Best heated motorcycle gloves for riding in the cold | A hands on (and in) guide

Every ride begins and ends with your fingertips. It sounds simplistic, but hands and fingertips are critical to riding and control. When hands go numb, your riding day is done.  Thermal motorcycle gloves help protect the heat you have, but heated gloves are the answer when temps dip into the 50’s and 40’s.

Before you store your bike away for the winter, consider a good pair of heated gloves. They’ll buy you a few more weeks of riding season, maybe even let you ride through winter, location depending. Even if you‘re “tough enough” to weather the cold, why suffer unnecessarily? Check out MCN’s guide to heated gloves plus our favorite tried and tested models.  

When combined with handguards, heated gloves make almost any ride bearable.

What are heated motorcycle gloves?

Heated motorcycle gloves use tiny integrated electronic heating elements that run all over your hand and fingers, providing warmth that’s thinner and more effective than thermal layers or regular winter gloves. They’re either powered by rechargeable batteries, or by connecting to your bike’s battery.

They’re typically better than heated grips which only heat the inside of your hands. Heated gloves work across the back of your hands and knuckles where heated grips can’t reach. Plus, while thermal gloves keep warmth in, they also keep warmth from heated grips out. 

Handlebar muffs can be a viable alternative to expensive heated gloves — to a point. But when it’s really cold, nothing beats heated gloves.

What to consider before buying heated gloves

First, consider the power source. Are they powered by rechargeable batteries or by cable to the bike battery? Some heated gloves can do both. In a nutshell, hard-wired gloves will last all day while battery-powered ones last a couple hours. If you’re commuting, battery-powered gloves are convenient and ideal. But all day touring might require hard-wired gloves.

Spare batteries can help with running time, but beware off-brand versions. Also, as any smartphone owner knows, lithium battery life degrades over time. Versions using USB-C are ideal as they’ll work with any device’s charger. Be aware that battery life varies between brands, depending on battery size. And of course, the higher the heat setting, the less running time you get. When not being used, store battery-powered gloves out of direct sunlight, at room temperature with at least a 40-50% charge. 

Hard-wired heated gloves don’t have any of these limitations, but only work when plugged in. Without a battery, they’re slightly less bulky and might fit with certain jackets better. But ultimately, do your homework and consider your specific riding needs.  

One of the main reason hands get cold is moisture, like rain or even snow. Consider gloves that are properly waterproof. A visor wipe also helps in wet conditions.

USB-C compatible batteries are an upgrade over older barrel-style plugs. 

The best heated motorcycle gloves

How we tested heated gloves

The MCN team of expert journalists have decades of experience over hundreds of thousands of miles. We don’t torture test anything. We use it just like you do in the real world and in all conditions to deliver impartial heated gear buying advice.

MCN covers countless miles each week and tries lots of options in a short space of time. We quickly discover which heated gear works great, which ones don’t and why.

We only feature heated gloves we’ve extensively tested. Comparison gear will be included if deemed important and relevant. Testing is ongoing and we will continually add gear and products to our site.

To find out more, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products.

Scoring explained

Products are given a score from 1 to 5 stars. Beyond the ratings tab, you’ll find in-depth info on product and gear performance and attributes. 

• 1 Star – Avoid at all costs.
• 2 Stars – Barely acceptable.
• 3 Stars – Average or adequate.
• 4 Stars – Above average. 
• 5 Stars – Excellent performance.

To find out more, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products.

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