Why did it take me so long?
Finally, in my 20th winter of riding, I invested in real heated gear! And it’s been worth every penny.
I live in Georgia. I know, I know… it doesn’t really get that cold here. I don’t care if you call me a wimp. Why be miserable? And I’ve been miserable plenty of times. Pulling over at the Waffle House to huddle over a cup of coffee, before going back out… getting in the hottest shower possible within minutes of arriving home… blowing on my fingers as they painful regain feeling….
No more! I did a bunch of research, and invested in Firstgear. First the jacket:
I’m loving the Firstgear 12V Heated Jacket Liner! With three heat settings, so far it has kept me toasty and sometimes even hot. The weight is nice and light, perfect for layering under my winter leathers. I like the tight cuffed wrists to keep the wind out, and the handy chest pocket. The cords conveniently tuck into zippered packets – one at the waist to connect to the bike, and one at each wrist for the gloves.
But my favorite feature (besides the heating, duh) is the big, soft, lighted button on the waistband that’s easy to switch among the three modes, even with a fat gloved finger. Green = hot, White = hotter, Red = HOTTEST
(Don’t forget, you may need an adapter or two…. I need one of each below for two different bikes.)
Next up – maybe even more important than the jacket, gloves (really… why did I wait so long???) I’m generally really pleased with the Firstgear Outrider 12V Heated Women’s Gloves.
They feel very high quality with nice (goat!) leather and lots of features and armor. The left index finger even has a mini squeegee! They have the same button as the jacket on each glove, and are easy to turn on, off and switch between heat modes.
I don’t like winter gloves. They’re bulky and stiff, and I hate losing the dexterity of lighter summer gloves. But these are not the worst I’ve worn, and they ARE getting better the more I wear them. I’ve also been working in some mink oil, which is helping soften the leather.
Feedback for the Firstgear team: the wrist velcro flap is designed well when the cord is not plugged in…. but when the cord is connected, it struggles to reach and connect! (And I don’t have thick wrists.) Kind of a poor design when they should be MADE to be worn plugged in.
But overall, I’m very pleased and highly recommend this Firstgear setup. Stop being miserable! 🙂
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Brooke, nice review! I, too, finally made the invesent in heated gear back in November. I chose to go with Warm & Safe jacket liner, gloves, and pants with a dual wireless controller. It works very well and I am satisfied. I have confidence that even as the temps drop, I’ll be warm and safe on the road (pun intended)!
I agree — heated gear is a great investment!