Posted 4 days ago

Heated jacket- are they a con?

I have heated insoles that hook up to a portable battery pack, and they are great. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with heated jackets/ gilets? I can't tell if the good reviews are a con as it seems like a lot of the time people receive them for free to bump up reviews.

If they are good, has anyone got any recommendations for which ones to go for?
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  1. dkey's avatar
    I own 2 which I got cheap from a certain deals website. They work but have various quirks:-

    1)The wires they heat can feel a little like a strange burning sensation

    2) I found it's best to go for a small/tight fit as it holds the warmth against you

    3)They have an annoying tendency to cut out/switch off. Very easy to remedy by pulling the cord out and then back in again but annoying nonetheless


    There are some expensive versions like the Milwaukee which I think are are likely to be much better than the £20 cheap Chinese tat.
  2. Yolofknell's avatar
    I purchased a cheap chinese one. Returned it with 7 days. Barely got warm and had a tendency to lower it's setting after 10 - 15 mins.
  3. kitchenmonkey's avatar
    Been wearing one for a few days now at work, kitchen gets freezing (5C) with a draught from the ventilation system blowing across my back all day long. I was ready to leave (say that every year!) but managed to wangle management to pay for one.

    Works fine with seperate controls for front and back/neck and 3 levels of heat, I tend to use only back/low to save the battery, usually just over 2 bars left after a 10 hour shift using a 10,000 Mah battery.

    Can't tell you the make I'm afraid as there's nothing printed on it anywhere but it's definitely only a cheapo one.
    immy_ashraf's avatar
    Have you got link for this?
  4. jameshothothot's avatar
    i have had a few from amazon warehouse and some broke
    this one i use every day. got it last year. don't have central heating when i come home from work. just get in this and if really cold put a hoodie over it s then it creates a hot layer rather than just heating you up.

    best practice is to not put over thick clothes but put another layer on top of them.

    amazon.co.uk/gp/…c=1 (edited)
  5. PS5's avatar
    Good question OP.
    I had heated throws when living in Oz and they were amazing. It only takes a little heat to create a warm sandwich (bit like hugging somebody else).

    I had been looking previously but didn't trust the longevity..

    That said, a heated jacket would now be superfluous as I have been pretty toasty outside thanks to this deal hotukdeals.com/dea…346 (edited)
  6. Muig1972's avatar
    I got a heated gilet for xmas and have been using it every day. It keeps me warm enough, but then my home rarely gets below 16C.

    It's snug-fitting, which as others have said is important. I'd say that it doesn't generate much heat- just by feeling it when the gilet is removed- but because the heat is close to my body, and is held in by the insulated gilet, it does the job. I'd also add that because the powerbank gets quite warm, it's probably generating as much heat as the heating elements themselves!
  7. airbus330's avatar
    I have the very cheapest gilet from fleby which I think cost 17.99. Works just fine under my motorcycle gear. Couple of quirks. Doesn't like some rechargeable usb power packs. Had to buy a decent quality Anker one to be reliable. Most have the power button on the chest, press to power on. Under tight clothing it can be accidentally turned off. Got round this by hot glue-ing a plastic flap over the switch. Used the bottom half of an SD card case. Problem solved. Youtube has plenty of 'cheap heated clothing' reviews. (edited)
  8. Moss.b's avatar
    I bought this Link paid slightly more. Had it only a month and only started wearing it since this weather so cannot give I depth review but so far so good. I mainly bought this because I didn't want to wear a jacket inside the house. So this gives me room to wear outside as well with a jacket. (edited)
  9. squeakybot's avatar
    Genius idea
  10. Renoir64's avatar
    I have a heated gilet from amazon. its really good to be honest. Wasn't very expensive but on a cold day (like yesterday) in the garden it's fantastic.
    squeakybot's avatar
    Which one did you get...
  11. newbie68's avatar
    Sorry no link - but worth trying what I did. I narrowed down the best ones on Amazon around my budget (£50-80) and then sourced them direct from the large Chinese stores. Found the exact one eventually (paid £25) and it's been working great for her now for a few years.

    Seems hit and miss based on others experience, but for me it has worked fine and for £25 it wasn't a large gamble. I tend to find a lot of things on Amazon can be found a lot cheaper if you source direct (as the sellers on Amazon have done before marking up significantly for you)
  12. MonkeysUncle's avatar
    I have one from a few years ago I got on Amazon Warehouse.

    They are good if you are still outside or inside somewhere very cold. Perfect for just Sat or stood watching something.

    If you are walking about they tend to get way too hot. And they aren't very stylish at all, you look like a bit of a plank in them.
  13. MonkeysUncle's avatar
    Just to add the most used heating element on mine is the neck one.

    A scarf would basically do the same
  14. DingIs's avatar
    the missus got a regatta one on a silly offer, some outlet shop had them at £25 so got one (nice jacket without the heater). Then bought the official regatta power unit for £25.... she swears by it.

    Personally I wouldn't touch any cheapo brand junk on this subject as heating elements are very susceptible to problems, especially with a "moving item" unlike a standing heater.

    You pays your money, I think is the phrase.
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