For this article I am reviewing the Iurek heated vest. Full disclosure: they sent me this vest for review, but only after I requested it. I was curious about its performance. In fact, I was skeptical. The point of a heated vest is to stay warm in the cold, yet batteries are known for poor performance in the cold.
These vests have high reviews on Amazon, so I was optimistic. My wife had a positive experience with a competing brand, the iHood (read the review), so I wanted to try one for myself.
Could a battery-powered vest keep the body more comfortable in cold temperatures? I was going to find out.
Unboxing the Iurek Heated Vest
Iurek sent me a men’s large. It shipped from China, which isn’t uncommon for many review products we get, frankly. It comes in its own zip storage bag. The storage bag itself is of “okay” quality, but I don’t really intend to use it but twice a year: once to put it away for seasonal storage and another when bringing it out of storage.
The vest comes with various charging adapters so that it can be charged in all corners of the world to each country’s specific type of domestic power supply. I’m sure this was done more for purposes of making it a worldwide product, but it is an added benefit to the user who travels often.
The Vest Itself
The vest itself seems of fair construction. Much of what you are paying for is in the heating elements, so I wasn’t expecting a vest made of high-end fabric and insulation. The vest, in this case, is designed to hold the heating elements, but its outward appearance and comfort are both more than acceptable.
The vest is padded with insulation. The YKK zippers seem strong, and it has three pockets: two on each side and one inside that acts as the battery compartment. Speaking of…
The Battery
The battery is about the size of a small cellphone and weighs about the same. A blue number indicates the battery’s charge level.
The Good
The Iurek vest’s heating element is activated via a convenient button on the front of the vest above the Iurek label. It has three different settings depending on how warm you want to be.
On high, the heat is very noticeable. Hands are warmer in the pockets, your chest is warmer, your back, and so is the collar around your neck.
Power button lit up.
On high it’s nice and toasty. For optimal performance, the vest is best underneath a shell or outer jacket. This helps trap the heat better and seal up the warmth around your torso.
The Bad
The battery doesn’t last as long as I’d hoped it would. That’s my only complaint, but I suspect there is only so much you can do about that. Batteries and heat generation are not exactly things known for going together well. Thus, if your intent is to have a vest that will keep you warm as you work outside all day, a heated vest is not going to cut it.
But, there is ample battery power with just the one included if you want a heated vest for time-limited uses.
For example, I have been using the vest when I take the dog for an evening walk as the weather has turned. It is perfect for that. I can wear the vest under a hooded sweatshirt and avoid a big bulky jacket. Other uses, as my wife has found, include things like watching hockey games.
The Verdict and Other Options
The Iurek heated vest is perfect for short-term, “mission” specific “operations.” That’s tactical talk for time-limited outings in the cold. It will make walking the dog in the winter, going to a hockey game, ice skating, etc. much more comfortable without having to bulk up on serious cold weather gear.
There are competing brands to the Iurek that may be worth considering:
- ULTIMATE COMFORT AND BREATHABILITY: Crafted with an ultra-soft fleece lining and stand-up collar, this vest delivers warmth while maximizing breathability and unrestricted movement.
- HEAT ACROSS WHOLE BODY: Three carbon fiber heating elements generate heat across core body areas (left & right chest, mid-back). Switch between three heat settings (High, medium, low) with a simple press of a button.
- QUICK AND LONG-LASTING WARMTH: Heats up in seconds and stays powered for up to 10 hours on a full charge. The 7.38V UL certified battery also has a USB-A port for charging your smartphone or other mobile devices.
- EASY CARE: Machine washable; The carbon fiber heating elements and vest construction are designed to endure 50+ machine wash cycles.
- COMPLETE PROTECTION: A multi-step battery safety system ensures protection from short circuits.
It is certainly not something you would want to rely on in a grid-down frigid temps situation, but really, it’s not designed for that.
Have you tried a heated vest?
2 comments
One big downside is they don’t honor their warranty. I’ve been trying to contact them through their website for two weeks now about a broken battery and it’s simply crickets, not a response to any of my five emails.
Funny thing, I got ghosted on the warranty too! Total garbage company, though. I bought a jacket and, less than a year later, the battery died. I’ve now emailed them ten times over two months and have only received one response, about two weeks in. I’ve since been ignored. I wouldn’t buy from these guys, they’ll ghost you on your warranty.