Savior Heat Rechargeable Review

Heated gloves have long been offered at only high prices, but these gloves break the mold by providing three settings of battery-powered warmth at a reasonable price point.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

The Savior Heat Rechargeable gloves use rechargeable lithium batteries to provide three levels of electronic warmth throughout the hand and fingers. Without the batteries, these gloves provide average warmth, but even the lowest heat setting is enough to keep our hands cozy on the coldest days of winter. Our lead tester, professional ski guide Jeff Dobronyi, says “I like to set the heat to the lowest setting and let it cook all day, and then bump the heat to medium or high if I really need to warm up quickly.” On the lowest setting, the battery lasts four to five hours and one to two hours on the highest setting.

The batteries aren't strong enough to run the highest heat setting all day, but that level provides so much warmth that it would be uncomfortable to ski like that for very long. These gloves are perfect for someone who gets cold hands easily or who is deterred from skiing when the temperatures are too cold. We also used them on long belays while ice climbing in the shade and on snowmobile rides, and the electronic heat settings are perfect for those activities.

Dexterity

The Savior Heat Rechargeable gloves aren't very dexterous due to generic tailoring in the fingers. It feels like there is a lot of extra fabric around the seams, which can get in the way when trying to perform detailed tasks. We had to remove these gloves to get our keys out of our pockets. They are just dexterous enough to take a phone out of a pocket, which is nice because the fingers are touchscreen-compatible. That said, it's a bit hard to type on a smartphone screen with the extra bulk hanging around.

In our handwriting test, it was difficult to write legibly while wearing this glove. Still, even if we can't manipulate car keys or pencils while wearing them, the Savior Heat Rechargeable gloves are dexterous enough for buckling ski boots and zipping zippers.

Water Resistance

Unfortunately, the Savior Heat gloves aren't waterproof at all. During our submersion test, the gloves started absorbing water immediately, and water entered the main chamber of the glove quickly. By the end of the two-minute dunk, they were completely waterlogged. Very little is known about the glove's waterproof membrane, and if we had to guess, we would say there isn't one or there are so many holes in it that it's a waste of material.

If it's cold enough to need heated gloves, it's likely that any water you will encounter will not be in liquid form anymore. Still, users of this glove are likely to be looking for a glove for every day of the winter. If your winter climate includes rainy days, these gloves won't serve you well. On the other hand, if your winters involve consistently below-freezing temperatures, these will likely be fine.

Durability

The Savior Heat Rechargeable's palm is made from sheepskin leather, similar to other gloves. This supple and comfortable material aids in grip and dexterity, but it also wears out relatively quickly. If you use these gloves only occasionally, they should last a long time, but if you ski multiple times a week, you might wish that the palms had heavier-duty leather reinforcements in the thumb saddle and fingertips.

The lithium batteries seem similar to those we've tested in other gloves, and we had no problem with the battery's longevity during our test period. In other gloves, we've had no problems with battery life consistency over a few years of occasional use. We can't speculate about the longevity of these batteries without using them for a few more years, but they seem to be consistent with the reliable batteries found in other heated gloves on the market.

Features

The Savior Heat Rechargeable gloves have most of the features we look for in ski gloves, with some notable omissions and some standout components. On the upside, the variable-setting electronic heating elements are a deluxe feature in their own right. The gauntlets are robust with easy-to-use cinch cords. The wrist fit can be adjusted with a hook-and-loop strap, and a plastic clip helps keep the pair together in storage. Finally, the touchscreen-compatible fingertips work right out of the box, which is rare among gloves we tested. Our lead tester and guide, Jeff Dobronyi, says, “The touchscreen-compatible fingertips are super useful. Since I know they will work every time, I don't preemptively take my gloves off when I need to use my phone.” Included with your purchase are a storage bag and charger cord.

Notably, there are no wrist leashes, making it a bit harder to prevent loss during chairlift rides, and there's no nose wipe.

Should You Buy the Savior Heat Rechargeable?

If you're in the market for a heated glove and price is a deciding factor, these gloves are a great value. There are better options on the market, but they all cost a lot more, while these ones get the job done in most instances. All things considered, it's hard to find a decently warm un-heated glove in this price range, so the Savior gloves represent the best value for users with cold hands.

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