Gerbings heated gloves

[ZG]

Winters coming...
 
Anyone tried these? 
 
Let me know your thoughts pro/cons... My hands can never be too warm in the winter, and I'd like to avoid a hard wired option if possible... so please don't jack this thread with hard wired options, thanks.

FYI, if dry I like to ride in sub 30 temps in the winter for commuting, hence why these intrigue me... 
 
Oh, and yes I already have heated grips and wind gaurds for the hands, but anything sub mid 30's tends to still make hands get cold after awhile...
 
http://coreheat.net/Products/Heated%20S2%20Gloves.html
 
 

[B.D.F.]

You may get away with battery powered gloves as you live in a more moderate climate. The problem with heating devices (of any kind) and batteries is that heating requires a lot of energy and batteries just do not store that much energy, at least in any reasonable size / weight / cost.

As far as how they work, it would be easiest to compare the gloves you are thinking about with gloves that are known to be good- for example, Gerbing heated gloves (not battery powered) typically draw 27 watts and work very well. Given that,  I would not consider anything less than 15 watts at a minimum and 20 would be better; check to see if the battery powered gloves will put out that amount of power for whatever time you need them to be on. Figure in charging time too because if you use them for something like commuting you may need to charge them between the ride in and the ride home.

I would suggest you be very wary of statements like “lasts all day” or “lasts up to 10 hours” and similar. While true statements, they often cut the wattage down so far to make the batteries last that long that the heated device becomes useless. It does not matter how long the batteries will last if they can only deliver 3 watts of power during that time; your fingers will still be cold but now you have an entirely new hobby- charging and keeping track of batteries.

I hear what you are saying about resisting anything hard wired to the bike but the non- wired stuff is not without its own problems. The first time the batteries go dead while you are riding (and it is inevitable), you will be looking for a way to <here it comes> plug them into the bike to either charge them, just power them up or both. And one plug between you and the bike is not really as awful as some think it is. On the other hand, the gloves alone are a big pain to wire to the bike because you will need a 'Y' harness that goes under your jacket. The only practical usage for wired heated gloves is with a heated jacket as the wiring is already present at the wrists for the gloves.

Sorry to do exactly what you asked us not to do but I think you have to bring wired gloves into the conversation if only to compare power output.

Brian

Winters coming...
 
Anyone tried these? 
 
Let me know your thoughts pro/cons... My hands can never be too warm in the winter, and I'd like to avoid a hard wired option if possible... so please don't jack this thread with hard wired options, thanks.
 
FYI, if dry I like to ride in sub 30 temps in the winter for commuting, hence why these intrigue me... 
 
Oh, and yes I already have heated grips and wind gaurds for the hands, but anything sub mid 30's tends to still make hands get cold after awhile...
 
http://coreheat.net/Products/Heated%20S2%20Gloves.html

[Son of Pappy]

Exactly what Brian said.  The stated reasons are why I went hard wired for audio as well. 
Keep the core warm with a Gerbings jacket (I put the controls on the right side of the fairing cover) and gloves as needed.  I hear the jackets and gloves are black, so I am curious as to why you don't have a set?

[ZG]

Thanks Brian, that's good info, I do appreciate it.
 
From the Gerbings site it list's the battery life as:
 

		Approximate battery capacity per charge
100%	2 hours
75%	3 hours
50%	5 hours
25%	10 hours

 
During the winter in the sub 30 temps I'm referring to it's pretty much just being able to commute back and forth the work on dry days (which we do get some in the PNW, very nice but cold), approx 30 minutes ride to work each way, so that's why I thought these might do the trick for me.
 
Plus I could use them on other bikes as well, without having to hard wire setup all my bikes...
 
I've heard nothing but good things about Gerbings the brand, so I'd have to think that the gloves (even these rechargable ones) would be of quality though right? 
 
Any thoughts given this info about what/how/when I'd be using them?

[Son of Pappy]

I back Gerbings %100, but they don't make the battery, which is the issue.  After one season or half a season, how will the batteries work?  How often would you ride the Gixxer in the '30s?  Me thinks not often.  Do you have a battery tender lead on any of the bikes?  It's that easy with the correct end.  Hardwire the 14, use the BT lead on the Gixxer, and be warm all ride long.  It only takes seconds to plug in (once you are in the habit of not forgetting) and will provide superior long term performance.

[B.D.F.]

What you have specified is exactly my point- 100% is.... what? They are giving you the time the battery lasts, based on percentage of output but not the actual output....

I went to the web page and poked around and came up with this from their spec. page: 7 volt, 2.2 amp hour battery, the gloves use 1.1 amps of power for 7.7 watts of energy delivery. That is too low to be useful in my opinion, or at least useful in a situation where heated grips and hard guards are proving to be inadequate. And because it is a 7 volt system you do not have the option of ever plugging them into the bike and so there is no 'Plan B' if (when) the battery(s) are dead.

A better option would be the 12 volt hybrid gloves shown here: http://gerbing.com/products/Gloves/hybridGlove.php These gloves both produce more heat (given the information on that page, a 1.1 Amp-hour battery lasts one hour at full power, therefore the gloves use 12.1 watts of power) on battery power and at least you will have the option to power them from the bike if (when) the battery is dead.

But again, compare the three figures given: 7.7 watts, 12.1 watts and 27 watts and I think you will see that the battery powered gloves are lacking heating ability. It is not Gerbing's fault. it is a matter of physics which governs how much energy a battery can hold. It is the same reason rechargeable tools produce a LOT less power than tools that plug into the wall.

As to quality, Gerbing is top notch IMO. Good stuff. I have both Gerbing gear along with some Warm 'n Safe stuff; both work but I find the Gerbing products a touch better quality.

My views and experience are based on riding all year long in pretty cold temperatures; our heated gear keeps us warm down into the mid- 20's easily and below 20 at less than highway speeds. Others needs will of course be different but you specifically mentioned below 30 F, which I consider 'cold' on a motorcycle. Someone living in Miami probably has an entirely different view of 'winter' riding and very different clothing might work out well there.

So in the end, while I am sure battery operated heated clothing does something, I am very skeptical (OK, I just don't believe) it will be very useful in tough conditions. And this stuff is expensive enough to make a disappointing decision a little bit painful. Andrea and I have a lot of heated gear, most of it is Gerbing and it was expensive. That said, I would not want the same amount of gear at, say, one- half the price that also did not meet the needs. But to both spend the full price and still have gear that doesn't do the job really sucks.

One last thought Jay, have you considered looking in the children's dept. for less expensive Gerbing gloves? <ROFLMFO>

Brian

Thanks Brian, that's good info, I do appreciate it.
 
From the Gerbings site it list's the battery life as:
 

		Approximate battery capacity per charge
100%	2 hours
75%	3 hours
50%	5 hours
25%	10 hours

 
During the winter in the sub 30 temps I'm referring to it's pretty much just being able to commute back and forth the work on dry days (which we do get some in the PNW, very nice but cold), approx 30 minutes ride to work each way, so that's why I thought these might do the trick for me.
 
Plus I could use them on other bikes as well, without having to hard wire setup all my bikes...
 
I've heard nothing but good things about Gerbings the brand, so I'd have to think that the gloves (even these rechargable ones) would be of quality though right? 
 
Any thoughts given this info about what/how/when I'd be using them?

[ZG]

A better option would be the 12 volt hybrid gloves shown here: http://gerbing.com/products/Gloves/hybridGlove.php These gloves both produce more heat (given the information on that page, a 1.1 Amp-hour battery lasts one hour at full power, therefore the gloves use 12.1 watts of power) on battery power and at least you will have the option to power them from the bike if (when) the battery is dead.

Ok guys, thanks for getting me to now entertain the idea of a wired option, much appreciated, you guys have some very valid points that I was totally overlooking... Thanks! 
 
 
I looked at those hibrid ones and I agree those look like a better option for me, and the cost is the same, so I'm now honing in on those...
 
Questions:
 
So if I want to use just the gloves without a jacket liner how does that work, do you just plug them in to a routed wire someplace up by the bars? If so, wouldn't that wire somewhat be in the way if dangling cause I'm assuming you would need the wire to be long enough to still move your hand all the way up to your helmet for using Scala or opening shield etc??
 
So is the plug litteraly just a battery tender type plug wired to the battery? If so, I already have that, could I just use that plug?
 
Do the Gerbings gloves fit pretty true to size? ie if I wear a large in Alpinestars gloves would it be same for Gerbings or do their sizes run bigger/smaller than most?
 
 

One last thought Jay, have you considered looking in the children's dept. for less expensive Gerbing gloves? <ROFLMFO>

    

[B.D.F.]

Just bear in mind that even the hybrid gloves are only 12 watts while the 'real' gloves are 27. Wiring them directly to the bike will eliminate the battery and associated hobby but cannot increase the power output of the gloves. In other words, if you decide those gloves are not warm enough, plugging them directly into the bike will not alter that situation.

Now for wired gloves, the 'official' solution of wiring is lousy IMO. Gerbing supplies a long 'Y' harness with the gloves and their intention is that you put one leg of each short wire down each sleeve, with the longer line coming out from the bottom of your jacket. What a PITA. As I said, wearing a heated liner or heated jacket fixes that because the clothing is pre- wired with outputs at each wrist and a common wiring block in the bottom / left of the jacket. But if using the gloves alone, I think I would run a pair of outputs on the bike up to the handlebars and leave the ends dangling there. Of course you cannot move your hands very far away from the bars if using this method. I guess both wiring methods leave something to be desired. Well, you could put the Y harness into your jacket ahead of time and stitch / Velcro the ends near the wrists and the input at the bottom of the jacket. Not elegant but it should work.

The power plug connection for Gerbing, and all the other heated clothes companies other than Tourmaster as far as I know, is a round barrel DC power plug, called a coaxial power connector. I believe it is an 'N' connector and pretty common. A battery tender usually uses an SAE connector. I do not like SAE connectors because they are hard to use but they do have an advantage in that any end will plug into any other SAE connector; the round power plugs come in male and female. Yes you could use an SAE connection on the bike to power heated clothes with an SAE to coaxial plug adapter; available from Gerbing as well as other heated clothes companies. I prefer to use the coaxial plugs and have two 'whips' (short, hanging cables used to supply power) on the bike for our heated clothing but I use them for everything that needs temporary 12 bike power like an air compressor. My whips just hand of the left side of the bike, about 8" long, and when not in use they just hang there along with the helmet audio connectors, the MP3 connector and the USB charger plug. If you paint them black they should blend right in on your bike but you can also use a power plug jack mounted somewhere on the left hand side of the bike- these are neater and do not dangle when not in use.

Gerbing gloves seem to run pretty true in my experience. Gerbing will exchange gloves with you to find the proper size; they are very good about this provided the gloves are not used of course.

One last thought- Gerbing makes a pair of heated glove liners. I bought a set this year for long distance riding to be used under a set of glove rain covers. I like them a lot and they might work for you- they are far less expensive at $80 but provide a lot of heat (still 27 watts I think). They are thin, short and will not stand much use if used without something over them but they might be a decent option for occasional use.

By the way, if you do buy a pair of heated gloves of any type / brand note that power from the bike you will also have to buy a heated clothing controller, which is usually a surprise to most people. They cost $70 and so are not insignificant when figuring out price. The controller really is needed to because you will not be able to use the gloves at full power unless extremely cold, and plugging them in / unplugging them to manage the temperature is just not practical. Some people try to use a straight switch but again my experience is that that is not practical either.

This whole thing is more complicated than it may appear at first glace. Just like almost everything else in the world…. 

Brian

Ok guys, thanks for getting me to now entertain the idea of a wired option, much appreciated, you guys have some very valid points that I was totally overlooking... Thanks! 
 
 
I looked at those hibrid ones and I agree those look like a better option for me, and the cost is the same, so I'm now honing in on those...
 
Questions:
 
So if I want to use just the gloves without a jacket liner how does that work, do you just plug them in to a routed wire someplace up by the bars? If so, wouldn't that wire somewhat be in the way if dangling cause I'm assuming you would need the wire to be long enough to still move your hand all the way up to your helmet for using Scala or opening shield etc??
 
So is the plug litteraly just a battery tender type plug wired to the battery? If so, I already have that, could I just use that plug?
 
Do the Gerbings gloves fit pretty true to size? ie if I wear a large in Alpinestars gloves would it be same for Gerbings or do their sizes run bigger/smaller than most?
 
 
    

[ZG]

I back Gerbings %100, but they don't make the battery, which is the issue.  After one season or half a season, how will the batteries work?  How often would you ride the Gixxer in the '30s?  Me thinks not often.  Do you have a battery tender lead on any of the bikes?  It's that easy with the correct end.  Hardwire the 14, use the BT lead on the Gixxer, and be warm all ride long.  It only takes seconds to plug in (once you are in the habit of not forgetting) and will provide superior long term performance.

Yep, I ride the Gixxer at least once a month even in the winter to keep the juices flowing Chet (mine and the Gixxer's juices that is  ).
 
Yes, I have battery tenders on all the bikes already installed.
 
 

[ZG]

Just bear in mind that even the hybrid gloves are only 12 watts while the 'real' gloves are 27. Wiring them directly to the bike will eliminate the battery and associated hobby but cannot increase the power output of the gloves. In other words, if you decide those gloves are not warm enough, plugging them directly into the bike will not alter that situation.

Now for wired gloves, the 'official' solution of wiring is lousy IMO. Gerbing supplies a long 'Y' harness with the gloves and their intention is that you put one leg of each short wire down each sleeve, with the longer line coming out from the bottom of your jacket. What a PITA. As I said, wearing a heated liner or heated jacket fixes that because the clothing is pre- wired with outputs at each wrist and a common wiring block in the bottom / left of the jacket. But if using the gloves alone, I think I would run a pair of outputs on the bike up to the handlebars and leave the ends dangling there. Of course you cannot move your hands very far away from the bars if using this method. I guess both wiring methods leave something to be desired. Well, you could put the Y harness into your jacket ahead of time and stitch / Velcro the ends near the wrists and the input at the bottom of the jacket. Not elegant but it should work.

The power plug connection for Gerbing, and all the other heated clothes companies other than Tourmaster as far as I know, is a round barrel DC power plug, called a coaxial power connector. I believe it is an 'N' connector and pretty common. A battery tender usually uses an SAE connector. I do not like SAE connectors because they are hard to use but they do have an advantage in that any end will plug into any other SAE connector; the round power plugs come in male and female. Yes you could use an SAE connection on the bike to power heated clothes with an SAE to coaxial plug adapter; available from Gerbing as well as other heated clothes companies. I prefer to use the coaxial plugs and have two 'whips' (short, hanging cables used to supply power) on the bike for our heated clothing but I use them for everything that needs temporary 12 bike power like an air compressor. My whips just hand of the left side of the bike, about 8" long, and when not in use they just hang there along with the helmet audio connectors, the MP3 connector and the USB charger plug. If you paint them black they should blend right in on your bike but you can also use a power plug jack mounted somewhere on the left hand side of the bike- these are neater and do not dangle when not in use.

Gerbing gloves seem to run pretty true in my experience. Gerbing will exchange gloves with you to find the proper size; they are very good about this provided the gloves are not used of course.

One last thought- Gerbing makes a pair of heated glove liners. I bought a set this year for long distance riding to be used under a set of glove rain covers. I like them a lot and they might work for you- they are far less expensive at $80 but provide a lot of heat (still 27 watts I think). They are thin, short and will not stand much use if used without something over them but they might be a decent option for occasional use.

By the way, if you do buy a pair of heated gloves of any type / brand note that power from the bike you will also have to buy a heated clothing controller, which is usually a surprise to most people. They cost $70 and so are not insignificant when figuring out price. The controller really is needed to because you will not be able to use the gloves at full power unless extremely cold, and plugging them in / unplugging them to manage the temperature is just not practical. Some people try to use a straight switch but again my experience is that that is not practical either.

This whole thing is more complicated than it may appear at first glace. Just like almost everything else in the world…. 

Brian

Thanks Brian, I appreciate your help. I'm now back on the fence again though... 
 
I didn't plan to get a vest, between my winter drystar gear and heated seat the rest of me has been fine in the sub 30's temps, only the hands it what I'm wanting just a little more warmth...
 
Sounds like the wired options does have some downsides, at least for me, since I'd only be using it for short commutes to work... I'm rethinking the chargeable option again... I totally hear ya on them not getting as hot, but I'm looking for short commute improvements, so am wondering if they might do the trick for me and then I don't have to deal with the Y attachment etc as it sounds like kind of a pain... 
 
Ugh... decisions, decisions... 

[Snibbor]

1st - the controller.  They make a single controller and a dual controller.  Get the dual even if you start with only the gloves.  You will need the dual controller if you get the jacket at a later time.

Gerbing is in Olympia and I've stopped there a number of times.  I did like the battery powered gloves, and they got pretty warm in the store but I didn't ride with them.  As stated before, I don't think I would have been happy with the battery life/tempurature life.  I went wired and am very glad I did (don't know why I waited so long).  If you did go battery, I would definitely get a couple of spares, you will likely need them:)

[B.D.F.]

Whatever you do, do not buy a heated vest to help with glove wiring; you need the sleeves with the wiring inside them to plug the gloves into. Either a heated jacket liner, which is what I use, or a full heated jacket are the only things that power up gloves.

Yep, it is not a simple choice. Perhaps as you are close to being comfortable, the 12 volt gloves will have enough power for your application? Do bear in mind though that you will have to charge batteries often (and always before using them) and the system will deteriorate with age- batteries never, ever improve as they get older.

Another thing to consider is short time in use.... maybe just a heavier pair of gloves or mittens for winter commuting would do the trick?

Sorry, not trying to steer you onto or off of any path, just pointing out that this is one of those areas of compromise and if you move ahead, you have to decide what is most important and what you need the most before making a decision. This from a guy with multiple saddles, multiple winter gloves, etc. They all looked like the right decision at the time. 

And just to complicate the issues, there are the chemical heat packs. They work pretty well, are fairly inexpensive, especially when used for limited times, and they do not require any maintenance or forethought; just carry a handful and you will have a batch of heat. I guess it would depend on how many hours / year we are really talking about here. The chemical packs are a favorite of a lot of skiers because they do serve the need for occasional use.

Brian

Thanks Brian, I appreciate your help. I'm now back on the fence again though... 
 
I didn't plan to get a vest, between my winter drystar gear and heated seat the rest of me has been fine in the sub 30's temps, only the hands it what I'm wanting just a little more warmth...
 
Sounds like the wired options does have some downsides, at least for me, since I'd only be using it for short commutes to work... I'm rethinking the chargeable option again... I totally hear ya on them not getting as hot, but I'm looking for short commute improvements, so am wondering if they might do the trick for me and then I don't have to deal with the Y attachment etc as it sounds like kind of a pain... 
 
Ugh... decisions, decisions... 

[ZG]

Another thing to consider is short time in use.... maybe just a heavier pair of gloves or mittens for winter commuting would do the trick?

Ya, I already have some top of the line snowmobile gloves from Klim that I bought last year.
 
http://www.klim.com/en-us/shop/snow/men/gloves/3087-000
 
A MASSIVE improvement over any motorcylce gloves I've ever had before, I guess I'm just looking for even more warmth in my getting older age for the upcoming cold winter morning commutes... 
 
Thanks for all the help and insight though so far, very good info and knowledge on here, please keep the comments coming... 

[Pokey]

You will actually be riding that bike........seriously?

[VirginiaJim]

Hard to believe, I know.

I've tried all kinds of things and spent all kinds of money to stay warm on a bike.  I really wish I had gone the powered heated way to begin with.  I could have bought more farkles.  I run the jacket liner and gloves 99% of the time (Gerbings).  I have the pants and the socks as well but they're for subzero weather.  The battery stuff is for ski bunnies.  Power is the way to go.

[Stasch]

+1 on going wired.  If you get a Gerbing jacket liner its already wired - no harness to rig up inside your riding jacket.

I really wish I had gone the powered heated way to begin with.  I could have bought more farkles.  I run the jacket liner and gloves 99% of the time (Gerbings)

+1 +1 +1  My biggest regret in finally buying a Gerbing jacket liner and gloves was not having done it sooner.

First I bought the jacket with a single controller, then the gloves. 

Went to a dual controller and . . . . wow.  Shoulda done it all a LOT sooner.

So . . . +1 on dual controller vs. single if you have both jacket and gloves.  Single won't cut it.

Edited to Add:

If you have more than one bike, get a belt clip style controller, not a hard mounted one.  Then all you need to do is attach the battery harness to each bike.  Its simple and they are not expensive. 

I have a battery harness on 2 bikes with the controller clipped securely on the jacket.

[gPink]

Hard to believe, I know.

I've tried all kinds of things and spent all kinds of money to stay warm on a bike.  I really wish I had gone the powered heated way to begin with.  I could have bought more farkles.  I run the jacket liner and gloves 99% of the time (Gerbings).  I have the pants and the socks as well but they're for subzero weather.  The battery stuff is for ski bunnies.  Power is the way to go.

...but we like ski bunnies.

[VirginiaJim]

Not if they look like Jay.

[ZG]

I've tried all kinds of things and spent all kinds of money to stay warm on a bike.  I really wish I had gone the powered heated way to begin with.  I could have bought more farkles.  I run the jacket liner and gloves 99% of the time (Gerbings).  I have the pants and the socks as well but they're for subzero weather.  The battery stuff is for ski bunnies.  Power is the way to go.

Which gloves and jacket liner are you using Sparky?
 
 
 
 

...but we like ski bunnies.

Not if they look like Jay.

 
 

You will actually be riding that bike........seriously?

 

[VirginiaJim]

Which gloves and jacket liner are you using Sparky?
 

Gerbings, but they're the older ones by close to 10 years.  I love them and the electrics on the bike don't seem to mind.