# Has anyone tried heated gloves?



## bmwjoe

I ride all year and the worst thing to get cold are my hands. I have lobster claws and I go below freezing often. I was wondering if anyone has tried the Li-ion powered gloves for bicycle riding. Something like:
ThermoGloves Rechargeable Heated Gloves - Battery Heated Gloves

The price used to be $300 and now it is about 1/2. I am wondering if anyone has first hand (pardon pun) experience.

Ride Safe,

Joe

PS: A toasty 41°F on the way in this morning.


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## Keoki

I have not.

I've been riding with Castelli Diluvio Deluxe Gloves and they are super warm ($50). The down side is that they make my hands very sweaty.
Castelli Diluvio Deluxe Gloves | Competitive Cyclist


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## robt57

Try silk liners before spending that kind of cash. The get me to high 30s with my long fingered cycling gloves that are not even that heavy.

The silk liners under a pare of thin-sulate gloves I have get me into the 20s. Silk sock layer also equally useful.


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## pmf

Yeah, my wife has a pair. She gets cold hands really easily and lobster mitts don't cut it. Last Christmas I got her a pair from coy winters. I recall they were around $200.

Buy Heated Gloves at CozyWinters

They are a little bulky, but not too bad (you can still operate STI shifters with them on). Each glove has a rechargeable battery on the top. You can pop the batteries out of their little pockets. They have several temperature settings. She loves them. My boss bought a pair as well and really likes them. I think they are aimed at motorcycle riders, but they work well for bikes. $150 is a decent price for a pair.


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## OldZaskar

bmwJoe... I haven't tried the heated gloves, but figured I'd share what works for me before you spend that $$$. I also ride year round too - 20 degrees is my limit.

This works for me...
1. Keep your gloves (the liners and the gloves) inside; I lay mine on the heater vent in the living room over night
2. Is the bike is in the garage? (if not, skip to #4), If so, get it completely prepped, e.g. aired up, bottle on cage, lights hooked up... 
3. Go back inside and warm up
4. Finish getting dressed - totally dressed, e.g. shoes, helmet, gloves
5. Go ride

The key to ^that^ is to start WARM. Staying warm is enough of a challenge. 

Next one may seem odd... Ride for 10-15 min, then stop. Stopping, when your HR is over 140 does amazing things to warm up the fingers and toes. Give it 3 minutes. Now, continue on. 

Your results may vary


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## bmwjoe

OldZaskar,

I am familiar with the start warm routine. Take the warm clothes and get out and start riding right away. (Don't fiddle around with the tires then go riding.) I do like the idea of stopping once your heart rate is up. I may have to try this.

I am very familiar with having good gloves. From 40+ years of riding motorcycles in cold weather I know that warm gloves and heated gloves are two different things. Warm gloves = bringing a knife to a gun fight. You just can't compare the results. I am just wondering if people have taken the plunge. It sounds like PMF has and it worked well.

Ride Safe,

Joe


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## RichardT

I use these hand warmer pouches http://www.amazon.com/HotHands-Hand-Warmers-40-pairs/dp/B0007ZF4OA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1418857316&sr=8-3&keywords=heat+pack+for+skiing when I go skiing. They work well and are inexpensive. (I live in Florida so I don't need them when I ride.)


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## bmwjoe

RichardT,

I use those too and they work OK-ish. They only heat part of your hand, and miss the fingers. When it is in the teens I use them. I did learn a cool trick. You can turn them "off" by putting them in a small ziplock bag. I can keep them going for the better part of a week this way.

Ride Safe,

joe


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## Srode

RichardT said:


> I use these hand warmer pouches Amazon.com : HotHands Hand Warmers : Sports & Outdoors when I go skiing. They work well and are inexpensive. (I live in Florida so I don't need them when I ride.)


I use PI Lobster gloves with a Columbia Omni heat liner glove and the hot hands pads. they get me down to mid 20's comfortably. The omni heat liners have foil dots inside that reflect heat back at your hand. The base layers I use when really cold are omni heat with thumb holes so the sleeves cover the back of my hands. I put the hot hands pads on those sleeves on the back of my hand, the glove liners on top of that and the Lobster gloves over that and it's pretty comfortable, not really that bulky. Much below 25 and I get out the Bar Mitts which will get me well into the teens.


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## Akirasho

... I tried battery powered gloves once, but found the results not worth the hassle... Instead I started carrying...

Amazon.com : Magic Gel Reusable Hand Warmer Heat Pad Hot Pack Warmer Great for Feet Too, Perfect for All Outdoor Activities : Other Products : Everything Else

... their only downside is that they become rock hard as they heat up thus you'd use them only as a last resort (I once had to use one to warm my hands enuff to turn the key to get into my front door)...


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## Jay Strongbow

I know a couple guys who tried them and they both said they worked great, when they worked which was only for a few months before they stopped working (probably related to getting wet from sweat).
I'm pretty sure they had a different brand then what you linked to but the price was similar.


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## bmwjoe

So, what I gather from the two people that answered my initial question... They work very well, but may not stand up to the rigors of day to day use. I will stay on the side lines for now.

Thanks for your input.

Joe


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## pmf

bmwjoe said:


> So, what I gather from the two people that answered my initial question... They work very well, but may not stand up to the rigors of day to day use. I will stay on the side lines for now.
> 
> Thanks for your input.
> 
> Joe


I say go for it. The make a great Christmas gift. You know -- something you want, but you don't really want to buy it, but wouldn't return it if you got it as a gift. As an economist, I can't explain this kind of behavior, but it certainly exists. 

Rationalize it -- many people spend more on a pair of bib shorts.


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## bmwjoe

Nope. Santa is already on the hook for a new helmet to replace my 10 year old lid and a white Kontact (made from F3 Form molds) saddle for the new fixie I just built up.


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## bvber

pmf said:


> Rationalize it -- many people spend more on a pair of bib shorts.


But bibs are used year around where as gloves, especially the one in question, may be used for a month or two a year. :hand:


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## pmf

bvber said:


> But bibs are used year around where as gloves, especially the one in question, may be used for a month or two a year. :hand:


Your logic is flawed. I've got a pair of Sidi winter shoes. I use them three months out of the year, and I don't ride a ton during those three months. I've had them for 10 years and they are in great condition. So they've gone at least the same number of miles that two pairs of bib shorts would (I think I paid around $250 for them). They are/were worth every penny. 

Riding while feeling cold is not fun and usually leads to not riding until Spring.


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## Charlie the Unicorn

Bar Mitts work wonders. I picked up a pair last year and I use them on my commute to work (on my road bike). Temps as low as 15 degrees and my hands were fine and I I have major issues w/ keeping my hands warm. Only downside is keeping your hands in the same spot (hoods) all the time.


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## bvber

pmf said:


> Your logic is flawed. I've got a pair of Sidi winter shoes. I use them three months out of the year, and I don't ride a ton during those three months. I've had them for 10 years and they are in great condition. So they've gone at least the same number of miles that two pairs of bib shorts would (I think I paid around $250 for them). They are/were worth every penny.


I have doubts about gloves with active components functioning the same after that many years.


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## bigjohnla

Thats pretty


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## pmf

Charlie the Unicorn said:


> Bar Mitts work wonders. I picked up a pair last year and I use them on my commute to work (on my road bike). Temps as low as 15 degrees and my hands were fine and I I have major issues w/ keeping my hands warm. Only downside is keeping your hands in the same spot (hoods) all the time.


I see people riding with those things on mtn bikes with bar shifters. Apparently, they work great. How do you get them to work on a road bike with STI/Ergo shifters? Do they cover the entire brake hood?


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## rgamble

After being plagued for years by cold hands compromising winter rides if got the Motion Heat gloves noted below. They're 12V lithium ion with carbon fiber heating elements.

HEATED GLOVES - Bay Cycle And Sports - Pickering, Ontario, Canada

They work really well and being liners they can be mixed and matched with outer gloves according to need.


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## Charlie the Unicorn

pmf said:


> I see people riding with those things on mtn bikes with bar shifters. Apparently, they work great. How do you get them to work on a road bike with STI/Ergo shifters? Do they cover the entire brake hood?


They have them specifically for road bikes. They go right over the entire shifter.


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## bmwjoe

Now this is what I am talking about. They are from Canada where they know cold well. The price is a little out of my range. I am glad to hear they work well.

Ride Safe,

Joe


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## rgamble

There's no denying the cost factor, which I also struggled with but what it gets down to is a safety issue.

If you're one of those that develop cold hands it affects dexterity as in grabbing the brake in a hurry to avoid sand or ice. I also tend to grip handlebars firmly on twisty descents in the event of some sort of wheel kick which forces blood from my hands.

So I file the gloves under the category of helmet use. Don't like either but beats possible alternatives.


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## Lallement

rgamble said:


> After being plagued for years by cold hands compromising winter rides if got the Motion Heat gloves noted below. They're 12V lithium ion with carbon fiber heating elements.
> 
> HEATED GLOVES - Bay Cycle And Sports - Pickering, Ontario, Canada
> 
> They work really well and being liners they can be mixed and matched with outer gloves according to need.



I have been looking at those. They are made by 

itselectric.ca / Power In Motion

They seem to be well designed. 

I did try BarMitts last year and found that I did not like the lack of mobility. My hands were still cold.


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## Trek_5200

Before you go the heated glove route, make sure you've tried glove liners. The added layer has solved all my issues. Thin layer of wool between my hands an my gloves keeps me plenty warm. I've tried the chemical warmers and don't like the feeling of my hands or feet being heated.


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## webbmx7

As the Unicorn said, Bar Mitts are where it's at. I frequently find myself venturing out on the CX bike in temperatures ranging from 0-20 degrees for 1-2 hour rides, and the Bar Mitts are the only thing that keep me going. I toss in one of those hot hands packets into each Bar Mitt and ride without gloves. The only downfall as mentioned is that your hand positions are very limited, but if you ride with a thin set of gloves you can take your hands out of the Mitts and ride on tops or in the drops for a short while to let your hands air out. I am in my third season of doing this and I have yet to be let down with the Bar Mitts. Be prepared to get stared at a lot, and for other fair weather cyclist to make fun of your Instagram posts of your bike with Bar Mitts...


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