During the winter season, the Snowmobile Passion team had the chance to test Ewool heating products. Available on the market for a few years now, the brand’s heated equipment caught our eye and we wanted to try it out and give you our comments. So, we were able to test the PRO+ heated jacket and the heated glove liners in several situations. Here are the key features and our review.
Characteristics of the heated jacket
First of all, the operation of the ewool heated clothes is very simple. You just have to activate it by holding the button for 3 seconds. When activated, the jacket will start to provide you with an enveloping warmth in less than 3 seconds thanks to the numerous threads incorporated in its textile. Moreover, the jacket offers a complete protection thanks to the heating elements integrated in the back, the front and at the level of the collar too. It therefore covers you completely, unlike the heating pads slipped in places. Plus, the high-density Ewool® PRO technology, combined with up to 51 watts of power, creates more heat per square inch than any other technology on the market.
When you activate it, you will feel a vibration on your finger and the indicator light will glow red. You are at maximum power at this moment. Then, when you press again, you can decrease the intensity to 2 other levels: normal and low.
With the battery included in the package, you will be able to have continuous heat for 1.75 hours at maximum intensity and up to 7 hours at minimum. You can also add a second battery to double these times. The table above shows the times that can be obtained with one or two batteries.
Features of the heated glove liner
The operation of the heated glove liner is identical to that of the jacket. Thus, we activate it by holding the button for 3 seconds and instantly, we feel a heat on our fingers. The difference is mainly at the level of the heated zone in the case of gloves as shown in this picture.
The fingers are all individually heated with powerful heating elements that run around the periphery of each finger to keep them warm. The lining offers a snug, stretchy design that allows you to perform various manual tasks with dexterity.
As for the batteries, they are easily recharged without removing them from the liners thanks to the included charging pad. Again, there are different intensities; maximum, normal and low. With a full charge, you can get heat between 2h and 7h depending on the selected intensity.
With their design, the fingertips are made so that you can use your phone or any other device with a touch screen. This way, your fingers will stay really warm even if you take off your gloves to access your cell phone.
Last but not least… Both the glove liners and the jacket are water resistant and therefore hand washable to preserve them for years to come. You can rest assured that your ewool products will be clean because they have a water resistant design with durable and easy to maintain materials. In addition, you can count on an IP67 waterproof certification for the electronic components, which also allows them to be fully immersed up to one meter deep and for nearly 30 minutes.
Impressions
When I received the ewool products, I absolutely wanted to test them in different situations to validate their performance, but also the versatility of such a product.
The very first place I got to test them was at the SnowShoot for 2023 snowmobile models held in West Yellowstone, Montana. This year we had very cold temperatures dropping below -35 degrees Celsius. With such frigid temperatures, an extra boost of warmth was definitely welcome. So, the jacket allowed me to keep a good level of comfort especially since I had opted for a non-insulated one-piece outfit to go there. I was lucky that the ewool PRO+ jacket was part of my equipment to increase the heat under my clothes. The warmth was very enveloping and sustained. However, I should have gotten a second battery, as the time under 2 hours at maximum intensity was quickly used up.
For the glove liners, I felt a nice warmth on each finger and the heated grips on the snowmobiles compensated well for the inside of the hand. That’s kind of the point of this set to keep some heat on top and the rest to be provided by warmer gloves or an external source like the heating elements that come on snowmobiles. Also, it was nice to have something on the skin when we took the gloves off to prepare our videos or to grab items in our bags. Touch screen compatibility also passed the test, as we don’t want to take our hands out when the bar drops below minus 35 degrees Celsius.
The second place where I tested the ewool products was on the Monts-Valin. This season I opted for a job as an off-trail snowmobile guide with the Destination Monts-Valin team. Even with the best clothing for this sport, it is always very refreshing to come back after a day in the mountains. So, on the way back after a long day of off-piste skiing, the glove liners and especially the jacket were great companions to keep me warm. It is the ”little extra” that is often missing when we are tired and our body does not provide enough heat to keep a certain comfort.
Speaking of comfort, the fit of the jacket is optimal with elastic zones on the sides to follow the movements. In addition, I think it’s a good idea for the manufacturer to have opted for two different cuts. One for men that adapts well to the average physiognomy and one more adjusted to the female forms is also available. Moreover, if you decide to buy one, you will be asked for it on the website.
A very interesting aspect of the ewool heated jacket is that its power system can come from 2 sources. Either to connect it at all times to the batteries, but also to a 12V DC plug that can be connected to the battery of your snowmobile. This way, you preserve all the power if you have to get off your snowmobile and you continue to be warm without interruption.
The last aspect I wanted to evaluate was to test the ewool products in outdoor activities. So, I tried the products on a day of hiking in the mountains and also for snowshoeing. The interesting thing is that I was able to control the intensity through the clothes I was wearing without having to stop. When you move, the need for heat is less and less present and you will decrease the intensity. And when you stop to eat or relax, you can instantly increase the heat output of the ewool equipment. Again, it was very nice to have them. The only point to improve would be the heat of the hands. Since we don’t have heated handlebars between our hands during outdoor excursions, the inside of our hands feel the cold more. We must therefore choose these gloves wisely according to the type of activities we plan to do.
All in all, we appreciated the constant and enveloping warmth of the jacket in all circumstances. A second battery is a “must” for long days and the glove liners provide good warmth on the top of the hands. When snowmobiling, it’s perfect and in outdoor activities, you need something warmer to counterbalance.
Strong Points:
- Enveloping warmth that provides extra comfort when needed.
- Easy to operate with buttons that allow you to choose the intensity efficiently and even through your clothes.
- Possibility to use it on the snowmobile with a wire connected and in autonomous version with the batteries.
Areas for Improvement:
- Gloves are only warm on the top of the fingers. Make sure you have warmer gloves when you want to use them in circumstances other than snowmobiling
- Cost of purchase is quite high, but quality has a price!
Conclusion
Following our test of the ewool products, we were greatly surprised to feel the additional comfort brought by the heated clothing. Moreover, the freedom of movement due to the batteries is one of the advantages that we rarely see in similar products. We really have the impression that the people who developed these products are outdoor enthusiasts, but also people who practice motorized sports since every aspect has been taken into account.
If you would like more information and to order ewool products, we invite you to visit their website.
