities like snowboarding. Smaller, lighter-weight choices, together with disposable heaters, could also be extra sensible for actions like operating.
- Most Temperature: Hand heaters can develop as sizzling as 95 to 150 levels Fahrenheit, relying on the model and kind. Some even have settings that mean you can alter the extent of warmth, so you’ll find one which feels snug and never too sizzling. Most electrical hand heaters and gloves have three ranges of warmth, however some have as much as six. Be conscious of how sizzling your hand hotter is getting over time to keep away from burns.
- Extra Options: Many handheld electrical hand heaters may also act as a tool charger in a pinch. Some additionally include a flashlight, which can be useful in sure low-light conditions. Select a hotter that meets your wants, relying on the outside winter actions you get pleasure from doing essentially the most.
- Cost Time: Most battery-operated hand heaters take a number of hours to cost. The heaters that we examined took wherever from 4 to 6 hours in whole.
Michelle Parente
How We Examined the Hand Heaters
To search out the most effective hand heaters, we researched and examined dozens of choices from prime, trusted manufacturers. For the pairs we choose by analysis, we start by talking with specialists on what options to search for and any specific merchandise they suggest. Then, we examine dozens of best-selling, highly-rated merchandise to seek out the most effective choices available on the market. After we take a look at hand heaters, we use them indoors and open air in chilly temperatures and winter circumstances to see how they carry out in the actual world. As we proceed to check and evaluation extra hand heaters, we hold these 5 key standards in thoughts:
- Ease of Use: Upon unboxing, we be aware of how simple it’s to grasp the producer’s directions and arrange the hand heaters for the preliminary use. We additionally take note of how intuitive it’s to show the heaters on, alter any warmth settings, and use any extra options. Hand heaters obtain excessive scores if there’s no confusion upon every use.
- Effectiveness: Effectiveness is crucial in relation to hand heaters, so that is a very powerful class we take a look at for. We consider a number of elements of every hotter: How shortly does it warmth up? Does the temperature vary appear correct? How lengthy does the warmth final? We prioritize heaters that replicate producer claims and hold us heat in a wide range of settings, each indoors and open air.
- Battery Life: To check for battery life, we use every hotter for a minimum of three hours at a time, evaluating if it lasted and the way a lot battery was left. Hand heaters earn excessive scores if the battery life is correct and constant all through the testing interval.
- Design: Every hand hotter has a singular design, so we assess each independently. We have a look at the hotter’s capabilities associated to design, together with the variety of warmth settings, how the unit felt and slot in our palms, and any extra options like show screens, flashlights, carrying instances, and extra.
- Sturdiness: Sturdiness is crucial when investing in any cold-weather accent. To evaluate every hotter, we observe whether or not or not it labored and maintained effectiveness by the testing interval. In instances the place the hotter is mechanically cleanable, we additionally consider how the unit labored after being washed. We prioritize heaters that we expect will maintain up properly for a lot of makes use of (except they’re disposable).
Our Specialists
We consulted specialists at every stage of our analysis, testing, and reporting for this story. They helped us determine the various kinds of hand heaters and what key options to contemplate when purchasing. Additionally they helped inform our testing course of. Whereas we select merchandise independently, knowledgeable steering helps us make the most effective suggestions.
- Kevin Huffman, DO, physician of osteopathic medication and licensed health and wellness specialist
- Alexandra Roberts, wilderness first responder and member of Androscoggin Valley Search & Rescue
- Sarah Jeffries, paramedic and emergency care specialist and managing director of First Help Course Leicester
Often Requested Questions
Are hand heaters protected to make use of?
Hand heaters will not be solely protected to make use of, however they will even make it easier to keep away from dangers in emergency circumstances. However it’s best to at all times observe the producer’s directions, Jeffries says. She additionally recommends placing a material or glove in between your pores and skin and the hotter to keep away from getting burned.
How lengthy does a hand hotter final?
It relies on the hand hotter. Disposable hand heaters could keep heat for as much as 10 hours, whereas battery-powered choices can last as long as 18 hours on a full cost and low warmth.
What hand heaters final the longest?
How lengthy a hand hotter lasts relies on the warmth setting you employ (if it’s a battery-powered possibility). Disposable choices usually final fairly lengthy, says Roberts.
Do hand heaters work in excessive chilly?
Hand heaters are designed to work in very low temperatures, however their effectiveness could lower in excessive chilly, says Jeffries. Different components similar to wind and moisture can have an effect on their efficiency. Jeffries recommends utilizing hand heaters together with acceptable layers and insulated clothes to make sure you retain heat all through your entire physique.
Why Belief Verywell Match
An avid downhill skier residing simply exterior of Boston, Sarah Anzlovar, MS, RDN, LDN typically makes use of hand heaters within the colder months. When she’s on the slopes, she prefers HotHands’ Hand Heaters for his or her comfort, measurement, and warmth length.