Can The iHood Heated Vest Save You From Winter's Worst? We Put It To The Test

With winter in full swing, many people's primary focus while enjoying the outdoors is trying to stay warm. Luckily, there are several heated gadgets available that you can use for your next rendezvous with nature or even if you're heading out into town. Of those gadgets is the iHood Heated vest, which comes in men's and women's. The price ranges from $70-$90 depending on the size. It also comes in different colors like black and blue. However, vests aren't everyone's preference when it comes to clothing, so I do want to point out that iHood also has heated jackets in men's and women's. They are a bit more expensive, though — they retail for $150.

Because I frequently camp in national forests at all times of the year, I wanted to try out the iHood heated vest. I purchased the women's small black option for $80. To put the vest to the test, I bought it with me while camping in the San Luis Valley in Colorado, where the temperature averaged in the 20s and winds were between 10-15 MPH.

The iHood comes completely contained inside a well-built carrying case. Inside is the vest, a portable power bank, a type-C charging cable, an adapter, and a manual. The vest is made of a weather-resistant nylon fabric, which, if I'm being honest, felt a lot like a thicker version of my Patagonia puffy vest. It also has durable zippers and four pockets, one of which is the pocket for the power bank. Additionally, there is a hood rolled into the collar of the vest that can be released with a zipper.

Upon wearing the vest, even though I got a size small, it was still a bit long for me. I am 5'1", though, so those of you with longer torsos should still fit in it just fine. I could also easily fit a hoodie underneath with some room to spare, so I didn't feel constricted in any way. Even without the heating components, the vest is comfortable and feels well-made, which makes it the perfect accessory for a day hike.

The first thing I noticed about the power bank was its weight. Compared to other power banks and wireless chargers, it's heavy, which means I can definitely feel the weight when it's attached to the vest. That said, it is a decently sized battery at 14,400 mAh — in my experience, many affordable power banks tend to stay within the 10,000-20,000 mAh range.

It comes with two USB outputs, as well as a USB-C and USB Micro input/output for charging the power bank or other devices. This is a nice feature, considering some power banks only take one type of charging cable, whereas here, it can be changed with the most convenient cable nearby. Furthermore, it took between two and three hours for it to recharge from zero. I will say I was using a fairly powerful USB-C charging cable, though.

The iHood heated vest is fairly simple to use. The cable to power the vest is inside the inner pocket on the bottom left and gets plugged into the power bank. The power bank sits safely inside that same pocket. After that, all controls are on the iHood badge on the outside of the vest on the left side.

The vest comes with several heating elements built in that are separately controlled. When looking at the badge, the left icon controls the heating components on the front of the vest as well as the pockets. The icon to the right controls the back heating area and the icon on top controls the hood, which has a heating area over both ears. The icon on the bottom simply gives you the option to turn the control panel's light off and on.

Each of the three heating icons has three settings. One press is low, represented by a blue light, at 122 to 131 F. Two presses are medium, showing a white light, at 131 to 149 F. Three presses gives you the high setting, colored red, at 149 to 158 F. Four presses will turn it off again.

Everything about this vest sounded great. However, I felt the need to really put it to the test, especially considering those high temperature specs. The morning I tested it began at around 15 degrees before the sun came up, and then sat in the mid-20s until about noon. I went on a slow walk before coffee to ensure my body temperature wouldn't spike, and I could accurately feel how warm the vest would get.

I started it at medium, so I wouldn't drain the battery too quickly. I felt a bit of warmth in the chest and back heating areas. Unfortunately, my head is a bit too small for the hood, so I wasn't getting much heat there. Although, with my hand, I could feel it heating up where my ears should have been. The most impressive point of heat was the hand pockets. Due to poor circulation, my hands tend to run colder than the rest of my body, but I was able to keep them plenty warm without gloves.

When I set the vest on high, I noticed a slight difference in heat, but it didn't get to an extreme temperature. However, it was enough to warm up my core, which helped keep me from getting too cold. It also lasted for well over four hours between the medium and high temperatures, with plenty of battery to spare.

The iHood heated vest was incredibly easy to figure out, and I really liked that the control panel was right in front. When pressing down on the buttons, I could feel the initial clicks, so I didn't have to look down to ensure that it was transitioning between settings. Furthermore, the ability to turn off the light is a plus. It's a fairly bright light, which is fine during the day but would probably be a nuisance at night, especially since it sits right in my peripheral view.

Another ideal feature is that you're not limited to the iHood's power bank. You can carry multiple power banks of any brand for continuous use while others are charging. It also looks good and can be a useful piece of daily gear for any cold-weathered activity, even if you're just working in a freezing office.

My biggest issue with the vest is the location of the power bank. It is right behind the outside left pocket, which means my left hand was constantly getting irritated by the bulkiness. It also takes away from space in the pocket to carry other items. Additionally, it didn't get as warm as I was expecting. I was only wearing a t-shirt under the thin hoodie, and though it was warm on high, it definitely didn't feel like 150 degrees.

Another negative for the women's vest is the cut, and other women reviewing the product on Amazon have said the same thing. When there are men's and women's option for clothing, it's assumed that the women's is a bit more shapely. I didn't feel like it fit as well as other vests I've worn in the past. That said, the technology was fairly impressive.

iHood has specific instructions on how to wash its heated vest. You have the option of handwashing or using a washing machine — either way, you should use cold water. If you choose to use a washing machine, the company strongly recommends you use a laundry bag to ensure that the machine does not damage the fabric or the cable.

Before gently washing, make sure to remove the power bank and close the USB cable with the attached cap. Additionally, do not use bleach or other corrosive liquids — this can sometimes include fragranced detergents, so it's best to use a free and clear soap. Afterward, hang dry to make sure the dryer does not affect the wiring components.

Since testing this heated vest, it has become a staple for those cold Colorado days, whether I'm off-road camping in the backcountry or hanging out next to a fire pit at a local brewery. So far, I have not seen a decline in the heating capacity or the power bank. The black fabric does retain heat, so on sunny days, I mostly keep it on low, which helps preserve the battery.

I do want to point out the differences in warranty information. If purchased on iHood's website, any product comes with an 18-month limited warranty. However, if bought from Amazon or another third-party website, you'll have to go through them for assistance. That said, the vest is a bit more expensive on iHood's website — the one I got for $80 on Amazon costs $170 retail and $120 on sale on the company's website at the time of writing this review. In the end, it'll be up to you whether the extra price is worth the warranty.