Battery or plug-in?
The first question you need to ask yourself when you begin looking into purchasing heated gear is, “Do I want plug-in or battery-run gear?" Plug-in means you attach your gear directly to the motorcycle’s battery (via connecting cables and a battery harness).
Most modern machines, especially the larger cruisers and tourers easily generate enough electrical power to run two, three or even four pieces of heated equipment. Once your gear is plugged in, you stay warm so long as the bike is running. The downside is that when the engine stops, so does the heat.
Battery-powered heated clothing, however, stays warm either on or off the bike. The battery is typically located in a pocket or seam of the heated clothing and of course can be recharged. You can also purchase belts that will hold this type of battery.
The downside of battery power, of course, is that when the battery runs out, your heat runs out, too. The length of battery life can be quite short as well. The higher you set the heat, the faster the battery discharges. The vast majority of battery operated clothing is seven volt, and this is why battery life is typically quite short. More recently, however, advances in battery tech has led to the development of larger capacity batteries. Today, you can find 11 volt batteries that will power and heat smaller items such as gloves and socks on low power for seven, maybe eight hours at a time.
Once you’ve decided on a heating option, you can begin checking out the gear.
Heated Vests
Heated vests are a versatile way to get a heat source to the upper body. Remember, it’s the upper body where all that core heat and warmth needs to get to and stay. Vest liners, like most heated apparel, are warmed by durable metal-fiber heating elements that heat up and spread toasty goodness across the back and chest.
You should wear the liner as a second layer below your riding jacket and on top of something thin such as a T-shirt. Wearing a heated vest over a thick layer of clothing will just stop the heat getting to your body and render the vest useless. Wearing the liner next to the skin and you risk getting burned, and you’ll have to wash the liner more often, too.
Heated Jackets
You don’t see as many heated jackets as you do liners, because vest liners are cheaper and can be worn beneath just about every jacket you probably own. Buying a heated jacket is a bigger investment, and you can’t take the heating out of it and transfer it to another jacket.
Firstgear sells an awesome waterproof and heated jacket . Usually, when you purchase heated gear that's going to connect to the bike’s charging system and battery, you need to buy the cables and controller separately. Once everything is set up and switched on, heat is transferred to the jacket’s wearer most often via the sleeves, chest, back and collar.
If hooking up a power supply to the bike bothers you, then check out the Gerbing 7 Puffer Jacket . This jacket is powered by a rechargeable lithium battery pack so, as mentioned before, you can stay warm off the bike as well as on it.
Heated Pants
Similar to jacket ware, heated pant liners tend to be more common than full on outerwear, but you can still get them. Heat is usually directed to the knees, upper thighs and upper seat. When riders criticize heated pants, it’s usually about their size. Heated pants can feel bulky and tight, and you generally have to size up from your regular pant size to take this into account.
Heated Pant Liners
Again, the major advantage with a pant liner is that you can wear it beneath a variety of other outer riding pants. Upper seat, outside of the thighs and the knees is where you’ll find the warmth. And just like the vest liners, if you can find something nice and thin to wear beneath it, so much better for comfort and cutting down on the laundry.
Heated Gloves
Upper body wear and gloves are often the most effective and most popular heated-clothing purchases. Keeping your hands warm is kind of important when you’re riding a motorcycle or operating a snowmobile. Cold hands tend to be less mobile, and seeing as steering and controls are hand operated, things can go south real quick if you need to move those hands and fingers fast to steer clear of a hazard.
Heated gloves work in the same way as other heated apparel, by using fiber heating elements to heat the palms, back of the hand and fingers. Gloves tend to be more effective than heated grips, which only ensure the bottom of your hand stays warm.
On the downside, some riders complain that heated gloves don’t generate enough heat to keep fingers and hands warm for extended rides. Plus, if gloves leak and your hands get wet in the rain, then no amount of heat is going to help.
Heated gloves can be attached to a heated jacket or another item of heated clothing, or directly to the bike’s battery by way of the requisite cable and battery harness.
Heated Glove Liners
Heated glove liners may do a better job of transferring warmth to the hands. Glove liners are designed to fit inside a regular outer glove, so they tend to be thin and supple - often made of a polyester and spandex mix. See our picks from Firstgear and Gerbing .
The downside to glove liners can be the extra bulk they add to the inside of your outer gloves and make them feel uncomfortable and stiff. If you like to have nimble fingers on and around your motorcycle’s controls, you may find the addition of glove liners a little disconcerting.
Heated Socks
You can purchase heated and long over-the-calf socks or ankle-length socks . Either way, heat is usually concentrated around the toe end of the sock, as it’s the toes that generally take the most beating from cold winds and spray. Socks tend to made of Lycra or a micro fleece.
Heated Insoles
Following the same theme as the liners, heated insoles can be worn inside a variety of footwear, so if you wear more than one pair of boots on the bike, insoles are a great way to ensure your feet stay warm. Another great feature of insoles is that they warm the entire bottom of the foot, and this really helps keep wind chill away.
Connecting the Dots
Depending on the climate in which you live and on the amount of cool-weather riding you do now, or plan to do in the future, you may be looking at just a single piece of heated apparel, a selection or the whole kit and caboodle.
Some riders are happy with a pair of heated gloves and that’s all. Others maybe prefer upper body warmth and some want it all. If you are interested in buying a number of heated-clothing items, then it may be a good idea to stay with the same manufacturer across the board if you can.
This will ensure that connecting all your items together should never be a problem. For example, all of Gerbing’s heated clothing line is designed to be worn together. You can wear heated gloves, jacket, pant liners and insoles that all connect together and require just a single connection to your motorcycle’s battery.