Need to stay warm this winter? Then you’ll want to check out these new Hiking Lady Hot Products, which literally are hot: Mobile Warming’s Liner Gloves and Socks.
Cold feet and hands can make a gorgeous day of exploring the outdoors in the winter miserable. Some of the reason my feet are always so cold is due to the fact I’m a woman, and it is proven that women tend to have colder feet than men (hence women’s sleeping bags have way more down in the footbox then men’s sleeping bags). When I snowshoe, ski, and enjoy cold weather activities, my tootsies always tend to be cold.
Mobile Warming’s newly released Technical Heated Socks and Heated Glove Liners have been tested by me multiple times over the last several weeks. The verdict? They are an excellent, environmentally friendly, albeit pricey, way to keep your feet and hands toasty on the trail or slopes in cooler months.
What’s Wrong With Using Disposable Footwarmers and Handwarmers?
I have tried Insole Foot Warmers and Handwarmers, but compared to Mobile Warming’s battery powered products, they have major limitations:
- Disposable footwarmers and handwarmers need to be changed regularly. They need to be changed every few hours (despite the claims of 9 hours of heat). When I’m hiking or snowshoeing, the last thing I want to do is take my boots off to change out a heated insole, even for a moment! It is a little easier to change handwarmer packs, but it is still inconvenient.
- Environmentally unfriendly. You can’t recharge adhesive footwarmers or handwarmer pouches. They all end up in the landfill. Talk about a guilt trip when I’m out trying to enjoy nature!
- Disposable warmers get expensive over time. Because they have to be replaced, rather than recharged, the expense adds up. This is especially true if you do a lot of winter activities like me and can get multiple years of use from a pair of battery powered socks and gloves.
What Makes the Mobile Warming Heated Socks Unique?
How do they work? It is fairly simple. The Mobile Warming Heated Socks are powered by a Lithium Ion battery (included) and have wires sewn in them to provide power to the heating elements. The batteries take about 3 hours to charge (based on my testing) and once inserted into the sock and turned on, the toe box heats up almost instantly!
Here are my thoughts on Mobile Warming’s Heated Socks based on a few weeks of testing:
- Plush fabric and decent fit. Given that I wear a women’s size 8 boot and have very narrow feet (AAA in most cases), these socks fit well in both the footbed and calf.
- Remote controlled! No need to bother bending over and rolling up your pants to access the battery. Simply use the included remote control to turn the heat On/Off and adjust the 3 heat settings. This worked perfectly for me.
- Wires are not noticeable. The wires used to heat the socks are not noticeable when wearing the socks barefoot or with boots. All you see is the wire sticking out of the top of the calf where the battery pack plugs in and is conveniently stored in a soft pouch. When wearing these socks the battery doesn’t feel noticeable either.
- Socks are ideal for ski socks in my opinion. With padding right in the front part of the sock, these are suitable for hiking obviously, but ideal for downhill skiing or snowboarding.
- Socks are machine washable! Washed well for me (my machine does not have an agitator, so all cycles are fairly gentle). The manufacturer’s recommendation is to hang to dry, which worked fine for me.
What Makes the Mobile Warming Heated Glove Liners Unique?
Similar to the Mobile Warming Heated Socks, the glove liners are powered by Lithium Ion batteries. They are a different design than the sock batteries, so they are not interchangeable between the socks and the gloves. They work pretty much the same way as the socks. Plug in those batteries to get them fully charged up, connect them to the glove liners, then voila: toasty fingers!
Here are my thoughts on Mobile Warming’s Heated Glove Liners based on a few weeks of testing:
- Slim battery packs. These glove liners are designed thoughtfully. The slim battery packs make it possible to slip them underneath your regular ski/snowshoeing gloves, or even wear them on their own.
- Easy to use temperature controls. There are four different settings, and the push button controller in the cuff makes it easy to adjust.
- Touch screen compatible. As I see in many gloves these days, these are touch screen compatible. Pretty convenient!
Where to Buy?
Mobile Warming has the Socks and Glove Liners available for $99 and $159 respectively. They are also available at Amazon.com for the same prices (Socks, Glove Liners).
Good luck to everyone staying cozy and comfortable outdoors this winter! Happy trails!
Great question, Robin! I was able to get just under 10 hours on the low heat setting.
How long does a single charge last?