Heated glove liners can make all the difference on a cold day when your regular gloves just can't stand up to the winter chill. Just slip these on before putting on your gloves and enjoy the additional warmth they provide.
When to Use Heated Glove Liners
You can use heated liners all winter if you like, but there are some special occasions where you may really want to wear a pair:
- The morning commute between the time when you have to get going and the time the heater in your car starts really working. You may be especially interested in heated liners if you have a motorcycle or frequently ride on ATVs.
- Sporting events outside during the fall and winter (perhaps even early spring!)-especially if you're just a spectator because you won't be getting warmed up just sitting still.
- Hiking, skiing, or any other outdoor activity that allows you to wear gloves.
Different Types of Liners
Not all glove liners that produce extra heat are created equal. Basically, there are three types:
Liners with Heat Packs: These most typically feature a pocket on the back of the hand where a heat pack (in most cases, not reusable) is positioned to spread heat from the base of the hand down to the fingers. There are no wires or other materials to ensure that the heat is carried quickly to the fingertips. This type of liner, however, is most often significantly cheaper than the liners that use batteries.
Liners that Use Batteries: This type has a battery pouch on each hand (usually on the wrists) where you insert the batteries. They're portable and generally effective at warming the whole hand.
Liners that Use Other Power Sources: There is a type of liner that connects to your vehicle. They tend to warm the hands effectively, but they are not as portable as other types.
Find Yours
If you're not sure where to look for your glove liners, here are a few spots to check out:
Berg Ski Shop: For $14.99 on this site, you can get a pair of Seirus Thermalux Heat Pocket Glove Liners (Unisex) that incorporate Thermax technology. As the name suggests, these use a heat pack pocket to emit extra warmth.
Cozy Winters has a pair of WarmGear™ Premium Heated Glove Liners for $79.95. They're designed to fit snugly and entirely heat each finger. Unfortunately, this pair has to be plugged into a 12 volt DC source, so if you're not in your car or on your ATV, snowmobile, motorcycle, and so on, you won't be able to use the additional warmth they can provide. On a positive note, there is a lifetime warranty on the heating elements. Be sure to check their sizing chart to find out which size you should order.
Brookstone comes to the rescue with a battery heated glove liner. You can toss them in with your other laundry because they're machine washable, there are three levels of warmth, they're soft, they're flexible, and the battery packs fit neatly against your wrists. Because these use battery packs, you can take them anywhere--on the golf course, hiking, etc. This type is available on the Brookstone website for $49.95.
Electric Hand Warmers has two types of glove liners to offer: BodyHeaters Heated Liners and AA Battery Heated Liners. The first type is $19.95 and uses a heating pad positioned on the back of the hand to emit heat and comes with one pair of gloves and four heat packs. The second type, of course, uses AA batteries and is available for $49.95. The battery pack is on the wristbands of the gloves and you get six hours of continuous heat.
The Bottom Line
Heated glove liners are a fantastic way to supplement your winter gloves without adding a lot of bulk. There are several types out there to fit your needs, whether you're on the go or you need them mostly in or on your vehicle of choice. There are even different heating methods within the liner selections; you can pay a bit more and pay for liners that wrap the heat around your fingers or you can go for lower end models that have a heating pack on the backs of the hands.
