
Protection: This Uniform Resource Locator or URL: is owned or published under permission by the owner of this channel. They’re also the least expensive single-use option on this list.This Page is pending protection by They got hot very quickly and stayed hot after two hours in the freezer. Verdict: HotHands kicked ass on this test. About the same size as the Grabber and Yaktrax products, the rectangular HotHands easily fit in our gloves while skiing. Product: These classic air-activated hand warmers dominated our test. HotHands Hand Warmers (From $1 Per Pair) (Joe Jackson) Our favorite part: the reusability.īuy Now 1. Granted, that heat didn’t last long-they were cool after less than two hours in the freezer-but we still really liked this product. Verdict: HotSnapZ got the hottest in the shortest amount of time. As is, HotSnapZ are too big to fit comfortably inside a glove while gripping a ski pole, but they would work well for hiking or outdoor concerts. This would have been our clear favorite if it came in a smaller size. Just drop the activated warmer into boiling water to return the solution to a liquid. The result: a heart-shaped packet that gets warm very quickly and can be reset hundreds of times. Product: HotSnapZ makes reusable hand warmers that generate heat with a supersaturated solution of sodium acetate. Bonus: These are the official hand warmers of the U.S. It leveled out at 83 degrees-enough to keep your hands warm, if not toasty.

Verdict: The Yaktrax Hand Warmers were some of the warmest we tested (102 degrees right out of the gate), but that temperature dropped quickly during the first 45 minutes in the freezer. Also like the other two, they fit nicely in your palm and make a great addition to a ski glove on a cold day. Product: Like Grabbers and HotHands, Yaktrax Hand Warmers are air-activated. Yaktrax Hand Warmers ($2 Per Pair) (Joe Jackson) After two hours, the hand warmer was at 80 degrees, enough to keep your hands from freezing on a cold night.īuy Now 3. Verdict: The GreenHeat never got hot (it was initially nine degrees cooler than even the Grabbers), but we have to give it credit for maintaining steady warmth. Nice touch: The GreenHeat comes with a knitted case that’s cozier on your palms than plastic. It also doubles as a power bank for on-the-go smartphone charging. I couldn’t use these hand warmers for skiing-or any other activity where I needed my hands-because they barely fit in my gloves, but I’d recommend them for après or mellow hiking. (Expect it to take about 65 minutes to fully power up.) Unlike classic hand warmers designed to nest in the palm of a glove, the GreenHeat looks like a medium-size candy bar that you grip in your hands. Product : You recharge this electronic hand warmer via USB. You can expect to get about an hour and a half of real warmth from the package before the temperature drops too much to make a difference for your digits.īuy Now 4. The temperature of these hand warmers declined precipitously during two hours in the freezer. That isn’t quite right, at least according to our test. Verdict : Grabber claims its regular-size hand warmers last more than seven hours. At 2 by 3.5 inches, they fit perfectly in the palm of your ski gloves. Tear open the plastic package, vigorously shake the little bags, and wait less than five minutes for them to warm up. Product : Grabbers, ubiquitous at ski areas around the country, are the classic air-activated hand warmers. Grabber Hand Warmers (From $1.50 Per Pair) (Joe Jackson) Every 30 minutes for two hours, we used a meat thermometer to take the temperature of the hand warmer. We then left the gloves-stuffed with the hand warmer and a wool sock for insulation-in a 30-degree freezer.


After 15 minutes, we measured the temperature inside the glove. We activated the hand warmers, and then stuffed each into a basic leather ski glove. The first part of the test was performed indoors. That’s a pretty broad range, and we wanted to find out which of these five popular hand warmers was the warmest and most useful for playing in the mountains.

The three most commons types you’ll see on the slopes are either air-activated, use a supersaturated solution, or are battery-powered.Īll three can last anywhere from one to 10 hours. Hand warmers-those small, usually disposable packets that provide on-demand heat-come in five main varieties, including some that run on charcoal and lighter fuel.
