Heated Jacket Review: 
Here's An Idea From Weston Store
To Stay Warm(er) Out There! 

By Diane Spicer

This heated jacket review is going to give you a close look at an easy option for keeping yourself warmer on chilly hikes: a heated fleece hiking jacket.

Fleece is already known for its warmth.

But add a rechargeable battery powering a heating circuit in strategic locations throughout the jacket?

A game changer: heat when and where you need it!

A few disclosures in this heated jacket review

Hiking For Her received one of Weston Store's heated jackets so it could be tested in the field. All of the impressions and opinions in this detailed review belong to Hiking For Her.

There is no financial relationship between Weston Store and HFH.

As an Amazon affiliate, if you purchase this heated fleece jacket through my link, HFH receives a small commission at no cost to you. It's a nice way to support HFH's mission: providing this free website full of reliable hiking information.

If you'd rather buy this jacket direct from the company, use this link to Weston's home page. There you will find not only heated jackets, but lots of other heated outdoor apparel you can use on your next adventure.

What exactly is being reviewed in this
heated jacket review for women hikers?

This review focuses on a women's heated fleece jacket in size small, color black, without a hood.

At first glance, it looks like a lot of other hiking jackets designed for cold weather, don't you think?

But look again.

Focus on the word "Weston" with a large black button above it.

That's where you can take this jacket to a whole new level of warmth on your next hike.

Specifications and features in this heated jacket review

As always, Hiking For Her starts with the technical details to see what this jacket offers you as a hiker.

Fleece is well known for its ability to block wind, trap your body heat, and give you that "warm blanket" soft sensation while resisting precipitation.

• It's a vital component of my hiking layering system.

The outer fabric of this jacket is 35% cotton (more on that in a bit), 65% polyester while the inner liner is 100% polyester.

But now we push beyond the appeal and versatility of fleece to look at how this jacket creates additional warmth for you on your hike.

How this jacket is heated 

The details reveal the versatility of this jacket:

• A rechargeable 7.4 volt battery riding along in the jacket pocket provides 4 hours of heating on the medium setting, or 2–3 hours of heating on high.
• Choose from 3 heat settings with the touch of the previously mentioned button: low (110°F), medium (120°F), and high (130°F). 
• Hiking For Her did not verify these time and temperature numbers, relying instead on subjective judgment of warmth levels. (The story about Goldilocks never crossed my mind.)
• Four heat zones work together to cover those areas prone to getting chilled: two front zones, a large zone on the back, and one heat zone in the neck area (photos below).

The battery and power bank specs

• Battery Type-C 5V/2.0A, able to power the jacket (or your phone - a nice redundancy safety feature for a hiker)
• I weighed the battery on my digital kitchen scale: 6.46 ounces. For comparison, one of my favorite trail bars (Kate's Real Food pnut butter and flax) weighed 2.4 ounces.
• A battery "check" button allows you to see remaining battery power.
• Input via micro USB 5V/2.0A
• Output via USB 5V/3A

Unlike specifications, any review is subjective and dependent on environmental conditions, so my impressions may or may not apply realistically when you're selecting a suitable outdoor jacket for your cold weather plans.

With that caveat in mind, let's see where this heated jacket review takes us!

Initial impressions in this heated jacket review

When I took this jacket out of its bag, I noticed 2 things immediately:

1. It was a bit heavier than expected for a fleece garment, but that makes sense given it has an inbuilt heating system.

2. It looked and felt like a well made garment, with thoughtful features like  2 generous outer pockets and a sturdy zipper.

Okay, three things.

I noticed the large inner zipped pocket (a "battery holder pocket") with an attached DC cable to receive the battery.

So far, so good.

 Pre-hike concerns I need to share in this heated jacket review

I was a bit concerned about how my backpack would interact with the bulk of the battery in the left front hip pocket.

Specifically, would the backpack hip belt sit above, below or right on top of the battery? I've got my hip belt fit dialed in perfectly and would not welcome any adjustments.

Would I notice the weight of the battery on one side of my torso? (Don't scoff. Hikers are all about weight and volume distribution, right?)

One more pre-hike concern:

• Could I fit my rain jacket comfortably over this long sleeved hip length fleece jacket, with plenty of room for large movements like lifting my backpack?

Only one way to find out. Let's go for a hike!

Wearing this jacket while hiking: my subjective report

I'm writing this review in early fall, with extreme cold weather yet to come.

So my experience with this heated jacket on the trail is based on mildish temperatures, in the low to mid50s Fahrenheit.

I'll add to this review when real winter weather rolls around, but for now, here's how it went.

Summoning the power!

I had a lot of fun with the "magic button", unleashing those stored electrons with one fingertip.

• More fun if you are so inclined: how a battery works

A three second hold down (yes, I used the "one thousand one" approach the first time) activated the heating circuits for a brief warm up period.

As expected, heat was not immediate. It took at least 4 minutes to reach the sensation of maximum warmth, probably less time to begin to feel it in my exposed neck area.

To adjust the heating level, I pressed the button until I selected the right degree of warmth for my activity level and comfort.

• Glance down at the button's LED color to tell you the different temperature settings: red flashes while pre-heating, red for highest temperature, white for medium and blue for the lowest setting. 

I made sure to optimize for warmth by zipping up the jacket and wearing only a thin base layer.

I'm guessing that layering thick clothing under this jacket will slow down the sensing of the heating effect.

But isn't that why you want to wear a heated jacket, to eliminate the bulky layers?

Zones of warmth in this jacket

There are distinct front and back "zones" of heat that I noticed once I had turned the setting to the highest temperature and waited a few moments.

Here's where they are located inside the jacket: right where a cold hiker needs to stay warm, especially in windy conditions.

I'm a short torsoed hiker, so these zones gave me full coverage.

For a taller hiker, or someone with a long torso, results might vary.

What I enjoyed most about this jacket

Let me give a huge shout out right now for my favorite feature: the heated neck.

Wow!

So comfy for a hiker who feels the cold first in her throat area.

A nice, steady sensation of warmth on my neck was kind of like hiking inside a mobile spa treatment.

No kidding, I'd buy this jacket for this feature alone!

How to use this jacket while hiking

I wore this jacket for the first few miles of my hike, what I normally consider my warming up period. It felt weird to be warm already but hey, I endured this for you, dear reader ;)

Around mile 3 I decided a heated jacket was too much of a good thing because I was plenty warm and generating lots of continuous heat as I moved.

I put the jacket back on when I stopped for a lunch break, something any hiker knows to do to prevent hypothermia or stiffness once you stop moving. I used the "low" temperature setting.

I kept it on for another mile or so of the trail, took it off again when I felt a tad too warm, but put it back on when I reached trail's end back at the car.

On and off and on again is just the way a hiking layering system works!

It felt great to be warm while I took off my boots, even though my base layer shirt felt clammy from sweat.

My new mantra: Warm and clammy beats cold and clammy any day.

Answers to my pre-hike concerns

To be concise:

1. My hipbelt hit above the battery, so all I felt was a bit of bulk similar to a pair of thin rolled up gloves in the pocket.

2. No real sensation of being off kilter due to the battery in one pocket. It's as small as a trail bar, and remember, it's only 6 ounces or so.

3. My rain jacket zipped up comfortably over this jacket, thanks to my rule of always sizing up in a rain jacket. If you don't have a rain jacket yet, read my hiking rain gear tips.

My conclusions about wearing a heated jacket while hiking

I can see how a heated jacket will fit in well with my hiking routine in terms of caring for cold muscles or fighting off chills.

To begin and end a hike with continuously warm muscles could be a real game changer for me as an older female hiker. 

As you can see from my trail report, I made strategic decisions about when to "deploy" this secret weapon against feeling chilled, and you will too in your own unique hiking conditions.

I also realized that having this jacket in a survival scenario or after an injury would bring piece of mind, for at least 8 hours of battery life.

By now you're probably wondering about a few other things in this heated jacket review.

Let's get to them right now.

The fit of this jacket

This jacket is available in a wide size range, including XS, Small, Medium, Large, XL, 2XL to 3XL.

But those words can be deceiving, as every female on the planet knows.

So how did it fit?

The jacket hits at hip length, and the collar hits at chin level when the jacket is fully zipped.

I would call this jacket a form fitting one, even though you can't cinch it or adjust it in any way.

This tailored fit becomes important in your layering strategy as a hiker.

If you like to wear a base layer with a mid layer like a vest or long sleeved shirt, you might want to size up one size. Be aware that this jacket runs true to size, so the length of the arms might be a bit too long if you size up to accommodate more clothing.

On the other hand, if you want your rain jacket to fit over this heated jacket (as mentioned above), maybe stick to your regular size and forego a midlayer.

• In an abundance of caution, tuck a midlayer into your backpack "just in case" per the 10 Essentials "extra clothing" list.

See how layering your hiking clothing can get tricky? You need to be really confident about how each layer fits, and impacts other layers.

This jacket would not look out of place in a grocery store or waiting your turn at the doctor's office. It doesn't shout bulky "hiking fleece", in other words.

Bonus feature: When people ask you about the button (especially if it's glowing red, white or blue), you'll have an instant conversation starter. Ah yes, bonding over the magic of chemistry!

Use caution when applying this heated jacket review

Comparing my torso size with yours in this heated jacket review won't be too helpful, as our sizing differs.

Luckily, the Weston Store makes exchanges easy so if you make the wrong decision you can un-do it quickly.

For this hiking jacket review, I went with a size small jacket, banking on the fact that a heated jacket would eliminate the need for a mid layer altogether in the moderate conditions I hiked in.

I was right.

Once.

But for colder hikes, I'm going to play it safe and add a complete midlayer (a fleece long sleeve shirt, not just a vest) and report back on the heating results.

Another caution for hikers

I need to be upfront with you in this heated jacket review.

Did you catch the fact that the outer material is 35% cotton? That means it is going to wet out probably sooner rather than later.

So wear this jacket underneath your hiking rain jacket on a wet day.

Take care that the wrists and neck of your rain jacket are buttoned/zipped/velcroed closed to prevent water from getting at the heated jacket.

• In hiker speak, use it as a mid layer, not an outer layer, in wet conditions.

Don't operate the heating system if the jacket becomes wet. Disconnect the power bank and simply use it as any other item of hiking clothing in your layering strategy until you can dry out the fabric.

How to launder this jacket

Okay, not to insult your intelligence, but did you remove the battery before chucking it into the washer? (Talking to myself here. Stranger things have happened, right?)

A new habit to develop might be to remove the battery immediately after your hike and set it up to recharge. It will be ready and waiting for you, rather than going for a (literal) spin.

• A fallback position: Train yourself to notice the difference in weight with and without a battery in the jacket. As you toss it into the washing machine, does it feel "too" heavy due to the additional 6+ ounces?

To protect the fabric, you're going to put the jacket into your mesh laundry bag that you use for delicates.

Select the gentle cycle and cold water settings.

If you would rather hand wash this jacket, avoid squeezing or pulling motions to keep the internal circuits and heating elements in good shape.

• Gentle pressure, no wringing, to remove the water. 

I plan to wrap the jacket in a large towel after hand washing, to remove the majority of water.

I routinely hang my hiking jackets to line dry whether I wash them via machine or by hand (extends their life and thus my investment). It's recommended that you do the same with this heated jacket.

Important note: Be sure the USB cable connector as well as the fabric are completely dry before activating the heating circuits.

A few more cautions to keep in mind
as you read this heated jacket review

If you're like me, you tend to cram unused clothing down deep in your backpack when not needed, out of the way of important things like the lunch sack.

• Be mindful of the circuits in this jacket, and fold it up neatly to ride on top instead.

If you happen to tear the jacket fabric and can see a heating element, don't allow it to contact your skin. Make a fabric repair before wearing the jacket again.

In fact, it's a good idea to check for abrasions or tears after each hike.

Don't swap battery brands. You can buy additional batteries from Weston if needed for a backpacking trip.

As with any battery, performance will drop more quickly in low temperatures. 

Always have enough extra clothing with you to make up for the absence of this heated jacket if for some reason it won't heat up.

The price point of this jacket

Now we come to price in this heated jacket review.

Yes, you will need to consider your hiking budget when you look at this jacket.

But also consider your comfort level.

How important is it to have a warm neck and torso as you hike? And to have an extra measure of safety riding along in your backpack if weather conditions turn bad?

This jacket was US $149.95 at the time the review was written.

Compared to other hiking jackets I own, it's right in the middle price point for my budget.

• I pay more for a high quality bombproof rain jacket.
• I pay a lot less for a simple fleece jacket.

But when I think about how I clench my neck and shoulders when a chilly breeze hits me on the trail, or how I sometimes get cramps from hours of hiking in the cold, the price point makes good sense in terms of an investment in my comfort.

Comfort translates into safety: warm enough to make tough decisions if something goes wrong, warm enough to hunker down for an unplanned night in the woods.

Versatility is worth a lot

And I also realized how versatile this jacket will be, both on and off the trail.

While snowshoeing, it will pull double duty on dry days: as an outer layer without heating when I'm working hard to break trail, or as a cocoon of warmth to keep my core temperature right where I need it when I stop for lunch.

I also know that I will use this jacket at home during the inevitable power outages that hit us every winter.

Also good to know I can count on it as part of my disaster prep kit (solar charger powered if the electricity remains unavailable).

If you're lowering the thermostat this year to save money, this jacket can make hours in a chilly room more comfortable.

One more thing: If you're looking for an unusual and welcome gift for your favorite female hiker, look no further. She'd love one of these heated jackets!

Put all that versatility together, and it makes the price seem more than reasonable, wouldn't you say?

Final impressions in this heated jacket review

As a female hiker, I've had my share of miserable cold hikes and frosty lunch breaks.

You, too?

No matter how hard you try, layers of clothing may not bring you completely into the comfort zone on a windy, cold hike.

This heated fleece jacket gives you the edge you might need to reach your objective on cold days: to get to the lake instead of turning around half way there. 

And here's one more little margin of comfort:

• You can buy a jacket with a detachable hood for extra protection against the cold and damp conditions of early spring or late fall hiking.

But keep in mind that you'll need to treat this jacket with a bit of extra care in order to get the most out of it, as I outlined above. 

And you will have to remember to have a fully charged battery! Add that action item to your pre-hike checklist as soon as this jacket arrives.

So that's it, the complete heated jacket review for your consideration. Thanks for reading!.

Here's to future warm hiking in your Weston heated jacket.

Home page > Hiking For Her gear and clothing reviews >

Heated Jacket Review: Weston Fleece Jacket For Women Hikers