Heated Clothing? I'm Warming Up To The Idea :0)
November 4, 2010 2:30 PM   Subscribe

What companies sell heated clothing? I'm looking for garments with portable battery power packs inside that I can go skiing with.

I first saw this earlier today when Columbia had a press release for an $850 heated jacket that had a small, cell phone sized Lithium Ion battery power pack that fit in a pocket.

I don't have $850, but I do have $200! I googled for a "heated jacket" and found that this idea was capitalized on long ago by the motorcycle industry, but unfortunately most of their motorcycle clothing requires you to connect the jacket's power cord to the motorcycle battery itself, which is not an option when I'm skiing/snowboarding! I like the rechargeable lithium ion battery idea!

Any and all suggestions welcomed!

I'm primarily interested in heated jackets.

xoxo,
TYM
posted by thankyoumuchly to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (10 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
With proper layers you should not need any electronics. Your body does a swell job at generating heat -- any heat from a measly battery pack is just going to escape into cold air if you aren't properly insulated to begin with.
posted by mmdei at 2:39 PM on November 4, 2010 [4 favorites]


Gerbing has a line of battery operated (on board battery) clothing. I've used their motorcycle jacket and gloves for a few years now and they're nicely warm on a cold day. (I have used them down to about 0 F at highway speeds.) I wear leathers over them to keep in the heat and keep out the wind. I believe the jackets are about $200. You want them to be snug, and you can have them custom fitted (or at least you used to be able to).
posted by mu at 2:44 PM on November 4, 2010 [1 favorite]


If you insist on going with heated products, stick to a heated vest layer such as the Gerbing suggestion above. Just treat it as part of your layering system and follow it up with an appropriate, waterproof, breathable, pitzipped ski jacket.
posted by mmdei at 2:47 PM on November 4, 2010


Not quite heated clothing but have you considered Thermacare Heat Wraps? I wore one on my lower back last December when we went searching for a Christmas tree and was surprised at what a difference it made.
posted by bahama mama at 2:50 PM on November 4, 2010


I dont think heated clothing will work . I knopw when i am shoveling in the snow or doing anything more then walking in the snow with just a regular winter jacket gloves and a hat or headband i get awfully hot .

I dont see good things coming from heated clothing.
posted by majortom1981 at 3:21 PM on November 4, 2010


I have these reusable heat pack things for skiing. You can get them at REI. You boil them, and they turn liquid; you bend a little piece of metal inside them, and they turn solid and emit heat for a few hours. When they cool off, you boil them again. They're cheap and, for much less than $200, you can probably get enough to stuff into all sorts of places.
posted by jeffamaphone at 4:12 PM on November 4, 2010


I too and puzzled by the request for a heated jacket for skiing. When I ski that's the warmest part of my whole body. I can understand that for some people (including me on occasion) have some trouble with fingers and toes. You should look into how you are layering and make sure that your outer layer offers protection from wind and moisture. You might also want to supplement this with something for your neck which will keep the cold wind from going down inside your clothes.
posted by mmascolino at 5:53 PM on November 4, 2010


"a small, cell phone sized Lithium Ion battery power pack that fit in a pocket" may not have enough energy to warm a jacket for very long (sorry, too late in the day for me to go through the calculations.)
posted by anadem at 6:05 PM on November 4, 2010


Cozy Winters seems to have a selection.

A lot of other places come up in a Google search for 'heated clothing,' but I haven't looked at them all.
posted by SLC Mom at 10:36 PM on November 4, 2010


EXO Heated Clothing is what you're after. I own the vest. It's your standard-issue heated vest except that it uses a proprietary conductive rubber element that is WAY more energy-efficient than toaster-wire vests. As a result, you can heat the vest (the kidney panel only) off cigarette-pack-sized batteries for three or four hours. I use my vest on motorcycles that have crap charging systems that can't power a Gerbing's jacket, and I use it in battery mode in my unbelievably cold office and during winter outdoor events.

Any motorcycle shop that is signed up with distributor Parts Unlimited (or Parts Canada) can order this for you.
posted by workerant at 7:16 AM on November 5, 2010


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