Heated grips vs heated gloves: Which one is better? With pros and Cons

Riding a motorcycle in winter is not easy; it makes our hands numb because of the constant cold wind blowing at it. If you want to keep your hands warm in winter while riding a motorcycle, you have two options: heated grips and heated gloves. Both of the heated products are designed to warm your hands up. But!! There has been confusion among riders regarding choosing from heated grips and gloves. So, if you are also confused, then here is the answer. 

Heated grips work best warming the palm; underside your hands where the contact is made, but the back of the hands don’t get warm. In contrast, heated gloves are insulated all the way around, keeping your hands warmer from every side. But heated gloves are less flexible and more expensive than heated grips.

Heated grips are mounted on the motorcycle handlebars designed to keep your palm warm where the contact is made. But, if you look closely, then it’s the back of the hand that comes mostly in touch with the cold wind, and heated grips can’t warm it unless you reverse your hand to get some warmth that will not be worth it. 

While heated gloves are battery-powered gear intended and designed to provide even heat to every portion of the hand. Thus, motorcycle heated gloves are better than grips at keeping the hand warm.  

To understand which one is better to buy, we need to compare these heated grips and gloves.  If you want to know about heated grips in detail, read the below post.

Are heated motorcycle grips worth it? Should you buy one

Difference between Heated grips and heated gloves

We are going to do a detailed comparison between the heated grips and gloves. So the second you finish reading this article you must be sure what to buy and why to buy it? 

We will be comparing several aspects of heated grips and gloves like usability, heating speed, price (most important), compatibility, comfort, etc.

Usability

Heated grips and heated gloves both have their usability factor. Heated grips are convenient, as they once fitted on the motorcycle, that’s all. You don’t need to carry it with you to warm your hands. Also, heated grips are installed on the handlebar by replacing the grips and using the motorcycle battery itself as a power source. There will be no hassle of charging it or keep track of the battery charge because the heated grips are directly connected to the motorcycle battery, so as soon you turn on your motorcycle, your heated grips will start heating.

While with the heated gloves, you need to charge them from time to time, and if you forget your battery, it can’t warm your hands. It takes from 4 hours to 7 hours to get the heated gloves battery fully charged. Generally, a heated glove provides you warmth between 2 hours to 6 hours, depending upon the heating temperature you choose.

Heating Speed

The heating speed of these gears will vary from brand to brand. It takes an average of 5 minutes to get heated grips warm up to 50 °C. 

While it takes around 30 seconds to 5 minutes to warm the heated gloves thoroughly. The time it takes to warm these heated grips and gloves will vary with the brands. But, most of the heated grips and gloves get heated up to 50 °C under 5 minutes.

Thus, if we compare both the heated grips and gloves, the average time doesn’t vary too much. 

But one thing to note here is the difference in the area of heated grips vs. heated gloves. The heated grips area is small compared to the heated gloves as It provides warmth to the whole hand, not just the palm. 

Versatility

Talking about versatility between heated grips and gloves. We can clearly see that the heated grips are bound to the motorcycle and thus can’t be used anywhere else. While, if we see heated grips are also a little versatile as it works as grips and also warms our hands. But, heated grips can only be used on the motorcycle.

But heated gloves are more versatile than heated grips. Heated gloves are made to be used while riding motorcycles in winter to provide warmth to the hand. Apart from this, the heated gloves can also be used in winter for general purposes to warm hands. The heated gloves can be worn for other outdoor activities in winter, saving the hands from warmth.

Convenience / Comfort

Now coming to the most crucial Comparison between heated grips and heated gloves. As heated grips are bound to the motorcycle handlebar and connected to the motorcycle battery for a power source, you don’t need to think about its charging. Also, the heated grips buttons are accessible without any distraction. Therefore heated grips are more convenient and comfortable as there is no hassle of charging and wiring every day.

While heated gloves come with a battery and take around 6 hours to get fully charged, you need to think and plan ahead to charge your gloves battery. Apart from this, as the gloves battery is generally lithium-ion, you need to be extra careful not to leave the charge over time. Charging overtime or the whole night can significantly decrease the life of a heated gloves battery.

These before-ride thoughts make heated gloves inconvenient for those having less time. For riders who are always in a hurry, the best solution will be to use heated grips along with a hand bar protector and summer gloves.

Coverage

With heated grips, your hands get heat only to the palm area where the contact is made while the rest of the portion remains open to the cold air. The primary issue with the heated grips is, it doesn’t warm the back of the hand and finger where the fast cold air falls.

While with heated gloves, your whole hands will be covered and provided warmth evenly. Thus, it is evident that the heated gloves coverage is better than the heated grips.

Price

Generally, heated grips are cheaper than heated gloves. You can find heated grips ranging from $20 to $150, depending on the brand, quality you choose.

Heated gloves are more expensive than heated grips; their price ranges from $50 to $400.

Thus, according to the price range, if you want, you can get heated gloves for under $100. You can get it so that it will warm your whole hand, not just the palm. Here is the $50 (for women) heated glove you can buy.

Now you have all the required information about these heated grips and gloves. Now, it’s time to choose one. If you are still confused then here is a summary I have made to help you among them.

You should choose heated grips if,

• You want to save time
• You want the heat to palm only
• Don’t want the hassle of battery charging every day
• Want to save some money

You should be buying heated gloves if,

• The battery charging and taking care is not a hassle for you.
• You want to warm your whole hand while riding
• You are ready to invest some extra money.

Comparison between Heated grips and Heated gloves

Heated grips	Heated gloves
It provides warmth only to the palm area where the contact is made.	Heated gloves provide warmth to the whole hand.
It is integrated into the motorcycle handlebar.	You need to carry the heated gloves while riding a motorcycle.
Heated grips are connected to the battery for a power source.	Heated gloves come with an external battery for a power source.
Heated grips don’t need to be charged.	Heated gloves battery required 6 to 7 hrs to get fully charged.
It saves time because it doesn’t contain an external battery.	Heated gloves required extra time for the setup before the ride.
Heated grips can’t be used anywhere else as it is fixed on the bar.	Heated gloves can be worn off-riding also in winter.
Forgetting to switch off the grip after riding can drain off the battery.	Heated gloves can’t drain the motorcycle battery because it comes with another battery source.
The grips may start to wear down as it ages.	Heated gloves may need to replace the batteries after 500 recharges.

Pros and Cons of a Heated grips

Pros of Heated Grips	Cons of Heated Grips
Heated grips are on the motorcycle and ready to use always.	It warms only the palm, the back of the hand remain in the cold wind
No hassle of carrying and charging grips	Heated grips are not portable as they are fixed on the motorcycle.
You can wear any gloves on the heated grips

Note: To keep your back of the hand warm, wear winter gloves and use hand guards to keep the wind off your hands while using heated grips. 

Pros and Cons of a Heated gloves

Pros of Heated Gloves	Cons of Heated Gloves
Heated gloves are portable and can be used on any motorcycle.	Hassle of charging the batteries. You need to think ahead
It warms the whole hand, not just the palm.	Gloves are bulky and less flexibility to hand movements
It can be used on other occasions also to keep the hands warm	It is a little expensive than grips

Final Word

Both heated grips and gloves are intended to warm our hands but with different coverage. Thus with the detailed Comparison of both two, you have got your answer. But, if you are still confused about choosing g between these, you can hit me with an email.