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Friday, December 22, 2023

I’m A Pop-Tart At Heart


Today I deployed a new weapon in my war against cold: an ActionHeat battery-heated vest liner. This lightweight garment surrounds the body’s core with heating elements like those inside a kitchen toaster, and it fits much like a traditional cycling gilet. The V-neck is an obvious difference, but the vest is not intended to be an outer layer. For its maiden voyage, I wore mine over a thermal baselayer and under a winter cycling jacket, then finished with a wind layer. On this 43° afternoon I rode for almost 2 hours comfortably. I could tell that the vest was contributing something to that comfort. Was it as much as expected? No, but it was better than nothing. Was it worth the money? Only time will tell. Let’s see how long it lasts.

The vest retails for $119. I got mine second-hand, technically, but in an unopened box for $82. ActionHeat says the vest will crank out 90° for 4.5+ hours, 110° for 3+ hours, or 130° for 2+ hours:


My battery gave up a few minutes to the short side of 2 hours today. As you might expect, I used only the highest setting. And 2-hour rides are not normal for me in the winter, so battery life probably isn’t too much of a concern. I plan to use the vest again tomorrow while riding in very similar conditions. If we hit 51° on Sunday—yes, that’s in the current forecast—then I won’t be worrying about battery life at all: the vest will stay home!

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