The Best Heated Vests Tested in 2023

The Ororo men’s classic heated vest aims to stay warm in all the right places thanks to three carbon-fiber heating zones located along the back of the collar, in the mid-back, and on the lower front of the vest. This vest features three temperature settings, so users can choose which one best suits the desired warmth needs and outdoor environment. Its heating zones are powered by a rechargeable 7.4-volt battery (included) that generates heat for up to 6 hours at the highest temperature on a single charge.

When we tried on the Ororo vest, the first thing that struck us was how supple and comfortable it was. We’d expected it to be slightly stiff or scratchy—with unbending internal wires—but that wasn’t the case at all. While the manufacturer claims the vest is “water-resistant,” the operating guide that comes with the vest warns against wearing it in wet conditions when the vest is heating.

This vest contains quality materials and is well made—no snags, the seams are well sewn, and the material seems very durable. Our favorite feature was the heating panel in the back of the collar. This heating panel, along with long winter scarves, kept us toasty warm. The vest generated heat for just more than 6 hours on High, and the soft nylon outer shell blocked most of the cutting wind. All in all, this is a high-quality heated vest that should last for years.

Product Specs

• Number of heating panels: 4; 1 on each lower front side, 1 mid-back, 1 in the collar
• Battery included? Yes
• Runtime: Up to 10 hours on Low

Pros

• Vest features a high-quality nylon shell that helped block icy winds
• Addition of a heated neck panel is a welcome touch in cold weather
• Heat panels in the lower front keep both body and hands warm

Cons

• Battery pocket location makes the battery slightly uncomfortable against the hip

Get the Ororo classic heated vest at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Ororo (battery sold separately).

Get the warming comfort of a heated fleece vest at a great price point. When the Ororo heated vest arrived, we expected the fleece to be similar to a fluffy bathrobe. That’s not the case at all. The fleece part is the lining—the inside of the vest—but the outer shell is made from a cotton/polyester blend that’s thicker and more durable but still breathable. This vest is designed for comfort—it’s soft and supple, and the inside of the pockets have the same fleece lining.

The significant upside to the Ororo fleece vest is how well it breathes; there’s no problem with sweat building up. The wind did blow through the fabric a bit—more than it did with the vests that come with nylon shells—but not enough to send us back indoors. The vest is also designed with a high zip-up neck to help keep cold air out. A slight downside: The battery compartment is located inside the vest (a bit to the side), which is not the most comfortable spot for the battery.

The vest features three heat zones, including two on the chest and one along the upper back. It allows the wearer to choose from three adjustable temperature settings to cater to individual comfort and the outdoor environment. After fully charging the battery overnight, the vest generated heat for almost 5½ hours on High. We would wear this vest on moderately cool days but hesitate to wear it—without an overcoat—on truly frigid days. Best of all, it comes at a good price for a heated vest that breathes and won’t trap sweat.

Product Specs

• Number of heating panels: 3; right chest, left chest, 1 mid-back
• Battery included? Yes
• Runtime: Up to 10 hours on Low

Pros

• Cheaper than comparable breathable heated vests that wick away perspiration
• Fleece-lined pockets keep hands warm and dry during use
• The high-zip neck helps block cold air from entering at the neckline

Cons

• The soft fabric is ultracomfortable, but it isn’t windproof
• Position of the battery causes it to rub on the user’s side

Get the Ororo fleece heated vest at Amazon or Walmart.

The tapered waist and wind-cutting high neck of the Venture Heat women’s heated vest give it a stylish look while retaining warmth. It features three large heat zones: one on each side in the chest area and another from shoulder to shoulder along the upper-mid-back region.

We liked the front heating elements being in the chest area instead of in the lower abdominal area, as is typical with many heated vests. The downside to this configuration is that the pockets aren’t heated, but we felt warmer overall.

We were able to choose from three different heat settings, and we appreciated a separate compartment, accessible from inside the vest, for the battery. This versatile vest can be worn under a roomy jacket for maximum warmth or over a heavy shirt or sweater.

The 7.4-volt rechargeable battery is included, and after a full initial charge, it kept the vest warm for just under 5 hours on the highest setting. Best of all—from our perspective—is the heating panel in the collar that makes the vest feel so cozy and warm.

Product Specs

• Number of heating panels: 4; right chest, left chest, mid-back, collar
• Battery included? Yes
• Runtime: Up to 10 hours on Low

Pros

• Very soft, comfortable fabric with a windproof exterior
• Heated collar for added warmth and protection against cold winds
• Roomy front pockets zip for securely holding keys and small items

Cons

• Pockets feature nylon lining and do not have heating elements

Get the Venture Heat heated vest at Venture Heat.

The super-soft fleece of the Ororo heated recycled vest for women kept us warm without trapping sweat and, best of all, the yarn used in the fleece shell of the vest is 100 percent
recycled plastic bottles, so it’s as eco-friendly as it is comfortable.

The vest comes with a 7.4-volt battery that produced toasty warmth for nearly 4 hours when we ran it on High. It also offers medium and low heat settings. It comes with four heat panels: two on either side of the lower front, one on the middle of the upper back, and another one on the back of the neck.

Although the fleece outer shell is made from recycled plastic bottles, it’s not windproof. Called “shearling fleece,” the fabric is designed to breathe, which makes this vest suitable for use under a jacket or coat. Ororo didn’t skimp on style, either. This woman’s vest is tapered in the midsection and slightly flared at the hip for a flattering yet comfortable fit.

We appreciated the added neck-heating element; the only thing we would have added was heating panels in the upper front chest area for added warmth.

Product Specs

• Number of heating panels: 4; right abdomen, left abdomen, mid-back, collar
• Battery included? Yes
• Runtime: Up to 10 hours on Low

Pros

• Shearling fleece is made from recycled plastic bottles, making this an eco-friendly vest
• Vest features a tapered waist and roomy hip for a stylish, comfortable fit
• Heating element in the collar helps reduce the effect of cold winds on the neck

Cons

• Vest does not have heating panels in the upper front chest area

Get the Ororo recycled fleece heated vest at Ororo.

Style meets warmth! While most heated vests are a little on the plain side, the Akaso women’s heated vest is nicely styled with a tapered waist, attractive gray quilting on the front and back, and black side panels for a slimming effect. With its ample padding, we were able to wear this vest over a long-sleeve sweater, but it is also slim enough to slip under a roomy jacket.
The Akaso heated vest comes with a detachable hood that’s an excellent addition most vests don’t include. With a heating panel in the collar, the ability to slip the hood up really locked in the warmth around our heads. The vest is equipped with four heated zones: two on the lower chest, one along the upper back, and one in the collar. These heating zones are powered by a rechargeable 5-volt power bank (included) that produced warmth for 4.5 hours on High. A notable difference with this vest is the ability to turn on either front or back heating, or both.

The battery connects in a separate pocket behind the left pocket, leaving the main pocket free for our hands. We barely noticed the battery on the front left—it’s in a comfortable spot—and both pockets zip closed with invisible zippers that also add to the vest’s slimming appeal. This vest is just as suitable for wearing out hiking as it is for doing outdoor chores. On the downside, this vest runs considerably smaller than others, so order this vest one (or more) sizes larger than normal for a good fit. In fact, while it is a good bargain, for some users, this tight sizing may make this product a less viable option than others on this list.

(Note: This vest didn’t have a heated hood when we tested it but it sells with one now.)

Product Specs

• Number of heating panels: 4; left lower front, right lower front, 1 mid-back, 1 in back collar
• Battery included? Yes
• Runtime: Up to 18.5 hours on Low (using only Front heat)

Pros

• The vest is stylish and warm, with a tapered waist and quilted front panels
• The hood is roomy and detachable for versatile use
• Users can choose heat on just the back or just the front—or both
• Heat panel in the back collar reduces the chilling effect of cold wind on neck

Cons

• Sizing runs small, so consider ordering one or more sizes up for a roomier fit

Get the Akaso heated vest at Amazon, Akaso, or Walmart.

The CoreEdge heated vest wasn’t the only one we tested that came with a hood, but it was the only one that featured heated panels in the hood, making it a souped-up pick for the coldest winter days. The vest comes with eight heat panels; two on the front, one on the back, two on the shoulders, one on the collar, and two in the hood.

The hood is detachable—it zips on and off—and all we had to do was connect the front hood flaps, via snaps, for the heating elements in the hood to work. The heating panels in the hood are located over the ears, which we found optimal for keeping not just the ears but the whole head warm, especially when we tightened the hood strings for a snug fit. The hood quickly got too warm, but that’s not a problem—by unsnapping the flaps, we could disconnect the heat from the hood while the rest of the heating panels still worked. We didn’t have to remove the hood to stop the heating.

The CoreEdge heated all panels for almost 5 hours on High, but users have a choice of which panels they want to run. By toggling through the buttons on the control switch button, we could power on the hood, collar, and shoulder panels as a single unit, the front abdomen panels by themselves, or the back panel by itself. We could also turn all of the panels on at once. This offers a lot of heating versatility but also comes with a slight learning curve figuring out which buttons to push to turn on the panels we wanted to heat. By the time we were done testing, we’d mastered the switch.

The vest is lightweight and soft and can be worn over a heavy sweater or under a roomy coat or jacket for added heat retention. Its nylon shell is windproof and moisture-resistant.

Product Specs

• Number of heating panels: 8; left abdomen, right abdomen, 1 back, 2 shoulders, 1 collar, 2 hood
• Battery included? Yes
• Runtime: Up to 10 hours on Low

Pros

• Heated hood offers warmth over the ears for use in the coldest weather
• The CoreEdge heated vest comes with a total of 8 different heating panels
• Hood is detachable; vest can be worn under a roomy jacket if desired

Cons

• May take a while to learn how to toggle through all the various heat-panel combinations

Get the CoreEdge heated vest at Amazon.

All the heated vests in this lineup do a good job at warming their wearer in cold temperatures, but Gobi Heat’s Colorado heated vest comes with an abrasion-resistant exterior that withstands the pokes and snags that can come from walking through underbrush. Plus, it comes in a drab green camo design that helps users blend in against a backdrop of trees.

Our first impression was that the Colorado heated vest was slightly large for its size. However, we felt this was a plus since outdoor enthusiasts may want to layer more than one shirt beneath it. It’s also thin enough to wear under a roomy jacket or coat for added heat.

While there are only three heated panels on the Colorado vest—two in the chest area and one on the back—they produce plenty of heat. In our tests, the vest continued heating on High for just over 4 hours, but users can extend the heating time up to 10 hours by using Low heat. This basic, no-frills heated vest does what it says—it keeps the wearer warm while providing a tough exterior that blends into the great outdoors.

Product Specs

• Number of heating panels: 3; right chest, left chest, 1 back
• Battery included? Yes
• Runtime: Up to 10 hours on Low

Pros

• The outer fabric on this heated vest resists punctures, tears, and water
• Slightly roomy and comes with a longer length than competitors
• Camo fabric is designed to blend in with outdoor wooded settings

Cons

• Only 3 heated panels and no hood

Get the Gobi Heat Colorado heated vest at Amazon, Gobi Heat, or Cabela’s.

The Volt heated vest for women was the only one we tested with Bluetooth capability. At first, we were ambivalent about whether we would actually use the feature in a real outdoor situation. Still, we changed our minds after finding out how easy it was to control the heat level when wearing a coat over the vest.

We tried out this vest on the coldest testing day. It was just 28 degrees Fahrenheit when we went out, so extra coats were necessary. The Volt vest tapers through the waist and didn’t bind or restrict movement beneath the larger coats. However, once the outer coat, gloves, and hat were all on, we would have had to remove the gloves and unbutton the larger coat to toggle through the vest’s heat settings. Thanks to Bluetooth, we could change the heat setting from our smartphones.

Before we went out, we downloaded the Volt Heated Clothing app to our phone, and it quickly walked us through the setup without any glitches. Changing the heat settings or turning the heat on or off was simple from the app. This vest features four heated panels: two on the chest and two on the back. We really liked the additional back panel since it offered heat at both the upper and the mid-back. The only thing we didn’t like so much was the thin inner pocket lining. We would have liked thicker fabric in that spot for keeping hands warm.

Product Specs

• Number of heating panels: 4; 2 chest panels, 2 back panels
• Battery included? Yes
• Runtime: Up to 10 hours on Low

Pros

• Bluetooth allows users to turn the vest on and control heat settings remotely
• Stylish design with tapered waist and stretchy side panels for looks and comfort
• 2 heat panels in the back keep the entire back toasty warm

Cons

• The inner pocket lining is relatively thin and doesn’t help keep hands warm

Get the Volt heated vest at Amazon, Volt, or The Warming Store.

If we hadn’t known better, we wouldn’t have guessed the Gobi Dune vest was heated. It’s soft and lightweight, and the inner wires are delicate and supple, so they’re not easy to find when feeling the vest. It fit nicely, and the tapered waist added some style. Some of the other vests we tested were only available in black or gray, but the Dune comes in a handful of flattering colors.

The weather was cold and blustery, so we wore the Dune under a heavier coat, and it fit nicely without bunching or feeling uncomfortable. It comes with three heating zones, two on the chest and one on the back. On High, it stayed warm for almost 4.5 hours before the battery ran down. It was plenty warm overall, although we thought the back panel was a little on the small side. It heated the center of the upper back but felt like just a spot of heat. The two panels in the chest area seemed sized right and were delightfully warm.

This is a basic, no-frills heated vest that generates warmth, but it was slightly tight in the chest area, so it might not be a good choice for a well-endowed wearer. However, it features the softest fabric of any vest we tested, and it looks as good as it feels. We would categorize this one as a light-duty vest.

Product Specs

• Number of heating panels: 3; right chest, left chest, 1 upper back
• Battery included? Yes
• Runtime: Up to 10 hours on Low

Pros

• Fabric is soft, lightweight, and comfortable worn alone or under a coat
• Vest is available in several flattering colors for added style
• Simple switch button toggles through 3 heat settings

Cons

• Heated back panel is smaller than those in other tested vests
• This vest is pricier than some of its competitors

Get the Gobi Heat Dune heated vest at Gobi Heat, The Warming Store, or Cabela’s.