The Best Hand Warmers

When the temperature starts to dip but you still need to be outdoors, hand warmers are essential. These handy little warmers keep your fingers feeling mighty toasty, even when it's snowy, icy, or just super-cold outside. If you're going camping or hiking when it's cold out, you work outdoors, or you simply can't stand being cold (like, at all), hand warmers can be a godsend, providing you with much-needed warmth and a boost of energy in even the most frigid temps. Of course, not all hand warmers are created equal; the best warmers last for hours, have an ergonomic design, and provide a more uniform sense of warmth to your hands. If you're in the market for the best-quality hand warmers that money can buy, you've come to the right place. Here are a few of the best.

HeatMax Hot Hands

Keep Your Mitts Nice and Toasty

Baby, it's cold outside – but who cares when you have these HeatMax hand warmers?
Best Overall

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Having cold hands is definitely no fun (and only makes your entire body feel colder), which is why, if you’ll be in the chilly outdoors for any length of time, it’s crucial to have HeatMax Hot Hands on deck. These nifty warmers take just 15 minutes to warm up, and when they start to cool down, you can re-heat them by exposing them to air and shaking them vigorously. They offer a steady stream of heat that’s mighty impressive for such a tiny product. Plus, considering that you get 40 pairs of warmers in one package, they’re a total steal.

Pros:

  • The mesh surrounding the heat source is thin enough to allow for plenty of radiance, but completely protects the skin from burning
  • Completely odorless
  • No kneading required; to activate, you just have to remove the warmer from its packaging and quickly shake it

Cons:

  • These are single-use, so they’re not the most eco-friendly

Human Creations Rechargeable Hand Warmer

Always Ready to Go

The charging power of the Human Creations Hand Warmer is unparalleled.
Best Rechargeable

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Ready to have warm hands in mere seconds? The Human Creations Rechargeable Hand Warmer is a revelation. This battery-powered warmer reaches a full charge in just a few hours, and then you can take it with you wherever you go. In an ultra-convenient design feature, you can even charge your electronic devices using this warmer, thanks to the 5,200mAh battery and USB port. It’s intuitive and easy to use—you simply select between two different heat settings, with a single switch. Trust us when we say: After using the Human Creations Hand Warmer, there’s no going back.

Pros:

  • Really high-quality heat source
  • Not only does it heat up the skin, but it acts as a backup power source for your smartphone
  • Ergonomically designed and very portable
  • It’s equipped with a two-setting switch, so you can customize your heat
  • Comes with a one-year warranty
  • More eco-friendly than single-use hand warmers

Cons:

  • On the pricey end

Ocoopa Hand Warmer

How Hot Do You Like It?

The Ocoopa hand warmer is equipped with one seriously cutting-edge feature: You can select exactly how hot you want it to be.
Best Customization

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Portable and compact, the Ocoopa Hand Warmer boasts plenty of cool features, not least of all a three-setting temperature feature that allows you to customize your level of warmth, right down to the exact degree. Pretty cool, right? This warmer is also made from superior-quality aluminum and ABS material, so you can rest assured that you’ll have it for years to come. Not to mention, it has a USB port, so you can charge your smartphone and any other devices. And, handily, it warms up almost instantly. All you have to do is press the switch and it releases a blast of warmth.

Pros:

  • Made of high-tech, aircraft-grade aluminum and ABS material
  • Very portable
  • Fast-heating
  • Has a large battery capacity (it’s a 5,200mAh lithium rechargeable battery)
  • Equipped with a USB-C charging port
  • Comes in four vibrant colors

Cons:

  • It’s doesn’t provide the most evenly distributed warmth

Hotsnapz Hand Warmers

The Great Outdoors (Can Get Really Darn Cold)

Sleeping outside has never been more comfortable than it is with these Hotsnapz warmers.
Best for Camping

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Offering on-demand heat whenever you need it most, the Hotsnapz Hand Warmers are the classic air-activated hand warmers, and they’re perfect for camping or any other outdoor excursions. That’s because these fast-acting warmers generate near-instant heat (no electricity needed), reaching up to 130 degrees. The pocket warmers stay warm for 50 to 60 minutes, while the hand warmers stay warm for 30 to 40 minutes. They’re reusable, too, unlike most other air-activated warmers; all you have to do to recharge them is boil them in hot water for 15 minutes and let them cool.

Pros:

  • Comes with four hand warmers and four pocket warmers
  • These offer instant heat with no electricity needed (so, they’re perfect for camping and being outdoors)
  • They’re reusable (and thus more eco-friendly than most)
  • The heat source reaches up to 130 degrees
  • Heat duration is especially lengthy
  • Comes with a lifetime warranty

Cons:

  • It takes a fair amount of hand strength to warm these up

Beskar Rechargeable Hand Warmer

Talk About Long-Lasting Warmth

Warm up your fingers for as long as possible with the Beskar Hand Warmer.
Longest Heating Time

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The warming powers of the Beskar Hand Warmer are simply amazing. With a 7,800mAh battery capacity, this rechargeable hand warmer boasts a much longer heating time than most other models (anywhere from 6 to 12 hours, depending on how long you charge it for). It also offers double-sided heating, so every inch of your hands gets warmed up uniformly. In a very tech-savvy touch, the integrated temperature sensor switches off automatically when the temperature goes over 131 degrees, so you never have to worry about your hands getting too hot. And, this warmer has adjustable heat settings and a USB port, for charging all your devices. The sleek, pocket-size design is a plus, too.

Pros:

  • Superior heating performance; it has double-sided heating, and also provides a much longer heating time than most other hand warmers (up to 6 to 12 hours)
  • Heats up in three seconds
  • Adjustable heat settings
  • Switches off automatically when the temperature exceeds 131 degrees
  • Made from relatively eco-friendly materials, like polymer battery and aluminum
  • Very portable
  • You can also charge your phone with this warmer, thanks to the USB port

Cons:

  • Heat functions are disabled if you’re using this tool to charge your phone

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the different types of hand warmers?

There are several different kinds of hand warmers, most of which run on lighter fuel and charcoal. Of these, the three most common types of warmers are battery-powered, air-activated (these are usually the single-use kind), or they use a chemical solution to heat up your hands.

How long do hand warmers last?

Broadly speaking, most hand warmers can last anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours. The battery-operated kind of warmers tends to last the longest, while the disposable warmers almost never last over an hour.