I tested the Ororo Heated Vest, Mumsnet's best heated gilet

Overall star rating: 4.5/5

Price on writing: £140 | Buy now from Amazon

If you often find yourself shivering on your commute or fancy a boost of warmth on cold winter walks, the best heated gilet could well be your new favourite splurge this season. Offering a cosy combination of comfort and heat, the Ororo Gilet has been lauded as a true game-changer for those wanting to stay toasty while on the go – think of it as an electric blanket you can wear out and about.

It's not just outdoors where the Ororo excels though; in the midst of the ongoing cost of living crisis, the gilet's heated technology can keep you warm even when the thermostat is turned down.

However, the Ororo Heated Vest doesn't come cheap, so you'll want to know it's the right choice for your winter wardrobe before you invest. To help you decide, MNHQ editor Natasha thoroughly tested it out, carefully evaluating its design, warmth factor, battery life and overall comfort. Here's her in-depth verdict...

For more winter buys approved by Mumsnetters, don't miss our guides to the best women's slippers and safest hot water bottles.

What we like

• Can be used outdoors

• Up to 10 hours of heat (depending on the setting)

• Heating element around the collar is particularly cosy

• Lightweight

• Discreet pocket for battery pack

• Three heat settings (I preferred the highest one)

• Easy to use

• Good fit

• Machine washable

What we don't like

• Battery life is lower on the highest settings

• Pricey

• You may want something with sleeves for particularly cold days

Our verdict

• Warmth: 4.5/5

• Temperature settings: 4/5

• Design: 4.5/5

• Ease of use: 5/5

• Value for money: 4/5

After a week of testing out the Ororo Heated Vest in chilly autumnal weather, I was impressed with this high-tech gilet; it's super toasty, easy to operate, and surprisingly lightweight – in fact, I couldn't feel the battery pack at all when I wore it.

It features four heated panels, but it was the warmth of the collar in particular that was the standout feature on cold days. My favourite setting was the 'high' temperature, which I used the most during testing, but there's two other settings, 'low' and 'medium', for range. Just bear in mind that the higher the setting, the quicker the battery will drain; I found it lasted just over three hours on high.

The main downside is the cost; at £112, it's pretty expensive, but you can wear it outdoors and pottering around the house hands-free, a benefit you don't get with the best heated throw. Overall, I think it's a good toasty buy for winter, plus it helped me keep the central heating off at home too.

What is the Ororo Heated Vest?

The Ororo Vest is a gilet that features heated panels for an extra dose of warmth compared to a regular winter coat. It's powered by a 7.38V CE/UL certified power bank, which is charged via USB and then connected to a cable hidden in an internal pocket. When the panels are activated through pressing the control button, four areas of the gilet heat up across the neck, mid-back and pockets.

It comes in four neutral colours (grey, white, navy and black), and there's five different size options, ranging from XS to XL.

Related: Discover the best draught excluder for keeping your home warm

First impressions: setting up the Ororo Heated Vest

The Ororo Heated Vest came neatly packaged in a bag to keep all the components together; included was the gilet itself, the battery, a USB cable, and a plug for both UK and EU plug points.

Setting up the gilet was much easier than I expected as the instructions were clear and easy to follow. Before my first use of the gilet, I fully charged the battery (there's four handy light indicators so you can see how much juice it has), and then connected it to the wire (pictured above), which is hidden away in a zipped pocket of the jacket.

How does the Ororo Heated Vest fit?

I'm usually a UK size 10 to 12, so I opted for the medium vest. At first, it felt quite big, but when I put a jumper on underneath the gilet, it was a good fit – it was still a little roomy but in a way that felt unrestrictive with plenty of space for layering. A few reviewers did find the gilet came up small though, so it's definitely worth checking the size guide to determine the best fit for you.

The vest is made from nylon and polyester, and it felt pleasingly lightweight with no bulkiness at all.

Related: The best heated gloves, including Ororo

How warm is the Ororo Heated Vest?

The Ororo Heated Vest has three temperature settings – low, medium, and high – which are all operated via the logo button on the front of the gilet. To turn the gilet on, I simply held down the button until it lit up and slowly flashed to indicate it was preheating. Then, when it was ready, it automatically switched to the medium setting.

It was simple to toggle between the settings, with a different colour lighting up the button to indicate which temperature it was on. My favoured setting during testing was high (55°C); I felt extra toasty in comparison to wearing my blanket hoodie, and the heated neck was particularly comforting when working from home. On high, I found it tended to last somewhere between three to three-and-a-half hours before the battery died.

On the flip side, the low setting (35°C) was good for chilly walks when I was already active and moving about, and it provided a gentle warmth without making me overheat.

It's worth noting that there are no heated elements across the chest of the gilet, but I still found the panels provided good coverage and kept me feeling snug and toasty during the day.

How do you wash the Ororo Heated Vest?

Thankfully, the Ororo is machine washable for practicality. You just need to make sure you remove the battery pack first before you pop it in your washing machine. It washed well and the fabric made it easy to spot clean small spills too.

Related: The best thermal curtains for insulating your home

Price: is the Ororo Heated vest worth it?

There's no getting around the fact that the Ororo doesn't come cheap. At £112, it's quite an investment, but I do think it's worth it if you have the cash spare. It's versatile so you can use it both at home and outdoors, and the battery pack is included in the price, which isn't always the case with some heated gilets.

What's more, wearing the vest did stop me from turning on the central heating when I was home alone, so if you can afford the initial investment, it could save you money on energy bills in the long run.

How we tested

I tested the Ororo Heated Vest in my north London home. During testing, I carefully rated it on its warmth, design, battery life, fit and ease of use.

• Worn daily for a one-week period in chilly autumnal weather

• Completed everyday household stain tests to assess the care instructions

• Cross-compared with other heated products I've tested

I also compared its performance to other heated gilets Mumsnet has reviewed; see our Conqueco Heated Vest review and Ororo Heated Fleece Vest review for more.

About the author

Natasha Gregson is an Affiliate Content Editor at Mumsnet, with an expertise in home and lifestyle product reviews and round-ups. With numerous years of editorial experience under her belt, her work has also been featured in prestigious national publications like The i Paper and Stylist Magazine, and she's written on a wide range of topics.

Amidst the ongoing cost of living crisis, Natasha has been on a mission to unearth the top products that can help Mumsnetters save money on their energy bills this year – including everything from blanket hoodies to slow cookers. Her thorough research into this topic and experience testing products for Mumsnet helps to inform her in-depth assessments of the buys we think Mumsnetters will love.

About Mumsnet Reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real people after extensive research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.

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