Defeat the cold with this ingenious portable hand heater

 

Ever wondered who makes those pouches donned by NFL QB’s when approaching those winter months?

Well if you don’t already know, let us introduce you to G-tech apparel, who have been warming hands now since 2014.

Based out of Calgary, Alberta (Where it’s very cold), the Canadian company went on a quest to enhance athlete performance in low to sub-zero temperatures but it turns out the pouch is now being adopted by a much wider audience since its original release.

 

 

The G-tech heated pouch is now covering the hands of builders, hunters and fisherman to name a few but still holding stake in sporting institutions such NFL, CFL, NBA, MLB, NCAA and the PGA Tour. You can even get a Ryder cup version to commemorate its appearance at the 2016/2018 tournaments.

So what exactly is the “heated pouch”?

In short, it’s exactly what it sounds like, however, unlike normal gloves or hot-mitts, the pouch is battery operated to heat the user through heating elements hidden away inside of the pouch whilst doing the upmost to retain that heat at the same time.

The pouch itself is designed with portability in mind, aimed at those to wish to retain full dexterity whilst keeping your hands warm when not in use. This is why the pouch is ideal for specific sports outdoor activities.

 

How does the “heated pouch” work?

The G-tech pouch is manufactured via a premium polyester coating that’s fully waterproof to protect you from cold rainfall along with temperature itself.

At both ends of the pouch, you find two openings to place your hands which are elasticated to sit snug around your wrists whilst your hands remain snug and warm inside.

 

 

The technology actually comes from the patented heated element which is best described as a soft and flexible heating bar running right through the inside for you to hold onto.

The pouch itself is powered by a lithium-ion battery that plugs itself in via a hidden compartment inside which enables the battery to be tucked away nicely.

Via a button on the front, the user is then able to heat the pouch and cycle through 3 heat settings to choose what’s right for them. The highest being aimed at sub-zero temperatures.

From there it’s easy-going, you can leave the pouch on or turn it off to conserve battery power and either tie at the front of your waist or push it to the back to keep it out of your way.

 

What we thought of the G-tech Heated Pouch.

Having been hit with minus conditions in the past week here in the UK, the G-tech for us was an absolute godsend. We were lucky enough to put it through its paces and can safely say it delivered exactly what it needed to do.

Unfortunately with Golf courses closed due to Covid-19 we’re yet to give our full opinion after 18 holes. Rest assured we’ll be updating this content as soon as we’re able to take it out for a full round.

We chose to ditch the disposable hand warmers on a few cold walks and decided to give the pouch a run for its money and my goodness were we impressed.

Design

On the design front, the pouch itself is extremely light. Even after the battery is inserted you barely remember its there. Our first impression was that it would be quite a nuisance during some test swings but after using it, it’s easy to see how unintrusive it is on your body.

The fleece-like lining itself is warm enough even without the heaters turned but its when you switch them on that this product really comes into its own.

We love the fact the pouch doubles up as a storage compartment should you need it like the fact the product is machine washable being an electrical product. There are actually two zips inside which can be quite fiddly at times so we’d recommend just using the bigger pocket to store valuables.

Another thing we like about the G-tech from a design perspective is that you’re free to customise your own with your own branding and even buy different materials should you need to such as a military-grade version.

Functionality

The simplicity of the heated pouch is what draws us to this product. Without making anything too complicated, G-tech has gone out and solved a problem taking into account all of the issues that might come along the way.

The battery was big enough to ensure it didn’t compromise comfort and we love the fact it can be hidden away.

G-tech has even thought ahead and included a dual battery charger just in case you’re out in the cold for hours on end. Battery life wasn’t an issue for us, however. We kept ours on the highest heat for a good 2 hours and stayed warm.

What would be good in future releases is to have a battery indicator just so you don’t get caught off guard.

Verdict

At first, the thought of using a heated pouch felt novelty. Why use a pouch when you can use gloves right? Hasn’t this problem already been solved?

Well, some would argue yes, but after using it you can see the heated pouch isn’t out there to re-invent the wheel. This is not a replacement for the glove. What G-tech have done is made a solution for a particular type of athlete or a particular activity that requires you to have your fingers available to you at any given time without gloves to compromise.

This is why we think the heated pouch is a perfect companion both for the Golf bag or maybe just to leave in your car in case you get caught out with a cold snap.

All in all, we really enjoyed using the heated pouch and we’re excited to see what G-tech have in store for the future.

 

 

 

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