Final Verdict
After putting 15 pairs of heated gloves through their paces, the Ororo 3-in-1 Heated Gloves came in first. Essentially two pairs for the price of one, the outer set is water resistant and insulated while the soft liners feature hand-shaped heating elements to keep you toasty for up to 8 hours. We also like the Akaso Heated Gloves for a more cost-effective option that warms up quickly.
Other Heated Gloves We Tested
Autocastle Heated Gloves: These gloves were the least expensive we tested. So if you’re looking for a true budget pick, these are an option. But our testers reported they never felt any significant heat.
Sun Will Heated Glove Liners: Sun Will’s liners reached some of our highest temperatures three hours into testing and would be a good option as liners underneath other gloves or stand-alone liners on dry days. But, as expected with liners, our tester’s hands got cold quickly during the ice bucket test.
Aroma Season Heated Gloves: Aroma Season’s gloves heated quickly, albeit unevenly. And while the gloves were comfortable overall, our testers did not like the placement of the battery and reported that the gloves were not super waterproof.
Seirus Heat Touch Hellfire Heated Gloves: Here are your splurge-worthy gloves. If you’re going to be skiing or snowboarding dozens of days a season and get cold fingers and hands easily, it might be worth the cost. Otherwise, our testers couldn’t justify the expense.
ActionHeat Heated Gloves: Nothing blew us away about these gloves. And considering they take AA batteries in a world of rechargeable batteries, we couldn’t put these on our best overall list.
Product Selection
We selected gloves based on internet research and the expertise of our editors and testing team. Internet research included looking at gloves and brands that are featured on other prominent sites and have high customer reviews and ratings. We also picked products based on what our editors have owned, used, and tested previously. Once we produced an initial list of gloves, that list was narrowed to 15 gloves we wanted to test based on price points and functionality.
How We Tested
Testing was undertaken in our New York City lab by a team of editors and testers. Testers removed the gloves from their packaging, made sure batteries were charged, and turned the gloves on to the medium setting. We timed how long it took for the gloves to heat up, taking temperature readings at zero minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and three hours.
We then placed the heated gloves in a tub of ice water to test for waterproofness and to see how warm the gloves stayed while exposed to colder temperatures. Gloves were rated on a five-point scale for ease of use, comfort, design, heating, and value. We averaged those ratings for an overall score.
What to Look For in Heated Gloves
Weatherproofing
Since gloves are an outer layer, weatherproofing is important—especially if you’ll be using them for skiing or snowboarding. Look for gloves that feature some sort of weather or waterproofing (this is usually clearly stated in the product description). Gloves that use GORE-TEX are typically waterproof, as are those with a DWR coating.
Materials
Generally, synthetic materials like polyester and nylon are best for gloves. Leather is also a common and effective choice. You’ll want to avoid materials that absorb water (such as wool or cotton), especially if you’re planning on using the gloves for snow sports or if you live in a climate with more precipitation. We mainly picked gloves that feature leather or synthetic materials because of their ability to work in multiple scenarios.
Heating
Of course, one of the most important features of a heated glove is the actual heating. And as we learned through our testing, gloves do not all heat equally. Look for things like temperature ratings and read reviews from real-life customers to determine how well the heating element works. Heating in the fingers is most important as the fingers are most likely to become cold in frigid temperatures. But also look to see how well the heating is distributed across the hands and how long that warmth lasts.
Battery Life
Speaking of how long the gloves stay warm, make sure to look at and research battery life. The battery life brands claim won’t always be accurate. (There’s nothing nefarious about that; battery life depends on many variables such as power setting, temperature, and wind and is hard to measure.) That said, most brands will give you a range. Generally, heated apparel with a longer battery life will cost more. But if you know you’ll be using your heated gloves for extended periods while skiing, snowboarding, hiking, cycling, or working outside, a longer battery life will likely be worth it.
Why Trust TripSavvy
Nathan Allen is TripSavvy’s Outdoor Gear Editor. He comes from a family of people with Raynaud’s syndrome and knows the importance of having warm digits during the winter. He’s seen first-hand how miserable a day on the slopes can be with cold fingers. Nathan regularly wears gloves in the winter, running, cycling, skiing, and hiking. All gloves mentioned in this roundup were thoroughly tested in TripSavvy’s New York City testing lab.
