Powerlet RapidFIRe Heated Glove Liner
4.5
5
13
13
Extended COLD weather riding now a real consideration
OK, I have done quite a bit of cold weather riding and have become acquainted with limiting trip distance and the pain of numb finders, then toes and finally know hypothermia is on its way when the core gets cold. Wearing layers, putting hands under the fairing or on the engine/radiator was a way to extend rides early/late in the season. Not any longer. I got a 60 mile ride in last week (5 April 2013) the day before a new dump of fresh snow blessed us in Alaska. Being that I have never used heated gear before, I wanted to compare its effectiveness to my normal layering and heavy winter gear. I used the powerlet jacket liner and glove liners as base layers and intentionally did not turn them on to see how far I could go before the cold set in. Per usual in normal gear (Tour Master winter elite II gloves with liner, Firstgear Jaunt Jacket with liner and layers under) it took about 40 minutes or 30 miles to get uncomfortable and to seek a stop to warm up. This is when I turned on the heat to the gloves and jacket liners with the remote troller. All I can say is WOW. Initially, I turned the heat up to 3/4 of full as a place to start. I felt warmth almost instantly and within 30 seconds my fingers went from numb to hot. I had to keep dialing back the heat and found comfort at about 1/3 power to the gloves and at 1/2 for the body. I was riding a HD XR1200X with only a small sportshield for wind protection. In-other-words, my gear has been my only protection from the elements. Once the heat was on I found total comfort and although I ended my ride after another 30 miles, I could have continued to go on as the temperature was no longer a factor impacting my ride. Also consider that for this ride in temperatures at 30 degrees and speeds at a steady 75 mph for most the ride, i had the Jaunts liner removed and only used the powerlet liner and a cotton shirt. All that to speak to the function of the product. I cannot as yet speak to durability; however, the system with the two dial remote troller could not be easier to set up/install and to use. If you can read and have even limited familiarity with your bike you can put this together with no worries. As for features I have two comments and both regard fit and comfort. As for fit, I wear size 2x in gloves in nearly all brands and measured out the same for the glove liners. The fit was very good with the exception of the length of the fingers. They are a bit long in comparison to most gloves and there was empty space in the 5th finger of each hand which is an unusual experience for me and somewhat annoying in a liner that should fit snug to the skin. Also, there is a stitch line that spans the back (dorsal/posterior) side of the glove that I did not feel at all ... until the heat was turned on! this line got SUPER HOT and resulted in an immediate need to adjust the temperature on the hands. The heat to the fingers comes on the sides (between the fingers) and not from the top or bottom. I found this interesting and desirable as the distribution of warmth from this technique is very good. Also keep in mind that I left the ride side jacket connectors connected so the entire system was set up for 105 watts vs. the 60 watt maximum that comes when you disconnect the wires on the right side (as shown in the video). Overall this is a worthy product and works very well. It will certainly keep you riding when conditions would normally not permit and, I believe, will result in more physical dexterity on the bike as I will no longer have to use so many layers for warmth.
April 8, 2013
Barely feel them
I ride all year round in the north east. During winter months, it's all commute riding, 20mi round trip daily. I wanted a better solution than a big fluffy winter glove.
I could barely feel these, maybe a slight tingle between my fingers when at a stop light, even when turned up max. It was no different than just wearing my winter gloves. In fact it made it worse because now I have a liner shifting around underneath.
It just wasn't good for me.
April 5, 2013
Does what it should
After trying several pairs of heated gloves from different manufacturers and finding them lacking in the level of protection and design quality I wanted I decided to get these liners and wear them under a higher quality, more technical waterproof glove. It costs more to do it that way, and you do sacrifice some convenience by having to put on two layers, but they heat well and feel much more substantial under quality gloves than the snowmobile type gloves made in Pakistan by Gerbings and Warm and Safe etc. They stretch nicely so you can buy them a bit small, I wanted them to fit like a surgical glove so they wouldn't slip around so I got the Sm/Med and they fit perfectly. I'm normally a size large in pretty much every glove I've ever worn just for reference. They actually heat better than all the other gloves I tried (Warm and Safe was a distant second, if you really want to go the heated glove route that's what I recommend), all down the fingers and the back of the hand. The tighter fit and closeness to your skin means a more efficient heat transfer and these will keep you riding well down into the 30's and below. They are very thin and don't take up much room, though you may still have to go a size up from your normal over-glove to get a comfortable fit. I like the mounted plug insert as opposed to the dangling wire style of most other brands, makes for an easy one handed plug in, which is more convenient than you'd think and a huge plus...on the down side they do stick up a little and make it a tighter squeeze getting your jacket cuff over your gloves when they're on. Not a huge deal though. The Powerlet brand is solid and their customer service and warrantees are great and I have confidence that any trouble I may have will be promptly rectified, which all add up to a smart purchase. Everyone has different preferences and priorities, but for me this was the smartest package and my warm, dry, well protected hands are happy. Recommended.
March 18, 2013
Best!
The trick is, this liners have heated elements around sides of fingers, even below finger nails it is warm! While other gloves locate their heating elements on top of palm and fingers only. This technology "radiates" the warmth throughout the whole area inside the outer glove, this is very useful.
Instant on/off heat action, very thin and stretchy, don't even feel I wear it.
February 11, 2013
A "MUST" have for your heated gear!!!
When I decided to finally invest in heated gear it was just a given that gloves would be along for the ride. When I first tried them on (in my correct size) they did feel to tight but when you think about the actual positioning of your hand gripping the throttle and the fact that this liner is just that... a liner.. it needs to fit inside your riding gloves. After considering all of this, it all came together. They do fit in all my riding gloves so I didn't feel a need to buy anything larger in size either. So as far as the fit goes.... I rated somewhat small but it's suppose to be to a certain extent. As I mentioned in my rating the jacket... if you get the gloves to big they'll bunch up inside your riding gloves and then they will really restrict your movement.
They are very comfortable and they heat fast and very well. IF... and this is a big if.. I had to pick on any one thing that I've personally noticed its that my thumbs will still get a little chilly (again thing about how your hands are positioned while riding). They seem to be in more direct air than or maybe it's the wiring pattern within the liner itself... I don't know for sure but overall the liner still gets the job done. I love my Powerlet heated gear and can't wait till they come out with the pants...
January 28, 2013
Better than my heated gloves
I find heated gloves too bulky, after several hours of riding my hands cramp. I have heated grips which I use most of the time. On the really cold days these fit under most of my gloves. The connector integrated into the wrist is awesome and much easier to connect than two wires.
Only issue I had was thumbs are a tad short, but not a huge ideal.
January 14, 2013
First time with heated gear is a win!
I got these liners along with the jacket and dual controller. As others say you need the controller with these liners as they can get very hot. When using them, they work so well, surrounding your hand with warmth, no hot spots, you can find the sweet spot and forget that they are on. Not too hot, and not feeling any cold.
January 8, 2013
HOT HANDS
I've used these once since purchase. (still to warm here) My test ride was in 35 degree air and these glove liners worked very well. NOTE these liners get really, really, really, really, hot. The IR heat is great, feels like standing in the sun. The heat is nearly instant on, instant off, so setting the temp dial produces instant results. Keep in mind, you may need to go up a glove size to use these as they do add a bit of bulk.
November 5, 2012