Editor’s note: I was sent a pair of these gloves free of charge in exchange for a review. I only do reviews for products I have a personal desire to try out and thought what I learned might be helpful to others thinking about buying heated gloves. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
I have had the opportunity to use heated gloves by the Venustas company for about a month now and my overall observation is that if you are looking for a pair of gloves to use in extreme temperatures or if you are someone who finds that it is hard to keep your hands warm, these could be a good investment.
Venustas is a heated apparel company :
Our mission is to develop accessible products that do not limit us to any environment. We believe that the world is your oyster. Ready to be explored in any condition to uncover the beautiful wonders of life.
The intro for their gloves:
Are you a cold-handed folk? Try our Upgraded Heated Gloves to enjoy your freezing winter. These heated snowboard gloves provide quick and enduring warmth to the entire hand with graphene heating elements. 3 adjustable heating levels ensure your hands are comfortable in any weather with a simple press. Plus, our new battery-heated gloves have a water-resistant and wind-resistant shell against the elements. Whether you are out of fishing, skiing, or motorcycling, it’s a versatile companion for you in chilly weather.
Venustas Heated Gloves Out Of The Box
So what did I get? My box came with a pair of gloves, a pair of 7.4V lithium polymer batteries, a DC adapter with two charging cables and directions. The gloves run in size from small to 2XL, I asked for the medium size although I have slighter smaller hands because I don’t like having my hands feel constricted and they were just right.
The battery packs sit in zippered pockets on the back of each glove.
What Goes Into Venustas Heated Gloves?
Venustas heated gloves are made with a mix of leather and polyester and come with some of the same features that you will find in other outdoor clothing like HiPORA and 3M Thinsulate insulation. The stitching was well done and the only section I thought could be better was the cinch strap which was a mix of plastic and pleather that I could see showing wear first.
The gloves have a waterproof lining provided by a HiPora glove insert:
The Hipora Membrane is a waterproof and breathable glove liner that is incorporated into cold weather gloves. It acts as a barrier, ensuring that the gloves remain both waterproof and breathable during use. The membrane is made with a microporous structure, characterized by tiny pores or holes that allow moisture vapor to escape while preventing water from seeping in.
3M Thinsulate is a synthetic insulation that helps keep you warm and dry by trapping and holding body heat while allowing moisture to escape. The glove layer next to skin is a thin polyester fleece.
The heating elements are made of graphene, which comes from graphite and is known for its high thermal and electrical conductivity, elasticity, toughness, lightness, and resistance. Reportedly, 1,000 times more than copper and with the added benefit of resisting dampness when applied to electrical circuits.
First Impressions On Heated Gloves
I tried the gloves on and my first impression was that they are more bulky than something I would normally wear but not too heavy considering they hold a battery pack. And I have to admit I liked the new leather smell. The directions were easy to follow and after giving the batteries a complete charge and installing them, the gloves were really heating up.
I also liked that they could be adjusted at the arm to prevent them from slipping off, as well as block outside air.
With the touchscreen feature on the index finger I was able to access my phone with the gloves on but I don’t see myself being able to do a lot of texting or writing without taking the gloves off due to their thickness.
Putting My Heated Gloves To Use
My first experiences were wearing the gloves on my bike commute when temperatures dropped down into the teens. They kept the wind chill at bay as I was cruising along, something my normal bike gloves do not do. When it is cold, I find myself gripping the handlebars in ways that keep my fingers towards the back and away from the wind. With these gloves, I didn’t have to do that.
The glove heating level was easy to adjust while I riding, as well as still being able to change gears despite the thicker gloves. I also liked that the gloves have a reflective strip along the back of them.
The gloves were great for starting out on the trail from the car until my hands warmed up. One thing I really liked was that my hands didn’t sweat in the gloves as the heating elements run along the back of the hand and down the tops of the fingers. This was perfect for when I had my hands on the handle bars or holding poles as that was the area exposed most to the wind.
I have not had to recharge them again since the first time fully charging them but I have also not had them turned on for the full time I have been outdoors. I have just had them on when starting out or brief periods during activity to get the gloves warm enough to ward off chill. Once warm, the gloves themselves did a good job keeping my hands toasty. If wanting to have them on all the time while outdoors, they promise 8 hours of heating before needing to recharge.
I wrote in my post, Do You Prefer Gloves or Mittens?, that I prefer mittens (or convertibles) because I can have my fingers together to create warmth. With heated gloves I don’t need my fingers to be able to touch, the heating elements do that really well!
If I had to list some cons to these gloves, it would be that they are definitely heavier than gloves I would normally use and you do have to think about keeping them charged. They will also take up more room in your pack. For this reason, they would have a short season of use for me here in the Pacific Northwest where temperatures are more moderate.
Another observation is that the warmth they are able to generate is in direct relation to how cold it is outside. I noticed that the colder it was outside, the less warm the higher setting kept the glove warm inside. I didn’t have an opportunity to be outdoors in temperatures colder than the teens so I have to imagine if you are using them in climates colder than that, the results would be even less warm. However, I think that would be the same for any product exposed to the elements.
Warranty
Warranty is for one year and free return shipping, pretty standard for the industry. Similar gloves without the heated feature run about the same price and the ones sold by Venustas appear to sit in the mid-range of gloves which offer a heat source. The gloves have a 4 star rating on Amazon if that is something that you take into account when shopping.
Summary On My Experience With Venustas Heated Gloves
The reality is that things we use to keep us warm provide a barrier but really just capture and reflect back our own body heat to make us warm. Many of us know what it is like to already BE cold and put on a coat, gloves or get in a sleeping bag and then shiver while we wait for our body to do the work of creating the warmth we need. Having something that provides that initial heat source from the beginning can be lifesaving if not just a faster path to comfort.
That said, nothing will beat the well tested advice of wearing layers while outdoors in cold weather. Relying on just one article of clothing could be a recipe for disaster. For this reason, gloves like the ones from Venustas should still be just one tool in your winter outdoor kit for staying warm.
I can see having these for times when I know I will be outdoors in extremely cold temperatures but not participating in a lot of exercise that will bring my body temperature up. Or if I know I will be stopping for a while between exercise. Snow camping, sitting around the campfire, or a sporting event comes to mind. If the wind chill temperatures are extreme enough, having gloves with a heat source are beneficial despite how heated you might get while moving. You might keep these gloves in your pack or car for those times when your hands might get cold and you know it will take a while to warm up after putting gloves back on.
Heated gloves could also be an option for those who have health conditions that cause them to have cold hands even in warm environments or during exercise like my sister. Having a good pair of heated gloves could help someone with one of these conditions to live a more comfortable life. From Columbia University where they suggest gloves as a solution before resorting surgery:
Cold hands that do not warm up after time in a warm environment can be a sign of a health condition: anemia, autoimmune disease, blood or thyroid disorder, reaction to medication, or smoking. In some people, including those with lupus, scleroderma, or Raynaud’s disease, cold hands stem from hypersensitive nerves.
I would say if you are the kind of person who already buys heavy duty gloves like this (lined, layers, waterproof, etc.) but wants the added feature of a heat source, especially at the finger tips, these would be an option. They are an investment which in my opinion would be offset by the fact you wouldn’t need to use any disposable hand warmers which only concentrate the heat at your palms rather then extend out to your fingers.
Venustas does sell other items like socks, camp chairs, and apparel. They even have a hand warmer pouch you wear at the waist that I think I would really enjoy. You can find out more about the gloves here and the rest of their products on their website: Venustas.
What do you think? Have you tried heated apparel before and found it useful?
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