For a while I’ve been wondering if there was a heated vest that was somewhere inbetween a no-brand £30 Chinese job from Amazon and the likes of a £200 Keis or AlpineStars that would help make winter rides more fun.
I found
this from the Finnish company Yoko, which makes clothing for motocross, skiing, snowmobiling etc.
The vest has two panels in the front over the chest, and one larger panel across the shoulders and upper back in the rear. It’s powered by any 5V USB power supply (such as a power bank that puts out at least 10W), and has 4 heat settings, from 53C down to 38C in 5-degree increments.
The vest's material is slightly stretchy so it fits snugly and the quality of construction and stitching is good. The wiring to the USB connector in the power bank pocket is flexible and braided for strength, and the connector is reversible. It doesn’t feel at all bulky when worn.
In use, it’s really good: it heats up within 30 seconds, and under my normal winter biking gear it kept me absolutely toasty warm all the way through a 3-hour ride when the ambient temps were 6 to 7 celsius. I felt the hottest setting was too warm, so went with the second-hottest (48C). Under a couple of layers and my textile biking jacket with thermal liner, the warmth spreads all around the torso and is maintained even at 70+mph. This means my fingers and feet didn’t get frozen because the core is kept super-warm.
I still had about 30% power left in my 10,000mA power bank after more than 3 hours of continuous use, which is fine for my kind of riding. At £60 delivered for the vest, and £15 to £20 for a decent power bank, I think it’s a very decent price. I'll update after the winter on how it's stood up to regular use.