Heated Grips vs Heated Gloves: Which Is Better for Winter Riding?

Heated gloves warm your whole hand, including the fingertips and the back of the hand; heated grips warm only the palm side, through your glove. For long or freezing rides, heated gloves win. Heated grips win on simplicity: fit them once, with no batteries to charge, and pair them with a thinner glove.

This page is part of our winter motorcycle gloves guide.

Key takeaways- Grips heat the palm side only; gloves can heat along each finger and over both sides of the hand.- Power is similar: one set of grips draws 30 W (2.5 A) for the pair; one 12V glove draws 3 A.- Thick winter gloves block grip heat, so grips work best with a thinner palm.- You can combine both, plus handguards, to warm both sides of the hand.

Heated grips vs heated gloves at a glance

How heated grips work

Heating elements inside the grips warm the palm side of your hands. The Hot Grips Ergo II manual lists 30 watts at 12 volts, or 2.5 amps, for the pair.

Check your bike first. The same manual says the alternator must supply both the headlight and the grips; if it cannot hold the voltage, the grips will not give satisfactory heat.

The back of your hand stays in the wind. That is why some riders add handguards to grips.

How heated gloves work

Heating wires run through the glove. On one 12V leather model they run the full length of each finger and over both sides of the hand.

There are two power types. 12V gloves wire to the bike and draw power for as long as the engine runs; battery gloves give roughly 2 to 8 hours per charge in one maker's 7V line. A controller lets you change heat settings; one 12V model has four. Higher settings drain batteries faster.

Gerbing advises using a temperature controller with its 12V gloves, warning that without one they may cause discomfort and burns. In a 2016 Antarctic field study, heated gloves gave the warmest fingers of any glove or mitten tested.

For models and buying checks, see best heated motorcycle gloves. If you would rather keep your own gloves, look at heated glove liners.

The glove problem with heated grips

Grip heat has to pass through the glove palm. One retailer notes that grips work best when the heat can get through, which is why some riders pair them with mid-season or light winter gloves.

Here is the conflict: the thick thermal lining that keeps your hand warm also keeps grip heat out. With grips, choose the thinnest glove that still blocks the wind.

When you need either

Speed makes cold air colder. Using the National Weather Service wind chill formula, 40°F (4°C) at 60 mph works out to about 25°F (-4°C) on exposed skin.

One retailer's rule of thumb: good winter gloves cover about an hour at 32-41°F (0-5°C); colder or longer rides need grips or heated gloves. Warm fingers are also quicker fingers: Army research found a 5°F rise in finger skin temperature brought about 50 per cent more dexterity.

Not ready for wires? Mitten-style gloves are the warmest unheated choice; see gloves vs mittens.

Which to choose

• Commuter on one bike, rides under an hour: heated grips and a thin, windproof glove.
• Tourer riding all day near or below freezing: 12V heated gloves, since they run as long as the engine does.
• Several bikes, or a bike with a small alternator: battery heated gloves; they need nothing from the bike.
• Hands that never warm up: both, plus handguards.

A thin leather glove for grip heat

If you go with grips, a thin palm lets more heat through. Leather Collection leather motorcycle gloves are unlined, hand-stitched cowhide, 0.8-0.9 mm thick, with a snug fit for feel on the grips and levers. The store sells no heated or winter motorcycle gloves, so treat these as the glove for grips on cool days, not a deep-winter glove.

Quick answers

Are heated grips on a motorcycle worth it?

Yes, for shorter rides and riders who want a fit-and-forget option. They only warm the palm side, so pair them with a thinner glove and, if you can, handguards.

How do heated gloves work?

Heating wires in the glove are powered by the bike's 12V system or by a battery in the cuff, with a controller to set the heat.

Is it worth getting heated gloves?

If you ride for more than about an hour near freezing, yes: that is where one retailer says unheated gloves stop being enough.

Can you use heated grips and heated gloves together?

Yes. One retailer recommends combining heated gloves, grips and handguards so heat reaches both sides of the hand.