6 Of The Best Electric Hand Warmers You Can Buy, According To Reviews

Everyone has their own methods for keeping warm in cold weather, whether it's cranking up the heat, throwing on extra layers, drinking hot cocoa, or all of the above. There are also some outside-the-box ways to keep your hands warm, in particular. One method you may not have considered — but is incredibly simple and affordable — is using hand warmers. Disposable hand warmers like HotHands that use chemical reactions to generate a pocketful of heat for hours at a time are a great way to keep your fingers from freezing, whether you're wearing gloves or not. They can be incredibly useful, but are not without their downsides — since they're disposable, they create a lot of waste, and you'll need to continually restock them or find yourself without them when you need them most. It's also frustrating to start using one and then realizing you don't need it — once it's activated, it can't be deactivated, and you've essentially just wasted it in this case.

Electric hand warmers, on the other hand, are typically rechargeable, and you only need to buy them once to get countless uses out of them. Plus, you can turn them on and off as needed to maximize battery life. Electric hand warmers are also fairly easy to find online and in stores, though that has a downside — you may be overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available, which come in a wide assortment of shapes, sizes, and features.

To help give you a (warm) hand in deciding which are right for you, here are six of the best electric hand warmers you can buy, according to professional reviews. More information on how these products were evaluated can be found at the end of this list.

Unihand AI Hand Warmers are included on SlashGear's list of Amazon gadgets for hunting season, but you don't need to be stalking deer in the woods to get use of these devices. These are a great middle-of-the-road choice if you don't want to go with warmers that are too small or don't last very long (but are especially lightweight and charge quickly) or heavier, bulkier options that have bigger batteries and can last much longer.

Unihand AI Hand Warmers conveniently come in a two-pack and weigh just 0.15 pounds each, despite being powered by a 6,000 mAh battery. They have three different heat settings, and Unihand says they can last up to 20 hours on the lowest setting. In its testing of the product, Outdoor Life found the actual battery life to be less, saying the hand warmers lasted less than 11 hours on low. However, its review of the device was mostly positive, as was the review from GearJunkie, which said the warmers are "the perfect size to fit in your hand."

One downside is that each warmer only heats up on one side, but you can combine the two into one larger warmer for a double-sided heater. They're a bit cumbersome to pull apart when you do this, though. Another perk of Unihand's AI Hand Warmers is that multiple color options are available, if you prefer your devices and accessories to have a little flair or perhaps even match your gloves and outerwear. The list price for the warmers varies depending on which of the five color options you choose, which include black, blue, champagne, pink, and dark green.

On Amazon, a two-pack of black Unihand AI Hand Warmers retails for $29.99, but they are currently discounted for just $19.99.

Zippo is mostly known for its butane lighters, but its electric hand warmers are some of the best on the market. The Zippo HeatBank 9s Rechargeable Hand Warmer has a positive review from Britain's original mountain magazine, The Great Outdoors, which called the device "the fastest of all the hand warmers" that were tested. The 5,200 mAh battery heats up the warmer in just 2-3 seconds and can last up to nine hours on a single charge, though its max heat is lower than some of the competition.

One of the biggest drawbacks to Zippo's warmer is that, not only is it sold individually as opposed to as a two-pack, but it's expensive compared to many other options. If you want to buy one for each hand, you could be paying close to $100 for a pair that could cost just $20 from some other high-quality brands. However, with Zippo's hand warmer, you're getting features you might not otherwise get with those cheaper options.

The HeatBank 9s offers six different heat settings, giving you a lot of versatility when finding the perfect temperature for your hands. It also heats on both sides of the device, maximizing its surface area, and has an ergonomic design for a comfortable grip. Plus, it can also be used as a power bank to charge your phone or other devices in a pinch.

The Zippo HeatBank 9s Rechargeable Hand Warmer has a list price of $49.95 on Amazon.

On Amazon, Ocoopa UT4 Rare Diamond-Shape Hand Warmers are listed as "Ocoopa Women Rechargeable Hand Warmers," though keeping your hands warm is a universal challenge, so they're still great for anyone. We tested this one ourselves, so we can confidently say they'll keep your digits toasty, despite having one of the smallest batteries for a hand warmer — 2,000 mAh. They're very slim and lightweight, they heat up in just seconds. You don't need to use the highest of the three heat settings even in subfreezing temperatures, which is all the better as that extends the battery life further.

Since they're small, the battery life is one of the biggest drawbacks of the Ocoopa UT4. You'll likely need to recharge them daily if you use them each way on your commute, for example. You might want to go with a more powerful option if you plan on spending all day in the cold. (Ocoopa makes several different-sized hand warmers, including some of the best heated gadgets that will keep you warm in a freezing office.)

These hand warmers are hands-down the nicest looking option you can find, with a teardrop shape and several stylish colors, including a "city garden" floral pattern. Depending on which you opt for, the price can be as low as $19.99 per pair, and even the black model looks fantastic.

Most styles of the Ocoopa UT4 Rare Diamond-Shape Hand Warmers sell on Amazon for $32.99, if not less.

After testing several different models, Outdoor Life found the Dnaleao Rechargeable Hand Warmers to have the "best value" and reported that it performed as well or better as many pricier brands. Like other top options, these warmers are relatively compact and lightweight, which is important for both portability and for when you actually need to hold and use them. Plus, its aluminum and ABS construction make it dust, drop, and water-resistant, so you won't need to be afraid to take them with you on cold hikes or job sites.

The device uses a 4,000 mAh battery and can heat up to 131 degrees Fahrenheit, reaching that temperature in just seconds. Three different heat levels are available, and a bright LED lets you know which is activated at any given time. Dnaleao says its warmers can last up to 12 hours, though Outdoor Life's real-world testing found battery life to be closer to 7.5 hours on low and around 5 hours on high.

The warmers are sold as a pair, and even come with a dual USB-C charging cord that can recharge both with one USB port. In its positive review, Outdoor Life noted that one end of the dual-charging cord that came with the product was defective, which is something to be aware of before purchasing. However, the latching mechanism used to connect both warmers into a single, double-sided heater was highlighted as a useful feature in the same review. The hand warmers come in different combinations of blue, black, and purple, as well as a double green option.

Dnaleao Rechargeable Hand Warmers are listed on Amazon for $18.99 or $19.99 depending on the color, though most models are currently discounted for as low as $12.75.

If your top priority when it comes to electric hand warmers is battery life, a smart choice would be the Survival Frog QuickHeat Pro Rechargeable Hand Warmer. After testing many different products, Travel and Leisure said Survival Frog's warmer had the "best battery life" and could run 6-14 hours at 95-130 degrees Fahrenheit. This exceptional run time is due in part to the sizable 9,000 mAh battery included with the warmer. The downside to this, however, is that it takes longer to fully charge than some other options. Another downside is that, unlike some other options on this list, the warmer is sold individually and not as a pair, so the cost doubles if you're looking for a heater for each hand.

Survival Frog makes quality outdoors and off-the-grid gear, including one of the best power banks for camping trips. The extended battery life of its hand warmer is especially useful if you'll be out outdoors all day and won't be able to frequently recharge the device. Plus, it can even be used as a power bank to charge your phone if you need it, which also makes it a useful product to own during warmer months. The QuickHeat Pro weighs 7.2 ounces and is less than 5 inches long — so it's not the biggest nor the smallest quality warmer on the market.

Amazon sells the Survival Frog QuickHeat Pro Rechargeable Hand Warmer for $50, while Walmart currently sells it for $10 less.

Beskar (yes, just like the fictional metal in "The Mandalorian") makes products like cooling fans and shower mats, and its rechargeable hand warmer made the list of the "5 Best Hand Warmers" tested and rated by TechGearLab, with the publication particularly praising its long battery life. There is no shortage of color options for Beskar's warmer, so you can mix and match if buying a pair or color coordinate for multiple family members. These colors include dark blue, light blue, pink, black, gray, purple, coral, and dark green. The list prices for these colors vary, but you should note that the only two-pack available comes in black — if you want a different style, it's sold individually.

That might be a good thing, considering the bulky size of the Beskar Rechargeable Hand Warmer. The computer mouse-shaped device is 4.6 inches long and 2.6 inches wide and weighs around 8 ounces, so it takes up more space and weight in your pocket than some of its competition. Carrying two at a time may not leave room for much else in your pockets.

That size helps allow for a 5,200 mAh battery that can also be used as a portable power bank for smartphones and other devices, however. It can be recharged in three hours and will last up to 8 hours on its lowest of three heat levels. It can heat up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit in a few seconds and hit around 130 degrees after a few minutes.

On Amazon, the Beskar Rechargeable Hand Warmer typically costs between $24.99-$32.99, depending on the color. The black two-pack is $42.99.

The best way of knowing whether a product is reliable and works as advertised is by finding out yourself, but if that's not possible, the next best thing is to check out the reviews from reputable publications that have tested it, as well as others in its class to compare and contrast their various pros and cons. All the recommended items in this list of the best electric hand warmers have been tested and given positive feedback from reputable publications that are known for their expertise in either outdoor gear, tech products, or both. These publications include The Great Outdoors, Travel and Leisure, Gear Junkie, and Outdoor Life, as well as TechGearLab. 

One of the recommended hand warmers on this list — the Ocoopa UT4 — was personally tested for over two weeks of bitterly cold temperatures by me, a SlashGear tech journalist and reviewer. Factors considered in both my review and when weighing the reviews of these other publications included cost, battery life, temperature levels, special features, and the potential for any factory defects.