Hestra Power Heater Glove Review

The Power Heater Glove performed well across the board, earning our Top Pick for Heated Gloves. They aren't as warm as other heated gloves on the market, but they perform better overall than any other heated glove.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

The Power Heater Gloves are marketed for skiers and riders who get cold hands and fingers easily. These users will love the three levels of additional warmth offered by the electric heating system. Even without turning the heat on, these gloves are warm enough for many days on the slopes, due to synthetic insulation from the fingertips through the wrist cuffs.

Compared to other heated gloves, the Power Heaters don't produce as much heat. On the lowest setting, the electric heat is barely noticeable, but enough to keep fingertips from getting too cold. We liked to ski with the gloves set to the lowest setting all day long. If you require additional heat for the coldest days, the middle and high settings are useful, but they won't last all day. The middle setting will last three to four hours, and the highest heat setting will drain the batteries in about 2 hours.

Overall, we loved this glove's heating system. Other gloves in our review produce more heat, but we found that just a little bit of heat is adequate for most cold days. If you are also planning on using your heated gloves for expedition climbing, snowmobiling, or sitting around in the cold at sporting events, reach for one of the more powerful heated gloves in our review. But if you require average warmth on most days and would like the option to add some heat on the coldest days of the year, these gloves fill that "just right" position.

Dexterity

Hestra is known for their well-tailored glove design, and the Power Heater Gloves uphold this reputation. Warmth and dexterity are often at odds with each other, but in this glove, we found that we could perform most detailed tasks with ease. Pulling zippers, cinching jacket cords, and buckling boots were all easily accomplished in these gloves, and we could also feel inside pockets for small items like lip balm and car keys.

Compared to other heated gloves, the Hestras are by far the most dextrous and versatile. While other options are much bulkier, less dextrous, and designed for arctic cold, the Power Heaters perform well day in and day out. If we weren't using the heating system, we barely noticed that it was there, as the batteries are small, light, and well-placed, and the heating button is low-profile. These gloves felt great and did not impede our range of motion. They feel like normal ski gloves.

Water Resistance

Throughout our testing period, the Power Heater repelled all water and wet conditions that the mountain threw at us. From clearing water off wet chairlift seats to wiping goggle lenses and cleaning snow off the car at the end of a powder day, the Hestra impressed us regarding water resistance.

Hestra includes a treatment for their supple goat leather palm, which works very well. We recommend treating all leather gloves at least once at the beginning of the ski season, and more often for users in wet climates. Water is also repelled with a proprietary waterproof and breathable membrane that we found to work as advertised. Throughout our testing, we could not get water to penetrate through the Power Heater. The zipper that houses the heating element is waterproof, and the cuff easily fits underneath a jacket sleeve.

Durability

We found no durability concerns throughout our heavy testing period. We put these gloves through the wringer, getting them wet, pulling hard on the cuffs, and using them for all sorts of winter activities. The goat leather palm and fingers are supple yet strong, and in our experience, Hestra's leather lasts a long time. Pulling on the glove panels (far beyond normal use) yielded no stretching seams or areas of concern.

The zipper that houses the heating element and batteries is burly, and there aren't many other features that could break. The heating button is low-profile and we didn't run into any issues of glove parts catching while using the gloves. We are impressed by the construction of this glove and expect it to perform without fail for multiple seasons.

Features

The Power Heater is somewhat light on features. Besides the excellent heating system, the glove features a low-profile gauntlet cuff and a grommet for clipping the pair together for travel and hanging. The gauntlet doesn't have any cinch device, so unless you tuck the cuff into your jacket sleeve, your wrist is somewhat exposed to the elements. Due to the hybrid-like design of the gauntlet cuff, we found it reasonable to slide under a jacket cuff. The gloves come with well-designed wrist leashes. Other than that, the Hestras don't have much else going on. We think the Hestra heating system has the best heat-to-weight ratio on the market.

The charger cord is unique amongst heated gloves in that it is a USB cord, so you can charge the battery in your car or on the go. The charger also comes with a USB cube that is compatible with other USB cords. We appreciated this system on a ski trip to Canada, where we only had to bring an extra USB cord to charge these gloves, compared to the large, wall-charging units (AC power plugs) of the other heated gloves on the market. We also like the placement of the power buttons. Even when tucked into out jacket sleeves, we could still access the power buttons and see the current level.

Value

These gloves are expensive! Never in our wildest dreams did we think we would be recommending a pair of gloves that costs the same as a Gore-Tex jacket or half of a season pass. And yet, many skiers suffer from chronically cold hands, and for those users, these gloves might be worth it. If you want one glove for every day of the ski season, including a heating element for the coldest days, these gloves will fit the bill. If you are in the market for the hottest electrically heated gloves to supplement your quiver of handwear, the Power Heater Gloves might not produce enough heat to merit the high price. Hestra is known for their high-quality construction and also has a good warranty program to protect your investment.

Conclusion

The Hestra Power Heater Glove is a high-performance model that can replace every glove in your closet. They are warm, dextrous, water resistant, and durable, and also include an electric heating element for the coldest days. All of this comes at a high price, but then again, all heated gloves on the market fall in the same ballpark price range. The Power Heater outperforms them all.