Best heated motorcycle kit | Electric gear to keep warm on a bike

Keeping warm on a motorcycle while riding through winter not only means you can have more fun out on the bike – whether it’s for weekend blasts or the daily commute – you’ll also be safer as you’ll be more alert and have far better control of the bike without numb fingers and toes.

Shivering while on your motorbike can be a thing of the past if you choose the best electrically-heated riding gear and accessories, so our independent, unbiased guide will take you through the best options to make sure you spend your money wisely…

Why you can trust this buying guide

No manufacturers or distributors ever have any influence on the reviews I write or film, I won’t ever do any paid reviews, and I’ll never agree to affiliate links. All products are tested fairly and equally, and if anything changes over time, I will update the written reviews.

Your purchasing choices should always be your own – Bennetts BikeSocial is just here to help ensure they’re informed choices.

Cheap heated gear is available, but keep in mind that investing in quality kit will give you more reliability and real UK support if you need optional extras or spare parts. Also be very wary of anything that might not have been correctly certified for safety as thermal runaway of an electrical heating element close to your skin could lead to burns, not to mention be a potential danger if heating control is lost while you’re doing 70mph.

Whatever heated kit you choose, keeping drafts out is essential. Make sure your collar, cuffs, waist and trouser legs are all well sealed, and that your riding kit offers good wind protection (a waterproof membrane should do the trick).

Here are the best heated jackets, bodywarmers and vests that we’ve independently tested. We never include affiliate links, but we’d suggest you always keep an eye on the BikeSocial membership website, which has hundreds of deals, competitions and experiences here.

Best heated motorcycle vests, gilets, bodywarmers and jackets

Keeping your core warm is the best way to ensure you stay safe and comfortable on the bike. Layering up, whether with sheets of newspaper or a down jacket works wonders, but below about 5°C (especially on longer trips), a heated vest, gilet / bodywarmer or jacket is a great investment.

Our selection is based on the huge number of products we’ve reviewed, but it’s still by no means an exhaustive list. We cover many thousands of miles in our gear – in all weathers – and our reviews are truly independent. If we say something is good, it’s based on real experience, not spec-sheets or what the PRs told us. And unlike an increasing number of websites, we don’t make recommendations based on affiliate links that generate us money…

• Keis V501 heated vest
  When Steve Rose reviewed the V501 back in 2020 he was extremely impressed with the fast heating time, and its ability to keep him warm even on the medium setting. He was also impressed with the quality of the fittings and wiring, and as he’s still using it in 2026 – and I’ve had one that I’ve used for several years too – we’ve no problem giving it a strong recommendation. The only thing we are disappointed about is that a controller is not supplied with the V501, so you’ll need to budget another £38. That makes it only two pounds cheaper than the B601, but this has a lower power requirement  and less bulk thanks to the lack of a heated collar.
  Price: £140 | Claimed current draw: 1.4A | Power: Battery or bike
  Keis V501 heated vest review

• Keis B601 Ultraflex heated bodywarmer
  We haven’t finished our full review of the Keis B601 yet as we’re gathering runtime data, but offers superb warmth and comfort around the torso and neck.
  It’s worth noting that the collar does of course add bulk, so try it with your main jacket as some – like the Rukka Hybrid R – can become a bit restrictive with additional layers around the neck. A controller is included in the price of the B601.
  Price: £180 | Claimed current draw: 3.4A | Power: Battery or bike
  Keis B601 review coming soon

• Keis B501W women’s heated bodywarmer
  Cut specifically for women, when BikeSocial member Patricia Stiemke reviewed the B501W back in 2021 she loved the performance in sub-zero temperatures. She was impressed with how efficient it was, only feeling let down by the lack of an included controller. Adding another £38 to the price does make this a relatively expensive option, but the quality of Keis kit is what’s kept it at the top of our recommendations, and as this one is cut specifically for women it may well be worth the investment.
  Price: £160 | Claimed current draw: 1.1A | Power: Battery or bike
  Keis B501W women’s heated vest review

• Gerbing heated vest
  Reviewed back in 2018 by BikeSocial member Gareth Harford, the Gerbing impressed with its warmth but seemed to be a bit long. It’s decent kit, but very pricey compared with the competition, especially when you consider that the £59.99 controller is not included in the price. Though if you buy the £119.99 5AH battery kit, that does include a wireless remote control.
  Price: £199.99 | Claimed current draw: 4.5A | Power: Battery or bike
  Gerbing heated vest review

Other heated motorcycle jackets we’ve tested

Not all the kit we review makes it into our recommendations, but some might still be right for you. Here are others we’ve tested, but aren’t what we’d consider as the very best:

• Blaze Wear heated jacket review: Good, but our tested found it to get too hot.

Heated vests & jackets: Need to know before you buy

Bodywarmers and vests are most likely to be available with optional battery power, while jackets aren’t:

The more areas of the body that are heated, the higher the current draw will be. For example, Keis states that its vest pulls a maximum of 1.4A (at 12V), its bodywarmer 3.4A though the neck alone won’t add 2A, so the main body will likely be warmer too, and its jacket 5.4A (the ‘Extreme’ version uses 6.5A). Higher current will either deplete the garment’s battery more quickly or have a greater impact on the bike’s charging circuit.

Heated vests and jackets might have additional connections to allow you to plug in gloves and trousers, meaning only one wire has to go to the bike. Just keep in mind though that different brands don’t always have compatible connections.

If you want a heated jacket, check that the cables in the arms that supply power to gloves don’t sit uncomfortably in the crook of your elbow, even if you don’t intend to use them. Heated vests often have these connections under the armpit (so check that’s comfy).

Not all heated kit comes with a controller included, so check when buying as you’ll almost certainly want to be able to turn the heat down after a while.

Best heated motorcycle gloves

Cold hands aren’t just uncomfortable, they can make it far harder to feel your bike’s controls. Thick winter gloves and liners help to a point, but for longer rides in colder weather, heated gloves are a great solution. Also, unlike heated grips they don’t affect waterproofing.

An alternative to using batteries inside the gloves might be to use the supplied wiring loom to connect them to one of the kit brand’s own batteries, which you can keep in your pocket. This could give extended run-time, and make them easier to wear with your other kit.

As always, the products listed below are recommended based on our independent reviews. We never use affiliate links so it makes no odds to us whether you buy them or not…

• Five Prime GTX
  The review is nearly finished for these gloves (just the exact run-time data to be collected), but while undeniably expensive, these gloves are superb. The controls are placed on the back of the hand, so the cuff can be tucked under your jacket sleeve (as long as it’s well-designed to take it) for the best waterproofing. But the best bit is that both gloves are controlled wirelessly using the switch on the right hand, so you don’t have to let go of the throttle to adjust them.
  They come with batteries, but you can also buy an optional bike connection kit, which not only powers the gloves, it also keeps the batteries charged up.
  Price: £359.99 | Power: Batteries (included) or optional bike connector kit (£49.99) | Protection: Level 1KP
  Five Prime GTX review coming soon

• Keis G601 heated gloves
  Excellent heated gloves with great waterproofing, a thoughtfully-positioned controller and very good heat. The G601s are also certified to the highest Level 2KP protection, meaning they’ve got better abrasion resistance, seam strength and burst resistance than the majority of gloves on the market, which are rated to Level 1KP. A very solid and dependable choice than can be easily paired with a Keis vest, bodywarmer or jacket.
  Price: £210 | Power: Batteries (optional) or bike (connections included) | Protection: Level 2KP
  Keis G601 heated gloves review

• Keis G901 Extreme heated gloves
  These gloves continue Keis’ excellent track-record in heated kit, and are potentially warmer than the G601s, so could be worth a look in the very harshest of conditions. They’re warm, waterproof and dependable with all the usual Keis qualities, but our tester preferred his Level 2KP G601s for the additional protection.
  Price: £210 | Power: Batteries (optional) or bike (connections included) | Protection: Level 1KP
  Keis G901 heated gloves review

• Held Inuit heated gloves
  These are very unusual as heated gloves go in that the palms are heated as well as the fingers, rather than the tops of the hands. We’ll explain more below, but these are powerful and effective. The problem is that the Helds can’t be easily controlled when tucked under your jacket’s sleeves for the best waterproofing, and when over the sleeves they don’t cinch tight enough for a good rain-proof seal.
  Price: £229.95 | Power: Batteries only (included) | Protection: Level 1KP
  Held Inuit heated gloves review

• Keis G701S shorty heated gloves
  Shorter cuffed-gloves can have their limitations, but there’s still enough here to get a good seal (as long as your jacket isn’t too short). Our reviewer commutes daily through the year and was very impressed with these gloves, only lamenting the short visor wiper and limited touch-screen compatibility.
  Price: £190 | Power: Bike only, or remote battery (connections included) | Protection: Level 1KP
  Keis G701 shorty heated gloves review

Other heated motorcycle gloves we’ve tested

Not all the kit we review makes it into our recommendations, but some might still be right for you. Here are others we’ve tested, but aren’t what we’d consider as the very best:

• Furygan Heat X Kevlar: Superb linked control (they did this before Five), but the Furygans weren’t the best in the rain and our reviewer had some warranty issues, though these were addressed promptly.

• RST Paragon 6: Initially a recommendation from BikeSocial, we’ve now unfortunately experienced too many reports of broken cables in the batteries.

• Blaze Wear liners: Our reviewer did like these gloves, but control is limited and the fingers can be a little uncomfortable.

Heated motorcycle gloves: Need to know before you buy

Heated gloves typically have the heating element on the top of the hand, so they tend to work better with bikes that have handguards that reduce the amount of heat being pulled away by the air rushing across them.

Combined with heated grips they can make your hands super-toasty in winter, but keep in mind the potential problem with heated grips (see below).

The Held Inuit gloves have heated palms and fingers, and work incredibly well. It perhaps makes sense… warm the hand from the bottom and the heat should rise through it. With traditional heated gloves they need to be well designed to not see a large proportion of that heat lost out of the top.

The usual points apply when choosing heated motorcycle gloves – check the fingers are the right length, that the restraints keep the gloves on your hands securely, and that you don’t limit your feeling on the controls. But having said that, heated gloves need good insulation, or that heat could be shed quickly.

Only buy properly certified gloves, not the cheap rubbish often available via Facebook traders (scams) and Amazon. Properly certified gloves will meet Level 1, with an additional ‘KP’ meaning that the knuckle protection has been tested and certified. Some gloves meet the highest Level 2KP, which means they offer better abrasion resistance, seam and burst strength. If a glove can meet this level, it will get the certification, so while it’s rare to see in heated gloves, do question race gloves – for instance – that claim to be, or are perceived as highly protective yet only meet the minimum requirements. There is no excuse.

Consider where the controller is located  – can you reach it easily with the rest of your kit on and when riding?

When buying, try the gloves on with your existing jacket. The best bet for waterproofing is to get the cuffs under the sleeves, so check they’re compatible. This can be even harder with batteries, so pop them in first. If the gloves have to go over your jacket’s sleeves, how well does the open end cinch up? Water will find its way into any gaps. Be wary too of soft linings in the backs of the cuffs, which could wick water inside.

If you’re wiring the gloves into your bike, check how you’ll run the cables. Jackets with a dual-cuff design (like Rukka) might be tricky to get the wires through.

Finally, if you intend to connect your heated kit to your bike, make sure all your heated gear has compatible connectors so you only need one lead going into the motorcycle.

Best heated motorcycle trousers

Honestly, these aren’t something I tend to use much as with a warm core and a decent liner or base-layer on your legs, you shouldn’t get too cold for the average ride. However, they’re well worth considering if you’re out in really harsh conditions for a long time. Just check our advice below on ensuring your bike can power it all.

We don’t have many to choose from, but as always our reviews are totally independent and this guide will be kept updated as we test more kit…

• Keis T102 heated trousers
  Drawing a claimed 3.2A, these trousers have been replaced by the T103s (3.3A) since our review. Our reviewer loved the warmth and the build-quality, saying they’re well worth the money if you ride all year round.
  Price: £180 (for new T103 version) | Power: Bike only (connections included)
  Keis T102 heated trousers review

Other heated motorcycle trousers we’ve tested

Not all the kit we review makes it into our recommendations, but some might still be right for you. Here are others we’ve tested, but aren’t what we’d consider as the very best:

• Blaze Wear liners: Worryingly, our reviewer was burned by these trousers. Generally she liked the kit, but do take care!

Heated motorcycle trousers: Need to know before you buy

Heated trousers (or pants) sit under your existing kit so try them on together to make sure there’s space without compromising movement.

If you’re tempted by a pair, you’ll almost certainly be running them with a heated vest or jacket, so look for a compatible connector in there to plug these into and avoid unnecessary wiring to the bike.

Best heated socks and insoles

Depending how effective your bike’s fairing is – and how much heat you get off the engine – you might suffer from cold feet, especially if you have poor circulation or Reynaud’s.

We’ve very little experience of this kit, but do keep checking back as these guides are kept constantly updated…

• Keis S102 heated insoles
  A tentative recommendation for these insoles as our reviewer had some comfort and heat control issues. However, as an all-year round commuter she found them valuable.
  Price: £60 (discontinued, but available at Infinity Motorcycles) | Power: Bike only (connections included)
  Keis S102 heated insoles review

Heated socks and insoles: Need to know before you buy

Heated socks and insoles will likely be connected to your other kit if powered by the bike, but watch out for how much heat they produce at the settings you already use, and decide if you need to give them their own controller.

Battery-powered socks are also available (including the new S302s from Keis), but we haven’t tested any yet. We’d advice you to check that any connections and batteries are comfortable and not caught between your leg and boot.

Best heated motorcycle grips

Heated grips are the first experience of electrically-powered thermal pleasure for many riders, and a lot of manufacturers offer some great systems as standard or an option. The control that you can sometimes get direct from the bike can make these worth investing in if you’re buying the machine new, but there are some excellent after-market options available too.

As always, our recommendations are totally independent and based on our unbiased reviews. You won’t find any affiliate links here as all we care about is helping you make the right choices…

• Oxford Hotgrips Pro heated grips
  These excellent-quality heated grips are pretty much a benchmark in the aftermarket world thanks to a compact control button built into the left grip and a high-quality silicone construction. The Hotgrips Pro are one of the few sets of heated grips to have a thermistor control. This led to some people worrying that they didn’t feel as hot as others, but it’s because they’re designed to regulate their temperature, rather that just keep heating up regardless of the conditions. Still, Oxford has released the new Hotgips Pro 2.0 since our review, which has higher settings. Excellent quality, and Oxford is known by dealers to have great warranty support so you can buy with confidence.
  Price: £199.99 | Oxford Hotgrips Pro review

• Ultimate Addons Premium Plus heated grips
  The Ultimate Addons are great, with good power output and a neat controller built into the left grip. They don’t have the thermistor control of the Oxfords, but they are £40 cheaper. Our main criticism of them is that they don’t fit over the ridge of some throttle tubes – you either need to modify the tube or leave them sitting a little proud. A tweak to the design would make all the difference.
  Price: £159.99 | Ultimate Addons Premium Plus heated grips review

• Oxford HotGrips Premium
  These are the stalwart of heated grips – effective and solid, you’ll find them on many a courier bike. But they’re not elegant. The controller is a bulky beast that usually attaches to the base of the mirror and allows you to switch between five settings. We gave a set to BikeSocial member Kai Watts, which he fitted to his Lexmoto LXR125. The lowest setting was too cool for him, but 75% power gave him all the heat he needed.
  Price: £79.99 | Oxford Hotgrips Premium review

Others to consider that we haven’t tested yet

We can’t review everything – nobody can – but these are some other heated grips that we’d suggest having a look at until we can test them…

• Ultimate Addons Essential, £59.99 | A basic design with a separate controller.

• Oxford HotGrips Wrap, £69.99 | These simply wrap over your existing grips. They still need wiring into the bike, but can be disconnected when not in use. They will of course add bulk to the grips.

• Oxford Hotgrips Advanced Integrated, £109.99 | The controller is set on the side of the grip, so something of a middle-ground between the Oxford Pro and the Oxford Premium.

• Ultimate Addons Premium, £129.99 | The main difference to the ones we have tested is that – like the Oxford Hotgrips Advanced – the controller is positioned on the side of the grip, keeping it slightly more out of the way.

• R&G Premium, £74.99 | A simple design with a separate controller and five heat settings, R&G also offers a cheaper version with just two settings for £54.99.

Heated motorcycle grips: Need to know before you buy

A big thing to be aware of is that heated grips can lead to damp hands in the rain. Put simply, breathable waterproof membranes like the ones used in gloves work in part thanks to the warmth being inside and the cold on the outside. This allows the moist air to pass out through the microscopic holes, away from the body. Heated grips can effectively reverse the membrane by being hotter on the outside than in, potentially leading to damp palms.

If your bike has handguards it should be less of an issue, and it will depend how much water soaks into the gloves on the palm area.

One answer – and a great way to keep your hands really warm – is to also use bar muffs. These can be removed in summer, but they trap any heat inside and keep the wind well off your hands. Just make sure that they’re well designed and don’t push back the levers or interfere with the controls or steering movement at all. Decent ones aren’t expensive, so as always – buy decent kit from reputable dealers.

Care needs to be taken when fitting aftermarket heated grips, especially on bikes with ride-by-wire systems that have a potentiometer inside the assembly. You must also check the size of the bike’s throttle tube, keeping in mind that they can vary slightly.

Some heated grips have an automatic shut-down system that means you can just connect them direct to the battery and they’ll turn off by themselves when they detect the voltage drops below a certain point. We’d suggest caution with these, especially with older batteries in cold weather.

The Ultimate Addons grips that we reviewed shut themselves off at 11.5V, which is rather low for lead-acid, though potentially removing the current draw from the grips would see the measured voltage climb again. This is however very low for a lithium battery, so if your bike has one, wire the grips to a switched live or accessory circuit.

Heated grips often don’t have a relay-based trigger wire, so the current (around 3A typically) will go through whatever circuit you pick up on. Make sure the wire you choose is capable of handling that and whatever it’s designed for. The best bet is to use a power control unit such as the Hex ezCAN, Denali PowerHub or Oxford Junction Box, which can control multiple electrical accessories safely.

Finally, if you have a BMW motorcycle with factory-fitted heated grips, it’s worth noting that the Hex GS911 can be used to modify the settings. My R1250GS had two heat levels as standard, but using the GS911 – which works with most BMWs – I was able to add a third (and could have had more), setting the power values as I wanted.

Best heated motorcycle seats

Heated seats can offer a great comfort upgrade for all-weather riders, but they’re arguably not as important as a heated vest that can keep your core warm. Having said that, rides with my wife are far more enjoyable when she’s got a heated pillion seat as she gets very angry when she’s cold.

Ultimately, it’s fair to say that once you try a heated seat, you’re unlikely to want to go back.

All our reviews are totally unbiased, and manufacturers / distributors aren’t given any editorial control. Bennetts BikeSocial is in a unique position of being able to help you get more from motorcycling with totally independent advice…

• Wunderlich Active Comfort heated seats
  Made specifically for BMW motorcycles, these Wunderlich seats are handmade in Bavaria to an incredibly high standard and give fantastic warmth with two levels of control via an easy-to-reach integrated switch. Often available in ‘standard’ or ‘low’ sizes, on my GS I found the ‘standard’ was a touch too high for me. The Wunderlichs are very carefully sculpted to give an excellent riding position, but can feel firmer than the OE seats. Most users much prefer the more ergonomically considered design, but Nippy Normans offers a two-week trial period – in the unlikely event that you don’t love it, just send it back for a full refund.
  Price: £499.90 | Wunderlich Active Comfort heated seats review

• Oxford Hot Seat
  This universal heated seat cover simply straps in place over your bike’s existing seat, with non-slip panels keeping it safely and securely in place. Pulling less than 1A, it’ll have little impact on your bike’s electrical system, but even so, full power proved too hot for me. It’s not perfect – controlling it’s fiddly, the straps aren’t perfect and the first one I reviewed suffered from water ingress, but Oxford’s excellent warranty saw it quickly replaced.
  Price: £79.99 | Oxford Hot Seat review

Others to consider that we haven’t tested yet

We can’t review everything – nobody can – but these are some other heated seats that we’d suggest having a look at until we can test them…

• Keis heated motorcycle cushion, £100 | Using the same micro carbon heating element as is in its excellent clothing , the Keis seat straps over your existing seat and includes an inflatable cushion that can be set to suit your riding position. It has three heat levels and we have a full review coming very soon so do keep checking this article, which is kept constantly updated.

• BMW heated seats, around £500 each | Prices are similar to the Wunderlich, but you're not getting the vastly improved ergonomics and comfort. Also, if your bike doesn't have the wiring loom for the BMW seats you won't be able to use them. And if you don’t have a BMW, this won’t help you much!

• Tucano Urbano CoolWarm, £64.98 | Using a powerbank (not supplied), this heated seat cover can also be powered via USB. It looks like it’ll be even harder to see what setting it’s at when riding than the Oxford Hot Seat as the button is positioned on the back.

• Sargent heated seat, £840 front, £670 rear | Sargent offers a low or standard version of the front seat, and also gives the choice of OEM control if available on the bike, or its own controller that’s mounted on the bars. Though at 23W maximum they are lower power than the Wunderlichs.

Heated motorcycle seats: Need to know before you buy

If you’re buying a universal heated seat that attaches to your existing bike seat, make sure that it grips well and can’t slip around. It’s also worth checking that it can’t be easily stolen when parked up.

Like heated grips, there’s a possibility of the breathable waterproof membrane inside your trousers getting reversed and moisture creeping through. There’s no real solution to this, so just be aware if you’re riding in the rain.

Wired vs battery-powered motorcycle clothing

Heated gloves and vests are often available with the option to run them from their own batteries. You’re less likely to find heated jackets with this ability as they require too much power, but whether you go for a feed from the bike or a dedicated battery, there are a few things you need to know…

Self-contained battery power

Power via the motorcycle’s electrical circuit

Theoretically, batteries fitted inside riding kit could contribute to injury in the event of an accident by potentially focussing an impact on a specific area, like the wrist. There’s no clear medical evidence as the data isn’t collected so it’s a risk that you need to consider for yourself.

Using the bike’s power can – in some cases – allow your kit to run at higher temperatures. The self-contained batteries are typically either two Li-Ion cells or three, meaning they supply 7.4V or 11.1V, whereas a healthy alternator circuit on a motorcycle will deliver around 13.6V when the engine’s running. This can potentially have a big impact on the power output of your electrically-heated kit:

Some products might have built-in temperature regulation, but higher voltages will still likely lead to faster heat-up times. Most bikes should be able to handle the power required, but do check, especially if you have a small-capacity motorbike or lots of other accessories…

How to check your motorcycle has enough power for heated kit

Most modern motorbikes should have a charging circuit that’s capable of powering your heated kit while also keeping its own battery properly charged. In some cases manufacturers share the alternator’s output and the power draw of the bike, making it easier to check if you have enough available for your accessories, but there is another way to check…

If your bike has a voltmeter on the dash, it will likely show somewhere between around 13.6V and 14.1V when the engine’s running. If connecting accessories sees the voltage drop below about 13.6V it could be overloading the system, which can lead to the main battery not being charged correctly and potentially problems or error codes with some more sensitive CANbus-equipped bikes.

If your bike doesn’t have this display, you can measure the voltage across the battery terminals using a basic multimeter. As long as there’s not a significant drop when your heated kit is turned on while the engine’s running, you shouldn’t have any problems.

Most decent touring and adventure motorcycles should have an alternator and charging circuit capable of powering a reasonable number of accessories and heated kit.

If you’d like to chat about this article or anything else biking related, join us and thousands of other riders at our friendly and helpful BikeClub forum.