Best heated gloves for keeping your mitts toasty this winter

While they may feel like quite an investment, adding a pair of heated gloves to your winter arsenal along with an electric blanket or electric heater can help to keep you toasty and warm all day long. With a range of temperature settings, the best heated gloves can not only prevent your fingers from getting icy cold wherever your travels may take you, but they can also help improve circulation, easing the symptoms of medical conditions such as arthritis, chronic pain and Raynaud’s. 

When researching the best heated gloves you can buy today, we first scoured the Mumsnet forums, investigating tried-and-tested recommendations from Mumsnet users on the heated gloves that they’ve used and would happily recommend to others. 

Best heated gloves, at a glance:

• Best overall: Seal Skinz Stratton Waterproof Heated Glove, £190 £124

• Best budget: Aroma Season Heated Gloves, £50 £40

• Best alternative: HotHands Hand Warmers, 5-pack: £3

• Best heated mittens: Day Wolf Heated Mittens, £130 £84

• Best heated glove liners: Day Wolf Heated Glove Liners, £95

• Best for arthritis: Dr Arthritis Microwaveable Hand Warmers, £30

We also conducted extensive research into heated gloves to understand their must-have features and benefits - including touchscreen capabilities, breathable fabrics, and of course, a power source that can generate a long-lasting source of heat. We then sought expert opinions on the heated gloves that were award-winning and well-regarded in the industry, before investigating wider feedback and verified customer reviews to gain more perspectives about the heated gloves on our shortlist.

Plus, for more Mumsnetter-approved buys to keep you warm this winter, don’t miss our round-ups of the best women’s slippers and most efficient draught excluders.

Related: The best heated blankets

How do heated gloves work?

Heated gloves are generally powered via rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and contain heating elements, spanning across the back of the hand. Once turned on, the power can produce a variety of heat levels - with many heated gloves offering a range of temperatures between 35 and 65 degrees Celsius. The best heated gloves offer extensive heat coverage, with heating elements spanning all five fingers, helping stimulate blood flow and ease symptoms of poor circulation or medical conditions such as Raynaud's syndrome. 

Are heated gloves worth it?

Much like the best heated gilets, heated gloves don’t come cheap, so while they’re not for everyone, they can certainly be worth it if you want an upgrade from your regular thermal underwear or you spend significant time outdoors in winter - whether that’s taking part in snowsports, cycling or motorcycling, or heading out on long walks and treks in extreme weather conditions.

If you have medical conditions such as Raynaud’s, many say the benefits of heated gloves are huge and the improvement in their comfort levels makes them money well spent.

Related: The best hoodie blanket for cosy nights in

Are heated gloves safe?

So long as they are used correctly and as per the manufacturer’s instructions, heated gloves are safe to use. You should always turn them off when not in use, avoid leaving them on for longer than necessary and check the batteries regularly for signs of damage. Some heated gloves include an auto shut-off as an additional layer of safety, although some reviewers found this more frustrating than helpful. 

What to consider when shopping for the best heated gloves

• What do you need them for? - Depending on your needs, the style and bulk of the glove design will be important. Some heated gloves are weighty and robust but offer enhanced durability as a result, so they’re ideal for spending significant time outdoors in winter conditions. Others are lighter, slimmer and more suited to everyday use.

• Where are the heating elements? - Do the heating elements cover the fingers or simply the back of the hand? If you have circulatory conditions, heated gloves that offer more extensive heat coverage will be more effective at easing your symptoms. 

• How long do they take to charge? - The majority of heated gloves (with the exception of those using hand warmers) need significant charging before use. The duration can vary from one brand to the next, but charging time tends to be between four and eight hours.

• What heat levels can they generate? - The number of heat levels and the temperatures generated by heated gloves can vary quite significantly. Consider the temperatures offered and weigh this up against battery life to find which option best suits your needs.

• Battery life - As a general rule, the higher the temperature, the shorter the battery life will be. If you want something that will last all day long, some heated gloves can offer a battery life of nine to twelve hours when used at a low temperature.

• Touchscreen capabilities - Do you need to remove the gloves to navigate the screen of your mobile phone? Not all heated gloves have touchscreen conductors, but the best heated gloves have, at a minimum, touch pads on the index finger and thumb. Many designs offer touchscreen conductivity across all fingers. 

• Cost - Last but by no means least, how much are you willing to spend? Heated gloves don’t come cheap, but when you weigh up the average cost per wear, they can certainly be worth the investment. 

How we chose the best heated gloves

Feedback from real Mumsnet users 

Due to rising energy costs and climate changes, heated gloves have really grown in popularity over recent years. In our quest to find the top buys, we first sought out tried-and-tested recommendations from Mumsnet users who have invested in heated gloves and would recommend them to others. We gathered their feedback on the features they rate as well as the reasons they used heated gloves, so we could search for products that excelled in those areas.

Expert opinions

Next up, we considered reviews and feedback from trusted industry experts. We want to be confident that the products we recommend are fit for purpose, so we looked out for award-winning products or those that were well regarded in the marketplace.

Authentic consumer reviews

Finally, to bring you our definitive list of the best heated gloves on the market, we thoroughly investigated genuine, in-depth customer reviews on retailer sites to get wider consumer experiences regarding the products on our shortlist. 

About the author 

Lucy Cotterill is a mum of two and Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in family and lifestyle product reviews and round-ups. Having written product reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of products, scrutinising reviews and consumer feedback to help parents make confident purchases that benefit their families.

Working mostly from home, Lucy spent significant time last year reviewing products and services to stay warm during the winter months, including everything from hot water bottles to electric blankets.

Originally from a HR background with a degree in Business Studies, Lucy developed a real passion for blogging and writing when her children were young, going on to write for several online publications including US parenting site Pregistry and the Evening Standard.

Why you should trust us

We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust and we spend hours scouring the Mumsnet forums and online bestseller lists to find products that real parents rate.

Transparency is really important to us and that's why we're always upfront about where we find our recommendations. We write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones that our users would recommend to their own friends and family.