The 6 Best Hand Warmers of 2025

How We Tested the Best Hand Warmers

Our Expert Testers

Editor Matt Bento was the original lead tester for this Buyer’s Guide. He took each model hiking and climbing in the High Sierra, even leaving an Ignik Warmer in his chalk bag for some on-demand heat while sport climbing, and enlisted friends to try them out at local football games and while working on vehicles in the cold.

Editor Chris Kassar is now the current lead tester, adding new options to the list and updating products as more testing is completed alongside contributing writer Meg Carney. Most of their recent testing has taken place in the Tetons, Yellowstone, and Central Washington while hiking, skiing, and watching wildlife. If you’re in the market for other winter gear to keep you warm and dry, check out our buying advice on the best ski bibs, ski pants, ski gloves, face coverings, and base layers.

Our Testing Grounds & Process

Our editors and gear testers are no strangers to long winters, and we eagerly anticipate ski season every fall. However, we’re about as adverse to numbed-out, cold fingers as anybody out there, so we’ve spent considerable time finding and testing out the best winter gloves and the best winter mittens in addition to the best hand warmers. And hand warmers go best in the cozy pockets of the best and warmest winter jackets.

Hand warmers have a simple job to do, and while they can’t replace your own body (Eat! Hydrate!) as a heat source, they can provide a little relief when you need to be out in the cold and stationary. 

To find the best hand warmers, we ordered a variety of disposable and electronic warmers, along with one catalytic model, and tested them with a stopwatch and a thermometer. We placed each warmer in the pocket of a highly insulated down jacket and measured the ambient temperature in the pocket after half an hour.

While this gave us a little numerical data, we also considered the overall user experience. The HotSnapZ Hand Warmers, for example, delivered heat on command but didn’t last for more than 2 hours. The electronic heaters don’t perform as well in super cold environments, so we can’t recommend them for long days in the backcountry.

Our Handwarmer Rating System

We score each hand warmer across Value, Heat Output, Run Time, and Ease of Use to reflect how it actually performs outside. Value weighs performance, features, and durability against the price so readers know what kind of return they’re getting. Heat Output measures both peak and sustained warmth in real-world conditions like hiking, skiing, or standing still. Run Time tracks how long that heat remains at a usable level, which can matter more than maximum temperature. Ease of Use looks at how simple it is to activate, charge, refill, or slip into a glove or pocket.

The Overall Rating is not a straight average — it’s our editorial judgment of the complete user experience.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Hand Warmers

Types of Hand Warmers

We’re no longer limited to just disposable warmers, as there are now several alternatives to the old standbys, including the very effective rechargeable electric hand warmers. It is never a bad idea to have a few disposable hand warmers in your glove box for emergencies.

But if you use them regularly during the winter, a rechargeable electric model like the Dnaleao Rechargeable Hand Warmers or the OCOOPA UT3 PRO Magnetic Rechargeable is a worthwhile investment. They both provide more heat for longer durations than the disposable types, and you’ll create less waste. 

Some folks are just looking for added comfort, but for people dealing with Raynaud’s syndrome or poor circulation, keeping your hands warm is critical in daily life during colder months. Maintaining dexterity is key for many outdoor activities, from tying on a fishing lure to general vehicle maintenance. So consider this when you’re looking at what you need and how much you’re looking to spend.

Rechargeable Electric

Rechargeable electric hand warmers are usually powered by a lithium-ion battery. These models heat up quickly, typically have multiple heating levels, can get very hot, and can last a long time in the right conditions. Some electric warmers also double as a handy battery pack you can use to charge your phone on the go.

Downsides include susceptibility to moisture or impact damage, potential reduced battery life in the cold, and longer recharging periods. Rechargeable electric hand warmers are also usually a bit more expensive than traditional disposable models.

The OCOOPA UT3 PRO Magnetic Rechargeable is our favorite rechargeable electric hand warmer, but the Dnaleao Rechargeable Hand Warmers have an excellent battery life at a cheaper price. It includes a set of two units, so you can keep one in each pocket or hold one in each hand. The units heat up very quickly and have four different heating levels, with the top level reaching up to 131 degrees F.

The two units also magnetically stick together to create one larger unit, which can come in handy in certain situations. This model has an input port to recharge but does not include an output port to charge other devices like your phone.

Other rechargeable electric models like the Zippo Heat Bank 9 and the OCOOPA Rechargeable Hand Warmer both include output ports, allowing these devices to double as a battery pack for your phone or other small electronic devices, ensuring they will be able to be used year-round.

We love utilitarian, multi-use devices like electric hand warmers since they are effective and let us cut down on our waste stream. However, there are a few advantages to disposable, chemical-powered hand warmers. They are generally smaller and softer, allowing them to be shoved into a glove or a sock.

They come in pairs, so you can have one for each pocket, and depending on how many hand warmers you go through in a year, they can be a much less expensive option.

Reusable

Low-tech reusable hand warmers are compact devices that provide instant heat through a chemical reaction in a sodium acetate gel solution. A small metal disc inside the warmer acts as the trigger; when snapped, it initiates crystallization, releasing heat up to 130 degrees F (54 degrees C). These warmers are designed for portability and can be reused by reactivating the gel through boiling.

To reset, the solidified gel must be submerged in boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes until it reverts to liquid form. However, they tend to lose some heat duration with each reactivation process. 

Among the popular options are Hot To Go and HotSnapz. Hot To Go warmers are affordable and compact but provide heat for a shorter duration, around 20 to 30 minutes. HotSnapz offers longer heat retention, a wider variety of sizes, and superior durability. We prefer HotSnapz because they seem to last longer, and since both are around the same price, they are a better value overall. 

While these are an affordable and low-waste alternative to classic disposable hand warmers, they have among the shortest heat duration of any hand warmers tested which limits their use case. We see these being useful for some individuals, but they are not our top choice. 

Catalytic

Catalytic hand warmers run on liquid fuel and require a flame to start flameless combustion. Because these warmers generate heat via combustion, they never need to be charged and work well even in very cold temps. Though catalytic warmers provide a consistent heat source for longer periods of time, they can be messy and somewhat complicated to fill. This really only applies to the Zippo 12-Hour Hand Warmer.

We think the majority of folks won’t want the hassle of needing to keep lighter fluid on hand and the potential mess of refilling the unit, so they should go with the rechargeable electric model. But the Zippo could be useful for folks at hunting camps or in other scenarios without access to electricity, where the reliability of using lighter fluid outweighs the potential downsides.

Disposable

Disposable hand warmers are the cheapest, easiest to use, and usually the most reliable. They take a while to heat up but have a pretty consistent temperature for their run time. They can only be used once, so if you need hand warmers often, either purchase them by the pack or consider another type of warmer.

Our favorite disposable hand warmers by far are the Ignik Hand Warmers. Not only did they get hotter than the other disposable warmers we tested, they also come in a resealable baggie, so if you use them for 5 hours of their 10-hour runtime, you can put them back in their package.

This cuts off the oxygen, stopping the oxidation process and effectively “turning them off” until you need to use them again. The insides are compostable, and we’re generally psyched about the brand’s commitment to making a disposable product as environmentally friendly as they can.

Heat Output

When shopping for effective hand warmers, heat output is most people’s top priority. If a hand warmer isn’t warm enough, it’s rendered useless. However, it’s important to understand the relationship between heat output and other factors, including run time, reliability, and price.

As a general rule, lithium-ion-powered warmers tend to offer the highest maximum temperatures and have several settings. For instance, the Dnaleao Rechargeable Hand Warmers have three settings ranging from 95 to 131 degrees Fahrenheit. 

While battery-powered warmers are great, they tend to be less effective in cold conditions. It’s important to note maximum temperatures are generally only achievable for most hand warmers in relatively moderate conditions.

Other types of hand warmers, including catalytic and most disposable warmers, are usually able to perform at their maximum temperature, no matter the surrounding air temperature. While these types of warmers may not boast the same maximum temperatures as battery-powered warmers, they’re less condition-dependent and perhaps more reliable.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Hand Warmers

While all the hand warmers on our list are pretty easy to operate, we’ve found a few tricks that will make them go farther. 

Disposable warmers take a few minutes to heat up as they rely on oxidation to catalyze the chemical reaction that generates heat. So, if you’re looking to get them cooking more quickly, keep them outside of your pockets initially, and give them a good shake to get the process going.

Electronic devices like cellphones and cameras can suffer from extreme cold as their batteries struggle to hold a charge. To improve performance in the winter, you can take a disposable hand warmer like the Ignik Hand Warmer and tape it to the back of your device or chuck a few in an insulated pouch with your camera batteries.

Price & Value

Hand warmers typically cost between $10 and $60. Cheaper options are most often disposable and come in a pack. The larger the pack, the more expensive it will be. Features like heating time and whether they are reusable increase the price. 

Budget

Most budget hand warmers are single-use but still deliver reliable and adequate warmth. You may not get as much longevity, and you’ll sacrifice eco-friendliness, but budget hand warmers are highly convenient and practical.

Our budget pick for this guide is the HotHands Hand Warmer, ranging in price from $10 to $15 — $10 for a pack of 10. We find these an excellent option for short trips in late fall and early spring, but in the dead of winter, we gravitate to something with a longer heat duration.

For the same price, our overall pick, the Ignik Hand Warmers are $10 for a 10-pack. While both options have a 10-hour warm time, the Ignik can be “turned off” by removing them from oxygen, extending their lifespan to be used again later. Both are disposable, budget hand-warming options if convenience is your top priority.

Mid-Tier

Spending just a little bit more money is likely to get you a product with better heat retention and more features. Mid-tier hand warmers cost anywhere from $20 to $40, and warm times are 12 or more hours.

The Dnaleao Rechargeable Hand Warmers are a rechargeable option that heats up quickly, lasts 12 hours and costs only $20. In some cases, it can run more than 12 hours, and the reusability is more reliable than an electronic battery out in the cold. It is slightly less convenient than a disposable, and refilling it can be a pain, but if you want something that packs heat all day and can be used again and again, it’s worth the investment.

The Hot To Go and HotSnapZ are other reusable options that are around $30 for a pack of eight. These only have a heat duration of around 20-30 minutes, which limits their effectiveness, but they are low-tech and versatile reusable hand warmers or heat packs. However, for the same price, you can also get a rechargeable electric hand warmer set from UNIHAND, which has an 8- to 20-hour heat duration.

Premium

The best hand warmers cost around $40-60. It may seem difficult to justify paying upward of $50 for hand warmers, but premium options provide better technology and extended heating times. They’re an excellent investment for serious cold-weather outdoor enthusiasts or those who need a boost of heat on a blustery job site.

The OCOOPA UT3 PRO is a rechargeable hand warmer priced at around $40. Compared to our other picks, this runs hotter and longer, plus you can use quick recharge capabilities. While we feel the added features outweigh the cons, rechargeable hand warmers tend to be less convenient than single-use alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions