First Gear - Original Heated Gloves

I posted the review on a thread debating Heated Grips v. Heated Gloves, but thought I would repost here under Product Reviews for easier searching in the future.


I purchased the First Gear heated Gloves and the Dual Portable Heat-Troller a few weeks ago, and here is my early review.

The Good -

:: They will keep your hands warm. I'm in Denver and have ridden in temp's as low as 24 Degrees since the purchase. The gloves have done a great job keeping my hands nice and warm. In fact, I've learned that they actually get too hot at the highest temperature setting. My commute is 25 minutes with some highway riding, and the gloves are warm within the first 30 seconds.

:: The install was simple. Just hook up to the battery and you're in business.

:: No permanent modifications to the bike necessary. I purchased the Portable controller and it just goes in the pocket while I ride, and in the saddlebags when not in use. Plug one end into the connection attached to the bike, and the other into the wire going to the gloves.

:: Upgrade Options - the "Dual" controller will allow me to add a jacket or pants at a later date if I find that necessary. This will also enable me to independently adjust the temperature for the gloves and a jacket or pants. For now the gloves are working great just by themselves, but at some point it will be nice to be able to add on the jacket. I just didn't want to invest so much all up front.

The Not so Good -

:: Bulk - the gloves are bulky...at least to a degree. I'm a new rider, so it doesn't bother me too much, but they are definitely not summer gloves. That said, I am not using them for canyon carving or technical riding, so they do just fine for lane changing and traffic maneuvering on the way to work.

:: Protection and Style - Although they are leather and will provide some protection in the event of an emergency, the gloves I purchased do not have any armor on them. First Gear does make a heated glove with Carbon knuckle protection, but it is $40 more retail. The Carbon glove also has a much better look and style to it. This might be an upgrade I look at down the road, but for now these gloves will have to do.

:: The Wires - since I have not purchased the jacket, I had to buy the wires to connect the gloves to the controller. These run easily through the jacket liner, and I have left them in on days when I know the temp's are going to be colder. There is some inconvenience to getting the wires in the jacket and hooking up the gloves. However, for me, it is well worth the extra 1-minute to get plugged in and enjoy the next 25 minutes riding two wheels to work instead of four.

Overall - for me, these gloves have done their job quite well. You just have to plan an extra minute to get set up and going in the morning. The VFR Saddlebags also make this option more feasible because it is easy to store the gloves on the bike so that I am prepared when the weather gets cold.

Here's a link to the First Gear website -

Heated Gloves