The Top 10 FAQ’s about Heated Clothing (UPDATED 2019)
By: Ryan Tattle
Tags: Heatedclothing, Battery, Smart Clothing, Thermal Comfort, Functional Fashion

Heated clothing has recently taken off as an emerging industry even though it has been around for decades. Below I will talk about some of our experiences of what the main questions both customers and those interested in introducing the technology into their own lines are asking.

*For reference, these have been collated from the website of one of the leaders in Personal Thermal Comfort — uthermic.com.

1. What is heated clothing?

Heated Clothing is the perfect blend between function and fashion and utilises newer rechargeable battery technology. Depending on what the weather conditions are, you can adjust the heat settings between low, medium and high. This also determines how long the battery lasts but normally between 4–10 hours. A lot of jackets are powered by USB power banks that also allows you to charge portable devices as well.

Heated clothing now ranges from heated jackets, baselayers and hoodies, gloves, socks and pants

2. How does heated clothing work?

Built into the design and construction of the garment are small carbon fibre or stainless steel wires. These are made into larger sections and are extremely lightweight, unnoticeable and durable. These elements heat up and warm your body through the material. Depending on the clothing item, there will be multiple heating sections throughout. e.g. jackets have 5 heat zones — 4 on the front and 1 on the back.

3. Is heated clothing safe and could I get shocked?

Because of increased safety standards and better battery quality, there are no risks for electrical shock, burns or hot spots (as long as you buy quality, known brands). Even if you did touch the wires there is safe because of the very low voltage on the batteries. There are also built-in safeties within the battery to cut off power if there is any short circuit or overheating detected.

4. Why is Heated Clothing not more popular?

Heated clothing has been around for well over a decade but only recently has the functional aspect been bridged with a fashionable design which has accelerated its growth and popularity significantly. This along with the increased safety requirements and battery technology has now made it more accessible and affordable than ever.

The older ‘one style fits all’ functional style compared with one of today's fashion forward designs

5. Can I wash heated clothing?

Yes. This is another reason heated clothing has become more accessible and adopted from a wider range of people. It’s easy! Make sure that you do check the exact brand and product guidelines but all of the newer models are able to be put on a gentle machine wash. ((Please just remember to remove the battery first as that is not washable!!))

6. Can heated clothing go through airport security?

Yes, it can, all heated clothing items, batteries and accessories have been through airport security many times. Please just make sure to follow the FAA guidelines for lithium ion and lithium polymer batteries which states that they must be carried in carry-on baggage only.

7. Who is using heated apparel?

We have been able to categorize our customers into 4 segments:

Sports & Outdoors

hunting

fishing

hiking

camping

skiing

snowmobiling

golf

Daily Living

walking

watching outdoor games

shovelling snow

saving on household utility bills

Workplace

construction

mining

freezer works

Postal workers

Cold-Related Medical Conditions

Raynaud’s Syndrome

Elderly

Those with arthritis

8. Will battery operated heated gloves work for me?

Cold hands are common and whether you have a low cold intolerance or just dislike the (non) feeling of your fingers heated gloves provide the maximum amount of protection and heat needed.

9. Will battery heated socks work for me?

If you are someone who suffers from cold feet or toes, they are an absolute must and well worth the money. A lot of customers end up wearing them at their desk at work or in bed.

10. Where can I buy heated clothing?

The best place to find the highest quality products like heated jackets, gloves, socks, wearables, baselayers is online through one of the top specialist websites. Two examples are UThermic and The Warming Store. uthermic.com has a special offer on at the moment when you use the promo code ORDER10 during checkout to get 10% off your first order!