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Heated socks… what a novelty! And what a fantastic idea. Have you ever sat somewhere, in the middle of winter, and wished desperately that you were somewhere else? It’s not that you didn’t want to be where you were, or that you weren’t enjoying what you were doing, it’s just that you were so darned cold! That kind of cold often starts in the feet, and then it works its way up through the core of your body, and before you know it, you’re miserable and freezing.
Heated socks are the obvious and delightful solution to this problem. Instead of filling your already tight shoes with two, or even three, pairs of socks, just pull on a pair of battery-operated, heated socks, and control the warmth of your feet all day.
Our Top Picks
1. ORORO Heated Socks
For: Men & Women | Battery Life: Up to 10 hours | Machine Washable: Yes
Read our hands-on review: ORORO Sequoia Heated Socks
These heated socks are heaven for your feet. The heating zone is positioned on the sole, stimulating blood circulation, and warming you from the bottom up. Three heating levels will allow you to choose temperatures between 110 °F and 140 °F, at the press of a button, and the socks will take only seconds to warm up. Depending on your usage of the socks, they will last anywhere from 5 to 10 hours, keeping your feet nice and warm through most of your day.
The ORORO “Sequoia” Heated Socks are built for hard work. Whether your pastime is hunting, skiing, camping, fishing, watching ball games, or just having extremely cold feet in winter, these socks will keep you toasty warm through the coldest parts of your day.
The two 3.63 volt 3350 mAh batteries are both efficient and safe, and the heating elements in the socks are wrapped with ultra-thin silica rubber, to prevent moisture from short-circuiting them. The high-performance COOLMAX fabric blend is moisture-wicking, safely directing moisture away, and keeping your feet dry. Silk soft and anti-stretch, this fabric will keep you toasty warm, so grab a pair of these, and find a whole new enjoyment in those cold winter days.
2. Gobi Heat Tread Heated Socks
For: Men & Women | Battery Life: Up to 12 hours | Machine Washable: Yes
Well, bless these cotton socks! The Gobi Heat Tread Heated Socks come in four fun color combinations (black and gray, gray and orange, gray and blue, and gray and green), and are made from 100% cotton, unlike almost every other brand. They have breathable mesh areas in the high sweat parts of the foot, keeping your feet dry and aerated through the day.
Read our hands-on review of the Gobi Heat Grit Heated Workwear Jacket & Dune Heated Vest.
The dual slim 2,400 mAh Lithium Polymer batteries will heat up these socks in 30 seconds and provide temperatures of up to 140° Fahrenheit on 3 heat settings (low, medium, and high) which can be controlled by the remote controller provided with your purchase. What’s more, the battery life on these socks is 12 hours on the lowest setting, meaning that you can make it through your entire workday, and the commute, without your feet getting cold for a single second. The steel fiber heating technology and premium grade materials ensure a durable, long-lasting product that will be keeping your feet warm for years to come, and the warranty and US-based support make for good peace of mind.
3. VICEPLUS Heated Socks
For: Men & Women | Battery Life: Up to 9 hours | Machine Washable: Yes
Many people love to hibernate in their homes during the cold, white winters, but not all. If you’re part of the group that doesn’t, you may be in the market for a warm and cozy heated sock to get you through the freezing days. If so, the VICEPLUS Heated Socks are the perfect solution with their wrap-around invisible heating area that keeps your whole foot warm for up to 9 hours.
This long tube sock covers your calf for extra warmth and comfort, and comes in a wide range of sizes to fit both men and women. The batteries are so thin and light that you will barely know they are there, and for added convenience, there is no need to interact with the batteries directly while wearing the socks, as their temperature can be adjusted via an app on your phone.
The batteries are 5000 mAh each, and can be adjusted to any temperature you like between 95 and 158°F using the app. Manually, you can choose between 3 heating options – first gear (110 – 116°F, 9 hours), second gear (129 – 134°F, 7 hours), and third gear (146 – 152°F, 5 hours). You can even set your socks to switch off after a certain amount of time, in the app.
4. Snow Deer Heated Socks
For: Men & Women | Battery Life: Up to 7 hours | Machine Washable: Yes
These Snow Deer Thermal Ski Socks are made from a polyester elastane blend, comprised of 55% COOLMAX, 25% elastic, and 20% Spandex, making them comfortable, form-fitting, and lightweight. The breathable and moisture-wicking material will keep your feet warm, comfortable, and dry all day, and the reinforced toe, heel, and arch support will help prevent sore feet, even if you are very active while wearing your socks.
The large, far infrared heating elements are positioned in the toe area and are warmed in seconds by the two high-performance, 7.4v 2,200 mAh safety batteries. The batteries will last between 2 and 7 hours, depending on which of the three heat settings they spend the most time on. The socks come with a USB dual charger, which is capable of charging both batteries at once, taking only four hours to complete the task. Temperatures between 104 °F and 140 °F are more than sufficient to keep your feet warm and tingly throughout the coldest parts of the day.
5. Relirelia Heated Socks
For: Men & Women | Battery Life: Up to 11 hours | Machine Washable: Yes
Perfect for people with circulation issues, arthritis, RLS, or Raynaud’s, as well as for people who spend a lot of time working or playing outdoors in the winter, the Relirelia Heated Socks come with individual 5V 5000 mAh batteries that can keep your feet warm for 3 to 11 hours, depending on your chosen heat setting. You can also expect toasty warm toes in just 30 seconds once you start these warming up. They do take some time to charge, so be sure to recharge them overnight if you have a cold day planned when you wake!
These soft yet durable, breathable, and anti-static socks are built to keep your feet warm in all conditions, so whether you enjoy outdoor snow sports, traveling to cold places, mountain climbing, ice fishing, or skiing, you’ll find your feet comfortable, warm, and well-protected in these socks. You can choose between the 3 heat settings using the phone app, so you don’t have to go lifting your pants in the snow to change temperatures.
What to Know Before Buying Heated Socks
Before buying a pair of heated socks, there are a few things for the discerning consumer to bear in mind. What your socks are made of, how long their batteries will last, and how well they will fit you, are just a few of the considerations that are important when choosing your heated socks. Not only will they be keeping you warm through the coldest days of the season to come, but hopefully, they will be doing so for a good number of years, as well.
Material
The material your socks are made from will affect many aspects of your enjoyment of them. Things like warmth, comfort, durability, and weight, are all affected by the manufacturing material. If you are looking for insulation and warmth, your first choice should be wool, or a wool and Spandex combination. While the wool will keep you warm and insulated, the Spandex will make the socks fit better, and not slip down or bunch around your ankles. Cotton, or a cotton and polyester blend, will offer absorbent and quick-drying advantages, along with being lightweight and breathable.
Fit
If your socks don’t fit right, it won’t matter if they’re the fanciest, best quality socks on the market—you won’t enjoy wearing them, and you will have wasted your money. Brands that include a fair amount of elastane or Spandex in their blends will often have socks that fit the best and hold well to the leg without being too loose or too tight.
You also want to make sure that your socks are the right length for what you will be using them for the most. If you will be skiing, or doing some other activity that involves a tight boot, for example, you will want to make sure the socks are longer than the boots, to avoid chafing as you move. If the socks have heel and toe markings, making sure your foot fits well into these markings can be a good way of ensuring a comfortable fit.
Batteries
When buying your heated socks, knowing the ability of the batteries provided will ensure that you are able to make the right choice. If you are intending to use your socks for keeping you warm on brief trips outside the house into the snow during the day, the battery life won’t matter too much. But if you will be spending hours on the go, and you need your feet kept warm all that time, you will want to make sure that your socks can provide heat for that length of time. As a rule of thumb, the larger the mAh number of the battery, the longer it will last, so choose batteries with more charge capacity.
Warmth
Most heated socks come with variable heat settings—usually, three settings that can be changed either by pressing a button integrated into the battery or by remote control in some fancier brands. Knowing how hot your socks can get will influence your choice, depending, of course, on what you will be using the socks for. Also remember that the hotter you want your socks to be, the shorter their battery life will last.
So, armed with this knowledge, be sure to look carefully into each prospective pair of heated socks before taking the plunge and making your purchase.
