The Greatest Hand Heaters of 2023-2024

If you plan to spend time outdoors this winter, only the best hand warmers should make your gear list. With better run time, heat retention, settings, and reusability, hand warmers have evolved from simple single-use pocket warmers to rechargeable electric warmth machines.

Our extremities are the first part of the body to suffer from cold-related discomfort. Cold hands are actually a symptom of the body working to protect itself. In order to protect the vital organs, blood vessels in the extremities constrict in cold environments, which keeps blood where it’s needed most. Unfortunately, this pro-survival mechanism leads to that all-too-familiar feeling of stiff and numb fingertips.

We’ve ordered up the top-selling and most promising hand warmers and compared them with some good old-fashioned hands-on testing. We’ve unpackaged these devices and assessed their efficacy with a stopwatch and a thermometer so we can confidently say which ones will do the trick, where each falls short, and what to recommend for tailgating, sitting in a hunting blind, or just staying toasty while you’re out and about this winter.

Whether you need 12 hours of reliable heat from a rechargeable warmer or the classic ease of a Hot Hands disposable heat pouch, our list of the best hand warmers of 2023 has got you covered. For more information on different kinds of hand warmers and how to choose between them, check out our buyer’s guide and our comparison chart toward the end of this article.

Editor’s Note: For our November 13th, 2023, update we reassessed the handwarmer market and found our new best overall choice, the Ignik hand warmers. We also tested the Zippo Heat Bank 9, an effective, rechargeable warmer that can also charge your phone.

The Best Handwarmers of 2023-2024

Hand Warmers Comparison Chart

How We Tested Hand Warmers

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 gloves, mittens, and hand warmers.

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 put them to the test with a stopwatch and a thermometer. We placed each warmer in the pocket of a highly insulated down jacket and then measured the ambient temperature in the pocket after a half hour. While this gave us a little numerical data, we also considered the overall user experience. The HotSnapZ 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.

Editor Matt Bento headed up the latest round of testing. With 5 varieties in hand, he brought them hiking and climbing in the High Sierra, even leaving an Ignik warmer in his chalk bag for some on-demand heat while sport climbing. He also enlisted friends to use them while watching the local football games and working on their vehicles in the cold.

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

Types of Hand Warmers

We’re no longer limited to disposable warmers, as there are now several alternatives to the old standbys, including very effective, rechargeable hand warmers. It is never a bad idea to have a few disposable hand warmers in your glove box, but if you’re someone who uses them on a regular basis during the winter, something like the Zippo Heat Bank 9 is a worthwhile investment, as it provides 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.

Electric

Electric hand warmers require charging and are usually powered by a lithium-ion battery. Downsides include inconsistent heat output, longer charging periods, susceptibility to moisture/impact damage, and loss of battery life in the cold. Some electric warmers also double as a handy battery pack you can use to charge your phone on the go.

Our experience with the Zippo Heat Bank 9 puts us fully on board with rechargeable warmers. We experienced consistent heat for the longest time from the power bank, and while it isn’t cheap, it doubles as a battery charger for your phone, ensuring it will be used year-round

A big caveat here is that you get one device, while you have two pockets, so to actually use the warmer it must be out of your pockets and held with both of your hands.

Catalytic

Hand warmers in this category 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 feel the majority of folks are going to feel like keeping lighter fluid on hand and the potential mess of filling it up is too much hassle, and they should go with the rechargeable model. But Zippo could be useful for folks at hunting camps or other scenarios without access to electricity.

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 back. 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.

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 cell phones and cameras can suffer from extreme cold, as their batteries can struggle to hold a charge. You can take a disposable hand warmer like the Ignick Hand Warmer and tape it to the back of your device or chuck a few in an insulated pouch with your camera batteries to get better performance in the wintertime.

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