heated gear

[Funbaldguy]

I'm thinking of getting some. I was hoping to get some input as to what everyone thinks about what they are using or have used? thanks

[hubcapsc]

I'm thinking of getting some. I was hoping to get some input as to what everyone thinks about what they are using or have used? thanks

My Gerbing jacket liner is really good, and my Gerbing gloves. There's more brands
worth looking at than Gerbing, though - my controller is Firstgear, they make
jackets and gloves too. If you have both a jacket of some kind and gloves, it is
best to get a "double" controller.

Jackets with glove-connectors at the wrist keep you from having to route wires up your
sleeves as with a vest - a real win.

I dress the same way year around. When it is cold, my jacket liner is one of my layers.
When it is hot, there's no layers, just my vented jacket and a t-shirt. It works great
for me and is real versatile.



-Mike

[Tfrank59]

Mike, does it even get cold in South Carolina? Original poster lives in Michigan, where it never really gets warm while maybe 2 months of the year :-). Seriously though gerbing is the best they say and I had their gloves for a while but I hated the wires that's just me. I bought some Joe Rocket heated gloves and they take a battery and I like em a lot although in extreme cold they don't really do the job I'll admit. You also need heated grips to go with them. As far as jackets go I have a Kilimanjaro made by first gear and it is not electrically heated but with the liner in it it's good to a 0 degree windchill that does the job for me in pretty much any weather I'm willing to go out and ride in

[hubcapsc]

There's a few months where we leave out in the mornings with frost on the seats  ...
and we're mostly headed to North Georgia, North Carolina or Tennessee twisties when
we leave...

No heated gear means getting cold enough for your jaws to get tight and the
ride to be less fun. Arching my back into the gloriousness of a heated jacket
when it is 35 makes me happy...

-Mike

[MarkT]

I went to WarmNSafe after I read that Gerbing, who used to outsource from WNS, reverse-engineered their controllers then had them copied from China.  I don't support intellectual theft.  Been really happy with my WNS jackets, liners and gloves.  Ditto on the dbl-controller comment. All of my bikes are wired to use them. Freezing and below I add a balaclava under my helmet.  Takes an extra minute or so to plug in but worth it when the temp dips below 40.   Makes the difference between a comfy ride and "how much further before I can warm up?"

[..]

I bought a Gerbing jacket liner 2 years ago.

I will never bug a Gerbing product again.

The elasticated wrist and waist stretched and didn't regain their shape to they are as baggy as a 55 year old womans bat wings.

The cord from the jacket to plug into the feed from the bike is too short and you have to hunt around to find it at the hem of the jacket you are wearing.

The wires from the sleeves are too short.


I bought it from the Warming Store online and they told me to contact Gerbing who in turn told me that if the jacket was working there was nothing I could do about it.

So both of those companies can take a long walk off a short pier and I will continue to tell people  about a crap product and crap customer service from both of the companies.

[pancho]

And then, if you just wanted to buy a pair of gloves to see if you were even interested in heated apparel,,,,   there are always these..

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JCZG99Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I just bought a pair to see what $12 can still get you from China..... no mention of any kind of regulation or if the outer is a wind resistant fabric,,,,  we will see. If you see me walking around with stumps for hands, you'll know what happened.

[98valk]

I start out with a heavy weight base layer.  https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/guide-gear-men039s-heavyweight-fleece-base-layer-bottoms?a=2135586
 NO COTTON. Cotton kills in freezing weather.
wool or wool blend socks with poly sock liners.

need to block the wind. I have nine shields installed including foot shields.
30F, time and highway speed, electric vest gets used.

[indybobm]

I just bought a pair to see what $12 can still get you from China..... no mention of any kind of regulation or if the outer is a wind resistant fabric,,,,  we will see. If you see me walking around with stumps for hands, you'll know what happened.

I have never used heated gear, what do these gloves plug into?

[pancho]

That's the same question the one guy who wrote the bad review had Indybobm. I'd say you need to rig your own wiring, they are 12 volt, looks to be a common connector.

[The emperor has no clothes]

That's the same question the one guy who wrote the bad review had Indybobm. I'd say you need to rig your own wiring, they are 12 volt, looks to be a common connector.

I think you could rig up wiring for them fairly easily. But, I couldn't find a box to order sizing.

[Tfrank59]

That's the same question the one guy who wrote the bad review had Indybobm. I'd say you need to rig your own wiring, they are 12 volt, looks to be a common connector.

I think you could rig up wiring for them fairly easily. But, I couldn't find a box to order sizing.

I saw that too, so it seems like a gamble and if your hands are like mine, China's gloves are all way too small, unless they have XXL (which for the US is basically a Large).

[The emperor has no clothes]

That's the same question the one guy who wrote the bad review had Indybobm. I'd say you need to rig your own wiring, they are 12 volt, looks to be a common connector.

I think you could rig up wiring for them fairly easily. But, I couldn't find a box to order sizing.

I saw that too, so it seems like a gamble and if your hands are like mine, China's gloves are all way too small, unless they have XXL (which for the US is basically a Large).

I've got too many gloves already that don't fit well. Although $12 is tempting.

[Skinhead]

And then, if you just wanted to buy a pair of gloves to see if you were even interested in heated apparel,,,,   there are always these..

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JCZG99Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I just bought a pair to see what $12 can still get you from China..... no mention of any kind of regulation or if the outer is a wind resistant fabric,,,,  we will see. If you see me walking around with stumps for hands, you'll know what happened.

Pancho, Please let us know what size you end up with.  I bought a Pair of Gerbings on close out, but they are like XXXL and while they wrok great, just a little too big for me.  If any one has a pair of XL or XXL that are too small for them, we could trade. 

[pancho]

Will do Skinhead,, but I believe these are shipping from China, slow boat, so it will probably be two or three weeks before I get them.

 From what I see, these are only in one size as per the dimensions that as given instead of a size. I've seen this before and I expect them to fit close to a US Large. I also expect the connectors to be the same as what is standard on most heated gloves and jacket liners, I think they are  5.5 by 2.1mm. We will see, I'll follow up when I get them.

[gordonv]

I have old Gerbing, micro line (?), and is still working. But since, Gerbing sold out, made from China, didn't honour their warranty. (Gordon?) Gerbing since reopended under a different name, but I can't remember the results.

Always buy a dual controller if you can (extra 30% more $). You might want to add on either heated gloves or socks.

Me? My wife uses my heated vest, and now I have heated grips, which is 100% better, as they are always with me and can be turned on/off as needed. I'm a Polar Bear, just need a wind breaker to keep the cold out to 0' C, but my hands freeze up when below 8' C/48' F, and I can barely use the brake/clutch.

GL1800 GW have heated seats.

[98valk]

I'm a Polar Bear, just need a wind breaker to keep the cold out to 0' C, but my hands freeze up when below 8' C/48' F, and I can barely use the brake/clutch.

that means your body core temperature dropped greatly and the body brought the blood from the extremities back to your body to survive.  very dangerous to be that way. could also become disoriented.

[gordonv]

I'm a Polar Bear, just need a wind breaker to keep the cold out to 0' C, but my hands freeze up when below 8' C/48' F, and I can barely use the brake/clutch.

that means your body core temperature dropped greatly and the body brought the blood from the extremities back to your body to survive.  very dangerous to be that way. could also become disoriented.

Or it could be my blood thinners and the rest of the meds I'm now currently taking. Body is warm. No shivering. I've been cold, like you mentioned before, shivering, took an hour of HOT coffee to stop shivering. I don't do that any more.

Same problem at my old job, order picking in a refrigerated warehouse. Winter dressed. Hands freeze, become unusable. Get circulation back, and they are like they used to be, toasty warm, hot even.

[98valk]

I'm a Polar Bear, just need a wind breaker to keep the cold out to 0' C, but my hands freeze up when below 8' C/48' F, and I can barely use the brake/clutch.

that means your body core temperature dropped greatly and the body brought the blood from the extremities back to your body to survive.  very dangerous to be that way. could also become disoriented.

Or it could be my blood thinners and the rest of the meds I'm now currently taking. Body is warm. No shivering. I've been cold, like you mentioned before, shivering, took an hour of HOT coffee to stop shivering. I don't do that any more.

Same problem at my old job, order picking in a refrigerated warehouse. Winter dressed. Hands freeze, become unusable. Get circulation back, and they are like they used to be, toasty warm, hot even.

Thyroid issues?  easiest fix and what it needs is iodine. Kelp is very low cost and works.

[carolinarider09]

Several things about heated gear.  I use Warmnsafe stuff (well it was purchased from Powerlet but it was made by Warmnsafe back then).

1.  Its all about layers. 
2. its about blocking the wind


So, what I do is I have a Warmnsafe heated jacket liner that I wear over a light undershirt (long sleeved).  Over the liner i wear either a leather jacket.  I have Patagonia fleece long johns under my jeans and then wear my rain pants over them to block the wind.

I wear a fleece neck gaiter over the heated jacket liner and under the leather jacket.  My glove are outdoor hiking gloves which may or may not work for you.

Covering the neck area is important to the overall efficiency  of the system.   

The thought process is that you use the jacket liner to warm your upper body and the blood.  The warm blood flows to the rest of the body, helping to keep it warm. Since there are major blood vessels in the neck are, covering the neck area is essential to keeping the hear warm. 

The warm blood flowing through to your legs helps keep them warm and since you have a vapor/wind barrier there is less cooling effect on the lower extremities. 

I highly recommend the new Gen 4 Warmnsafe system.  Just got one for my wife and it is better than the previous version she had (may circa 2008).

[Tfrank59]

I'm thinking of getting some. I was hoping to get some input as to what everyone thinks about what they are using or have used? thanks

I'm going to weigh in...again.  For me, once my core is taken care of (in my case by a well insulated jacket), it's all about my hands.  Seems like no matter what I have for wind deflection, my hands--particularly my fingers--are the first thing to become uncomfortable. Just a note about my riding ventures: I don't ride in sub-freezing temps, at least not for more than 30 mins on anything but a 300 lb dualsport.  So if it's too cold for my winter riding boots with heavy socks, my leather chaps over my legs, my Kilimanjaro coat good to 0 deg F. wind chill (= around 35 deg F + 50 MPH), and my batt powered heated gloves... then I don't ride my big bikes that day... esp if it's raining   Also, there tends to be this salt-chemical crap they put on the roads locally, if there's a chance for ice, and it's death to pretty much anything metal, esp. alum rims (don't ask I how I know that).  Bottom line, if I can ride with all the gear I mentioned, gloves being the only heated gear I use, then great.  If not, I have other fun toys to drive, like my Miata "Mazdaratti" which also deserves love.

[kodiakfisher]

So just yesterday I rode almost 200 miles in 42 degree temps at about 75 mph....or a few degrees below freezing once you add windchill.

I have heated chaps, jacket and gloves with dual controllers. My toes were cold but the rest of me was neither warm nor cold. I was surprised that I ended up with the jacket on max. Once I stopped it felt like it would burn me had I not turned it down but at speed kept me from being cold. My gear is older first gear but I use a Gerbings dual controller as the first gear controllers are subject to failure. You just need to buy an adapter plug for the First gear stuff and you can run the Gerbings controller.

Kodiakfisher

[Jersey]

I ride my I/S daily in/out DC unless I can ski or skate on the roads.  
Current setup is
- Gerbing heated underlining jacket,
- Volt heated Gloves,
- Venture heated pants,
- generic 12v socks,
- Balaclava designed for use with helmets (thinner material on top of the head),
- heavy leather jacket.

All of this keeps me warm during my 40 min commute down to 0°F... at speed being about -35°F with wind chill.  While this seems cold, it's not as much compared to skiing 30mph in -20°F (-53°F WC).   I think the old girl runs best in that cold weather... once she warms up!  Of course, the fairing and windshield help quite a bit by cutting the wind.

[cookiedough]

how do you guys run 2 wheel cycle in 32 degrees or below?  Besides the cold, are you not afraid that icy spots will form on the roads?

[Jersey]

how do you guys run 2 wheel cycle in 32 degrees or below?  Besides the cold, are you not afraid that icy spots will form on the roads?

I do keep a close eye on the weather, especially the dew points and wind.  But in general, once that's checked, I just ride.  Electric heat turned on and good to go.  Love the looks from the cagers as I go by in 10F while they're trying to stay warm! 

[baldo]

I went to WarmNSafe after I read that Gerbing, who used to outsource from WNS, reverse-engineered their controllers then had them copied from China.  I don't support intellectual theft.  Been really happy with my WNS jackets, liners and gloves.  Ditto on the dbl-controller comment. All of my bikes are wired to use them. Freezing and below I add a balaclava under my helmet.  Takes an extra minute or so to plug in but worth it when the temp dips below 40.   Makes the difference between a comfy ride and "how much further before I can warm up?"

I've gotten all my gear from www.warmnsafe.com.  I recommend them highly.

[Kunkies]

I use Gerbing and I'm very, very satisfied; ...vest, gloves, connected to a power distribution module for dynamic temperature control from a on-board ambient thermometer

Highly recommend the setup, takes the guesswork out of temp' control while riding, one less distraction, safer

https://www.neutrinoblackbox.com/details 

[sdv003]

I do the same thing as Kunkies, using WnS jacket liner and gloves controlled by the neutrino.  Living in the desert, I don't get to use it much, but when I have used it, it works great.

[hubcapsc]

I do the same thing as Kunkies, using WnS jacket liner and gloves controlled by the neutrino.  Living in the desert, I don't get to use it much, but when I have used it, it works great.

I have a PDM60, which is a similar kind of programmable circuit breaker box. But
the PDM60 needs Windows to program it    ...

How do you hook your phone to the black box? Same way you hook it
to your computer?

-Mike

[sdv003]

It uses Bluetooth.

[ShiftHappens]

I bought "Hotwired" gloves, jacket, and pants from Cycle Gear when they offered lifetime warranty on the product. Warranty is now a 2 year warranty. (I did save the catalog stating lifetime warranty)

I would recommend starting out with gloves. They are by far the most useful. Then I would do the jacket. I would pass on the pants.

I would recommend getting a pair of wind pants though, similar to a wind breaker. I bought a pair from Walmart for around $15. Compact and helpful.

[Jess from VA]

I'd get the gloves and liner (full or vest), and a dual controller all at once.

You don't need the pants unless you ride all winter.

While not the height of fashion, good hi tech long johns, jeans (with or without lining), and a good pair of rain pants (non breathing) is all you need. 

Insoles, your call.   

[cookiedough]

speaking of heated gear,  I see black friday deals at farm and fleet and other places with DEWALT and others using their or very similar their lithium ion batteries for their power tools making heated jackets.  I think the Dewalt heavy duty jacket was normally 199 on sale for 119 or so black friday deal.  it comes with batteries similar to their power tools and a charger similar (or possibly the same not sure) as their batteries take.

[pancho]

Well, the $12 heated gloves came in, it took 30 days for some reason,,, usually I get things from China in 10 to 14 days..?? They did come with a wiring harness with an on/ off switch,, no heat control. I connected them up and they draw close to two amps total for the two, and even though there is no control they do not overheat.







The good and the bad...  Good first

They have even heating, the elements run down all the fingers.
They get quite warm in the house, we will see how they work in the wind and cold.

The materials seem to be adequate for the product, looks like the outer is windproof synthetic materials, they provide dexterity and the inner is soft.

The bad...

The size is about an american Large, but the index finger is tight, and the web depth between the thumb and index finger should be deeper, the other fingers and the hand area are roomy enough. If you have "hams" these will not work for you.

They are ugly in a "sport guy" sort of way, might be better for four wheelin, or snow plowing.

The instructions are hard to read!!

The connectors are not standard 5.5 x 2.1 mm axial plugs used on most heated apparel,, they are a size smaller  2.7??  Which means for me I will cut them off and replace them as I have a Venture jacket liner which supplies 12 volts at the wrists. If you were to use the supplied wiring harness, this is not an issue.

They took 30 days to get here,,, probably would not be the case most of the time as they were shipped almost immediately.

I expect they will work pretty good for a $12 product,, I will report back if they are not after using them a couple of times in the cold. Look to an earlier post to this topic for a link if interested in purchasing them.

[Jess from VA]

I wonder how windproof they are.

They look a bit like liners.

I have several pair of the old military unlined leather gauntlets, and the liners used with them.

Maybe that would be too bulky.  Just a thought, if not so windproof.

[Oss]

I have had the tourmaster synergy gloves for years,  back in 2013 I went and got the heated jacket liner as well for the dual controller ability

Waterproof as best as I can tell as I have ridden in cold pouring rain in the panhandle of Texas and no issues as well as some accidental snow experiences.  

Worn em down into the low 20's and with the dual controller I was having to turn the liner down a few times.    If under freezing I wear a balacava

Layers is important, usually a ski zip up shirt under the jacket liner and my mesh jacket over that is all I need. Dont even turn the liner on most rides.  Wool socks  is a must for me and I use the toe warmers you get for a buck a pair when I can find em on sale in bulk.  Heated insoles are on my bucket list for next time I plan a long winter vacation trip on the Valk

[Stingray]

I just picked up the Hotwired liners for gloves, jacket and pants. I like the fact that it all connects together and you only have 1 connection point. I'll probably add the heated boot insoles at some point. I haven't had a chance to use them yet (boo snow) but soon I hope. They got good reviews and didn't break the bank.