no downside that I know of with heated gear....

 

wouldn't recommend battery operated stuff. you will never be sure if the battery is charged up enough. Gerbing makes good gloves. had them for two winters and no problems except al those darn wires. Good investment

http://mysite.verizon.net/hotshields/

[IMG]local://upfiles/23460/A959F449CD5348309F2ACAB2B428FCFB.jpg[/IMG]

 

I just bought my wife a heated vest for Christmas. It is battery operated, and it works very well. On high, it lasts about 6 hours. On low, about 10 hours. She really likes it.

The up side is, it's not plugged in. That can really extend the use: off the bike activites, football games, outdoor events/work, etc.

The down side is, it's not plugged in. You need a way to recharge the batteries for extended use.

Hey, lifes' full of trade off's. Pick your poison.

 

gerbing- i ride al year round and the heated gear is the best bucks i put out as well. pants,jacket plug in and go.....

 

Today would have been the ultimate test for my heated gear. It was 2* when I left the house. Don't think the gear could handle those temps.....and I didn't want to find out.

 

The pros for heated gear are you stay warm.You can feel your hands which makes squeezing the clutch and brake levers alot easier. There are no cons.

I've had a Widder vest and gloves but now I use Gerbings. I prefer the Gerbings. The Gerbings gloves are leather and they are less bulky than the Widder and the Gerbings jacket liner puts out more heat then the Widder vest. Having warm arms is also an advantage of the jacket liner and the Gerbing gloves plug right into the jacket liner sleeves. I also recomend an electronic thermostat. The gerbings puts out enough heat to burn you if it is not regulated.

 

I've used heated grips and an aerostich heated vest. Electric clothing is great just make sure your bike can handle the load.
http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/...t-p-17188.html

-Hugh