From internet connections to even cell phone chargers, it would seem that everything technological today is going the way of wireless so it should be no surprise that battery powered heated gear is starting to become more and more popular. There are many people out there who feel uncomfortable with the idea of being wired into their bike and now there is an option for those with this sentiment, but are still looking for a little help with the elements during cold weather riding. I've pretty much been living in this jacket for the last couple months and have put it to the test in various conditions and would have to say I'm pretty happy with it.
The true beauty of this jacket lies in its versatility. Not having to be tethered to your motorcycle in order to work the heating elements means you can use this jacket for when you're tailgating, sitting on a ski lift, or for those first few minutes of driving before the heat in your car starts working. Gerbings does boast a "wind blocking and water resistant outer shell" and after putting it to the test, I found that this jacket definitely does a good job of blocking out the elements.
As far as riding with this jacket, I should mention that this jacket doesn't offer any kind of crash protection, so I would recommend you try to layer over it with some kind of riding jacket. I have tried this jacket with both a Joe Rocket Atomic 4.0 textile jacket as well as the Alpinestars Scion 2-Layer jacket and found little to no additional restriction in movement. The "telescopic cuffs" actually came in handy for layering as it helps you to pull the sleeves of the Gerbings jacket through the sleeves of your outer shell as well as gives you an added layer of warmth around your palms as you can utilize them under your gloves. One interesting thing that I noticed about this jacket is that the silver heating panels actually do a good job on their own of absorbing any heat so this jacket even works with your natural body heat and often when I was on the move I could turn off the battery pack.
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| The silver panels are where the heating elements are. |
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The "stock" battery that every
jacket comes with. |
So how about the actual purpose of this jacket? Gerbings claims that this jacket is capable of putting out 135°F, but there is an addendum to being able to feel the heat. You have to remember to use this jacket right after your base layer and you'll reap the full benefits of the heating element, but add just a couple extra layers between you and the jacket and the heating element almost becomes a moot point. Whether I was on the bike or on a ski lift, I could definitely feel the heating element doing its job wearing it just over a moisture wicking base layer. By no means was I so warm that I thought I was riding in summer heat again, but it definitely did its job to keep the chill off. Gerbings supplies a compact battery that I've managed to get around 3 hours of heat from at maximum heat, but opted to purchase the larger capacity battery ($69.99) which gave me a whopping 8 hours of heat set on maximum. As you would suspect, the large capacity battery does have a bit of heft and does add a bit of bulk, but I found that it was worth the compromise for the ability to keep myself feeling toasty almost the entire day. It does take some time I've been a "year round" rider for a few years without any kind of heated gear so I can't say that this jacket has extended my riding season, but it sure as heck has made it a lot more comfortable. The jacket comes in "his" and "her" cuts which I understand are anatomically correct.
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There is also a sleeveless "vest"
version available. |
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The extended battery pack has a nice LED indicator to
check power levels and the buttons are easy to find even
when wearing riding gloves. |
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