The Best Heated Gloves
Verified by
Ryan V. Editor-in-Chief
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The Gerbing S7 wins on heat, and heat is why anyone buys a heated glove. No other pair in Outdoor Life's hands-on test kept hands as warm. Ashley Thess charged every pair, ran each one on high until the batteries quit, and wore them skiing, hiking, camping and hunting. The S7 earned Best Overall in both of Outdoor Life's heated glove guides. Reviewed's David Kender added it to his Editor's Choice list and called it 'extremely warm'.
Heat coverage explains the result. Gerbing's Microwire elements run across the palm, the back of the hand and all five fingers to the tips, and no other glove among our seven picks warms the palm at all. Underneath sit 270 grams of Highloft insulation on the back of the hand and 170 grams on the palm, so Outdoor Life found you rarely need the high setting for long. On high, the 3400mAh packs lasted 2.5 hours in Outdoor Life's drain test. Gerbing rates them for 8 hours at the lowest level.
At a $249.99 list price it costs less than every Outdoor Research, Swany and Seirus glove in our research, and it carries Gerbing's lifetime warranty. Outdoor Life called it a glove with 'all the features expected in a winter glove', from the cinch strap and chamois thumb to the reinforced fingertips and the battery pocket on top of the gauntlet.
What It Won't Do
Bulk is the cost of all that insulation. Outdoor Life found the S7 'too bulky for detail-oriented use', so tying a knot, working a camera dial or handling small gear means taking a glove off, even though the index finger works on a touchscreen. The Aquatex membrane resists water but is not waterproof, a point Reviewed raised and Gerbing's own spec sheet confirms, which makes it a weaker choice for wet spring snow than the Gore-Tex Outdoor Research Prevail. High heat also drains the packs in about 2 to 2.5 hours, so a long morning in a tree stand means running on low or carrying a second set of batteries.
Three test teams that never compared notes all landed on the Savior Heat SW04 liners. Outdoor Life made them Best Value in both of its heated glove guides, Reviewed named them Best Value, and SKI Magazine's testers chose them as their Best Heated Glove Liner.
Thin is the point. Outdoor Life found they had 'the best touchscreen capability and a slim profile' of everything it tested, full gloves included, and Reviewed called them 'thin and flexible'. Heating panels cover the back of the hand and run out to the fingertips, which is where fingers go numb first, without the bulk of an insulated glove.
The bigger payoff is flexibility. Wear them alone on a cold commute, or slide them under the ski, work or hunting gloves you already own, and each of those becomes a heated glove. At a $139.99 list price, that is about $110 less than the Gerbing and under half what any Outdoor Research, Swany or Seirus pick in our research costs.
What It Won't Do
You give up runtime and weather protection. Outdoor Life measured just 2 hours on high, less than any other pick here, and SKI reports about 6 on low. With no membrane and no insulation, the liners are not wind or waterproof according to Reviewed, so on their own they suit dry cold rather than wet snow. SKI's testers found the wrist battery packs don't always fit under other gloves, which can mean sizing up your outer pair, and Outdoor Life notes the liners are hand wash only.
Who Should Buy Which
Gerbing S7 Battery Heated Gloves
The warmest glove in Outdoor Life's hands-on test, with heat across the palm, the back of the hand and every fingertip
- You sit still in deep cold, such as hunting from a stand or ice fishing
- You want heat in the palm as well as the back of the hand and fingertips
- You care more about raw warmth than fine finger control
- You want a lifetime warranty from a heated-clothing specialist
- Your budget tops out around $250
Savior Heat SW04 Heated Glove Liners
Best Value at both Outdoor Life and Reviewed, and SKI's favorite liner: thin enough to text in, and it turns any winter glove into a heated one
- You already own winter gloves you like and want to add heat to them
- You need your fingertips free for a phone, camera or keys
- You commute, walk the dog or drive in dry cold
- You want to spend about $140 rather than $250 or more
- You don't mind carrying spare batteries on long days