If you happen to plan to spend time outdoor this winter, solely one of the best hand heaters ought to make your gear listing. With higher run time, warmth retention, settings, and reusability, hand heaters have developed from easy single-use pocket heaters to rechargeable electrical heat machines.
Our extremities are the primary a part of the physique to undergo from cold-related discomfort. Chilly palms are literally a symptom of the physique working to guard itself. With a purpose to defend the important organs, blood vessels within the extremities constrict in chilly environments, which retains blood the place it’s wanted most. Sadly, this pro-survival mechanism results in that all-too-familiar feeling of stiff and numb fingertips.
We’ve ordered up the top-selling and most promising hand heaters and in contrast them with some good old school hands-on testing. We’ve unpackaged these units and assessed their efficacy with a stopwatch and a thermometer so we will confidently say which of them will do the trick, the place every falls quick, and what to suggest for tailgating, sitting in a looking blind, or simply staying toasty when you’re out and about this winter.
Whether or not you want 12 hours of dependable warmth from a chargeable hotter or the basic ease of a disposable warmth pouch, our listing of one of the best hand heaters of 2024 has you lined. For extra data on totally different sorts of hand heaters and the way to decide on between them, try our Purchaser’s Information and our Comparability Chart towards the tip of this text.
Editor’s Word: We up to date this Purchaser’s Information on March 26, 2024, including the OCOOPA UT3 PRO Magnetic Rechargeable, our new high decide for the Greatest Rechargeable Hand Heaters.
The Greatest Handwarmers of 2024
Hand Heaters Comparability Chart


How We Examined Hand Heaters
Our editors and equipment testers aren’t any strangers to lengthy winters, and we eagerly anticipate ski season each fall. Nevertheless, we’re about as hostile to numbed-out, chilly fingers as anyone on the market, so we’ve spent appreciable time discovering and testing out the finest winter gloves and the finest winter mittens along with one of the best hand heaters.
Hand heaters have a easy job to do, and whereas they will’t exchange your personal physique (Eat! Hydrate!) as a warmth supply, they will present just a little reduction when you might want to be out within the chilly and stationary.
To search out one of the best hand heaters we ordered quite a lot of disposable and digital heaters, together with one catalytic mannequin, and put them to the check with a stopwatch and a thermometer. We positioned every hotter within the pocket of a extremely insulated down jacket after which measured the ambient temperature within the pocket after a half hour.
Whereas this gave us just a little numerical information, we additionally thought of the general consumer expertise. The HotSnapZ Hand Heaters, for instance, delivered warmth on command however didn’t final for greater than two hours. The digital heaters don’t carry out as properly in tremendous chilly environments, so we will’t suggest them for lengthy days within the backcountry.
Editor Matt Bento is the lead hand hotter tester for this Purchaser’s Information. He introduced every mannequin mountaineering and climbing within the Excessive Sierra, even leaving an Ignik Hotter in his chalk bag for some on-demand warmth whereas sport climbing. He additionally enlisted pals to make use of them whereas watching the native soccer video games and dealing on their autos within the chilly. Within the newest 2024 replace, we added the OCOOPA UT3 PRO Magnetic Rechargeable Hand Heaters, our new high decide for one of the best rechargeable hand heaters.


Purchaser’s Information: Tips on how to Select the Greatest Hand Heaters
Varieties of Hand Heaters
We’re now not restricted to only disposable heaters, as there are actually a number of options to the previous standbys, together with the very efficient rechargeable electrical hand heaters. It’s by no means a nasty concept to have a couple of disposable hand heaters in your glove field for emergencies, however if you happen to’re somebody who makes use of them frequently throughout the winter, a chargeable electrical mannequin just like the Zippo Warmth Financial institution 9 or the OCOOPA UT3 PRO Magnetic Rechargeable is a worthwhile funding, as they each present extra warmth for longer durations than the disposable varieties, and also you’ll create much less waste.
Some people are simply on the lookout for added consolation, however for individuals coping with Raynaud’s syndrome or poor circulation, conserving your palms heat is vital in each day life throughout colder months. Sustaining dexterity is essential for a lot of outside actions, from tying on a fishing lure to common automobile upkeep. So think about this if you’re what you want and the way a lot you’re seeking to spend.
Rechargeable Electrical
Rechargeable electrical hand heaters are often powered by a lithium-ion battery. These fashions warmth up shortly, sometimes have a number of heating ranges, can get very popular, and might final a very long time in the precise circumstances. Some electrical heaters additionally double as a helpful battery pack you need to use to cost your cellphone on the go. Downsides embrace susceptibility to moisture or impression harm, potential diminished battery life within the chilly, and longer recharging durations. Rechargeable electrical hand heaters are additionally often a bit dearer than than conventional disposable fashions.
The OCOOPA UT3 PRO Magnetic Rechargeable is our favourite rechargeable electrical hand hotter. It features a set of two items, so you’ll be able to preserve one in every pocket or maintain one in every hand. The items warmth up in a short time and have 4 totally different heating ranges, with the highest stage reaching as much as 136 levels F. The 2 items additionally magnetically stick collectively to create one bigger unit, which may come in useful in sure conditions. This mannequin has an enter port to recharge however doesn’t embrace an output prot to cost different units like your cellphone.


Different rechargeble electrical fashions just like the Zippo Warmth Financial institution 9 and the OCOOPA Rechargeable Hand Hotter each embrace output ports, permitting these units to double as a battery pack in your cellphone or different small digital units, guaranteeing they’ll be capable to be used year-round.
We love utilitarian, multi-use units like electrical hand heaters since they’re efficient and allow us to lower down on our waste stream. Nevertheless, there are a couple of benefits to disposable, chemical-powered hand heaters. They’re usually smaller and softer, permitting them to be shoved right into a glove or a sock. They arrive in pairs so you’ll be able to have one for every pocket, and relying on what number of hand heaters you undergo in a 12 months, they could be a a lot inexpensive choice.
Catalytic
Catalytic hand heaters run on liquid gas and require a flame to start out flameless combustion. As a result of these heaters generate warmth by way of combustion, they by no means should be charged and work properly even in very chilly temps. Although catalytic heaters present a constant warmth supply for longer durations of time, they are often messy and considerably sophisticated to fill. This actually solely applies to the Zippo 12-hour Hand Hotter.
We predict nearly all of people gained’t need the trouble of needing to maintain lighter fluid available and the potential mess of refilling the unit, so they need to go along with the rechargeable electrical mannequin. However the Zippo may very well be helpful for folk at looking camps or in different eventualities with out entry to electrical energy, the place the reliability of utilizing lighter fluid outweighs the potential downsides.


Disposable
Disposable hand heaters are the most cost effective, best to make use of, and often probably the most dependable. They take some time to warmth up however have a reasonably constant temperature for his or her run time. They will solely be used as soon as, so if you happen to want hand heaters typically, both buy them by the pack or think about one other sort of hotter.
Our favourite disposable hand heaters by far are the Ignik Hand Heaters. Not solely did they get hotter than the opposite disposable heaters we examined, additionally they are available a resealable baggie, so If you happen to use them for 5 hours of their 10-hour runtime, you’ll be able to put them again of their bundle. This cuts off the oxygen, stopping the oxidation course of and successfully “turning them off” till you might want to use them once more. The insides are compostable, and we’re usually psyched concerning the model’s dedication to creating a disposable product as environmentally pleasant as they will.


Warmth Output
When searching for efficient hand heaters, warmth output is most individuals’s high precedence. If a hand hotter isn’t heat sufficient, it’s rendered ineffective. Nevertheless, it’s essential to grasp the connection between warmth output and different elements together with run time, reliability, and worth.
As a common rule, lithium-ion-powered heaters have a tendency to supply the best most temperatures.
Whereas battery-powered heaters are nice, they are usually much less efficient in chilly circumstances. It’s essential to notice most temperatures are usually solely achievable for many hand heaters in comparatively reasonable circumstances.
Different sorts of hand heaters, together with catalytic and most disposable heaters, are often capable of carry out at their most temperature irrespective of the encompassing air temperature. Whereas these kinds of heaters could not boast the identical most temperatures as battery-powered heaters, they’re much less condition-dependent and maybe extra dependable.


Suggestions for Getting the Most Out of Your Hand Heaters
Whereas all of the hand heaters on our listing are fairly simple to function, we’ve discovered a couple of methods that may make them go farther.
Disposable heaters take a couple of minutes to warmth up as they depend on oxidation to catalyze the chemical response that generates warmth. So, if you happen to’re seeking to get them cooking extra shortly, preserve them exterior of your pockets initially, and provides them an excellent shake to get the method going.
Digital units like cellphones and cameras can undergo from excessive chilly, as their batteries can wrestle to carry a cost. You’ll be able to take a disposable hand hotter just like the Ignick Hand Hotter and tape it to the again of your system or chuck a couple of in an insulated pouch along with your digital camera batteries to get higher efficiency within the wintertime.
FAQ
Most hand heaters are protected if used correctly. Some individuals, often kids, have very delicate pores and skin and shouldn’t let hand heaters come into direct contact with their pores and skin.
Some hand hotter varieties, like catalytic burner heaters, show to be extra harmful than others. To securely use these, you should guarantee the right gas is used and there’s no extra fluid on the surface earlier than you gentle it.
If not sealed correctly, there may be additionally a danger of carbon monoxide leaking, which poses a hazard if utilized in a confined area. An insulated sleeve may also be a helpful security measure when utilizing catalytic heaters.
To resolve which hand hotter is finest for you, ask your self one query: What’s my supposed use?
In case you are a climber, perhaps Grabber Hand Heaters would be the best option. These heaters are fast to heat and really compact. Additionally, they will match simply right into a chalk bag and assist you to heat up your fingers mid-route.
If you happen to’re a hunter with chilly palms, a longer-lasting reusable hand hotter is more likely to be the only option. Or if you wish to preserve your palms heat as you watch your children play exterior, go for the HotSnapZ.
All sorts of heaters have their execs and cons. It simply is dependent upon the applying.
On this listing, the Zippo 12-Hour Hand Hotter earns the highest prize for whole runtime. As a result of this hotter runs on lighter fluid, its runtime is set by how a lot fluid is used. In some checks, a unit full of most fluid stayed warmed for upward of 20 hours.
Within the disposable class, HotHands Hand Heaters are recognized to remain heat for as much as 10 hours — a formidable stat for such a small and reasonably priced hotter.