Review: Best Hand and Ski Boot Warmers for 2023
One of the best parts about winter is making time for skiing or snowboarding. However, a full day on the slopes often means cold hands and feet, which is the most common reason people end a ski day early. It’s just not fun to continue skiing or boarding when you’re in that much pain and discomfort.
Skiers and boarders will often turn to single-use hot packets for instant warmth, but many find them less than optimal. Some people find they don’t last long enough, while others find the heat fluctuates too much, causing them to sweat. If you're a frequent skier or boarder, it can also get expensive to continuously buy these single-use warmers - it would be so much better to find a reusable, more sustainable solution that also eliminates litter from the beloved, snowy hills.
Alternatively, if you're an infrequent skier or boarder, it may be hard to justify spending a wad of cash on something you won’t use regularly (like those electric ski boot warmers!). It would be ideal to find something effective and versatile, so you can get the most use even when you’re not on the slopes.
If you resonate with any of this, we may have just the right hand and ski boot warmers for you.
But before we get into it, here’s an overview of what this article will cover:
- Beaver Fur Warmers for Skiing and Snowboarding
- Aurora Heat’s Best Warmers for Skiing and Snowboarding
- Reusable Hand Warmers
- Reusable Thumb Warmers
- Reusable Foot Warmers
- Ultra Hand and Ultra Foot Warmers
- Kids’ Hand and Foot Warmers
- Bonus Warmers for Skiers and Snowboarders
- Takeaways
Beaver Fur Warmers: The Solution for Skiers and Boarders
Beaver fur? Really? Yes, really.
Beaver fur has been an effective strategy for keeping warm for centuries. In fact, this is how Indigenous Peoples often keep warm in -40 degree temperatures in Northern Canada. Natural fur is a valuable tradition that has stood the test of time.
How does it work?
Beaver fur’s thick undercoat acts as a natural insulator, and is what keeps beavers warm as they go in and out of freezing water. Therefore, it only makes sense that sheared beaver fur can help your fingers and toes stay warm during a full day of skiing and snowboarding.
In the tanning process, the coarse outer hairs are removed and the soft underfur reveals 10,000 filaments per square inch. Sheared beaver fur doesn’t create or add heat, but rather helps to retain the heat that your body is naturally generating. The result: comfortable and everlasting warmth as you brace the winter cold.
Key Features
In addition to providing comfortable warmth, sheared beaver fur has a number of attractive features:
- Everlasting warmth. Sheared beaver fur is very durable and long-lasting, effectively providing warmth year after year. In fact, Aurora Heat’s first customers in 2015 are still keeping warm with their warmers. You’ll never have to worry about them “running out of battery” or “losing their effectiveness”, as their insulating properties are maintained over time. This creates an outstanding return on investment.
- Non-toxic, hypoallergenic, ultra-soft. Sheared beaver fur is incredibly comfortable for all skin types and therefore ensures a cozy experience.
- Reusable. Again, sheared bear fur is very durable. In all their years of experience, Aurora Heat has never seen fur warmers “fall apart” or lose their quality, making them reusable year after year.
- Practical and versatile. You can still grip your ski poles while wearing them in your gloves, and they’ll fit comfortably in your ski boots, too. Furthermore, sheared beaver fur can be modeled in many ways, guaranteeing usage beyond that of just skiing and snowboarding. Again, the return on investment is incomparable.
- Sustainable. Aurora Heat’s products are made with fur harvested from the wild, meaning that beavers are neither domesticated nor farmed. Indigenous trappers are attuned with nature, ensuring that their harvest supports the balance of the ecosystem and the abundance of beavers in the longer-term. Additionally, Indigenous practices are not wasteful, but rather filled with deep respect for animals. The entire beaver is put to use, ensuring nothing goes to waste. Anything that isn’t used is returned to the land to serve as nourishment for other wild animals.
- Biodegradable. If your warmers need to be discarded for any reason, sheared beaver fur can decompose without any harm to the environment.
Given all these features, it is no surprise then that beaver fur is exceptional at keeping your hands and feet warm when skiing or snowboarding.
Aurora Heat’s Best Warmers for Skiing and Snowboarding
Aurora Heat has a number of fur-based products to keep you warm during a full day of skiing or snowboarding, but below we detail our top picks for those pesky hands and feet.
1. Reusable Hand Warmers
Aurora Heat’s Reusable Hand Warmers are remarkable at keeping your hands warm while skiing or snowboarding. Simply insert them into your ski gloves or mittens, with the fur-side facing your skin. The grippy texture of the leather will ensure they stay in place once in your gloves. And since the fur has been sheared to an optimal height, they do not feel bulky while wearing them. In fact, you can still grip your ski poles without any restrictions.
Offered in two sizes and two colors, Aurora Heat’s hand warmers are a favorite among many skiers and snowboarders. See what they have to say for yourself:
As mentioned in the Key Features section, Aurora Heat’s reusable hand warmers are very practical and can be used in many settings. So if you’re an infrequent skier or snowboarder and don’t want to spend money on something you won’t use often, rest assured that these hand warmers will be put to good use, even when not on the slopes. They can be worn with any good-quality pair of mittens or gloves, to help you brave cold local temperatures as well. Additionally, many people stick them in their pockets when either indoors or outdoors, and reach for them to get that extra warmth and comfort when they feel their hands getting cold.
While wearing these warmers skiing and snowboarding is one of the most common use cases, there are still many others that we are sure you’ll capitalize on as well.
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2. Reusable Thumb Warmers
No matter what, do you ever have that one finger that just can’t seem to escape getting cold? Enter Aurora Heat’s Reusable Thumb Warmers. This is their smallest product, but make no mistake of its mightiness.
Simply fold the warmer over top your finger (with the fur-side facing your skin) before guiding your hand into your glove or mitten. When used for the thumb, it can be worn with either gloves or mittens, but when used for any other finger, it will have to be worn with gloves to keep them in place. Nonetheless, once inside, the grippy texture of the leather helps them stay stationary.
These are especially useful when skiing and snowboarding for hours on end. When you’re in cold temperatures, it’s inevitable to have at least one freezing cold finger. These thumb warmers are incredibly effective in cases such as these. See what one ski instructors had to say about them:
3. Reusable Foot Warmers
While cold hands are a common concern for skiers and snowboarders, the most common complaint has to be those cold toes - few things can end your ski day faster than painfully cold feet. Fortunately, Aurora Heat’s Reusable Foot Warmers will do just the trick at keeping you warm via their passive warming system.
Simply adjust the shape of the warmers so that they cover the vulnerable parts of your feet. For most people, this means having them directly on top of the foot, covering the tops of the toes as well. Then, slip them into your socks in the exact spot you’d like them to be; the grippy texture of the leather will help to keep them in place.
While their foot warmers come in three thicknesses, we recommend the “thin” or “regular” thicknesses for skiers and snowboarders, as we know those ski boots tend to fit tight. These warmers are sheared to an optimal height, so they will fit comfortably while in your boots, even for the more aggressively tight pairs.
And like the hand warmers, the foot warmers have many use cases besides skiing and snowboarding. Since they fit well in socks, they can be worn with indoor or outdoor footwear, including slippers, boots, shoes, or sneakers. So if you are not a frequent skier or boarder, rest assured you will get great use of them no matter what.
There are many, many expensive foot warmers on the market for skiers and snowboarders (such as those electric foot insoles), but the beauty of Aurora Heat’s foot warmers is that they are affordable and versatile: you’ll find several ways to use them. And if you’re in doubt, just see what ski customers say for themselves:
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4. Ultra Hand and Ultra Foot Warmers
Since the mountains are much colder than local temperatures, customers often opt for Aurora Heat’s Ultra Hand Warmers and Ultra Foot Warmers. They are just like the reusable hand and foot warmers, but longer in size. As such, they cover more surface area on your hands and feet, ensuring ultimate and supreme warmth for your extremities.
They can be worn just like their hand and foot counterparts, although because of the extra fur, they are often wrapped up and around the fingers and toes, in addition to covering the backs of the hands and the tops of the feet.
While the reusable hand and foot warmers are a classic choice, the Ultra Warmers are worth the extra investment if you’re a frequent skier or boarder, or if you have circulation issues. They’re so great that they’ll make you want to add even more Aurora Heat to your collection!
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5. Kids’ Hand and Foot Warmers
We can’t forget about the kiddos! If you ski or snowboard with your children, then you’re familiar with the frequent “Mom, I’m cold!” complaints. Aurora Heat has your kids covered with their Sekui Hand & Foot Warmers. Similar to the reusable hand and foot warmers, just slip them into your children’s gloves or ski boots with the fur-side facing their skin, and the grippy texture of the leather will keep them in place. There’s also room on the leather side to write in their name, to help keep track of them! Rest assured, the Sekui warmers will provide supreme comfort and warmth for a full day of skiing.
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Bonus Warmers For Skiers and Snowboarders
Above we outlined our top picks for keeping your hands and feet warm on the slopes. In this section, we detail a few bonus warmers that are sure to keep you warm as well.
Wrist Warmers
If you have circulation issues, consider Aurora Heat’s Wrist Warmers. They’re a great addition to the hand warmers, providing extra warmth to your extremities. Just slip them onto your wrists, and they’ll do the trick! Available in 4 sizes, the elastic enclosure makes them easy to slip on and off, and since they are not bulky, they can easily be worn with long sleeves and ski gloves.
If you ever take off your gloves or mittens to access your phone, or attend to your kids, you know all too well the discomfort of the cold against your bare hands. This is when the wrist warmers come in handy. By simply having them on your wrist, they’ll provide subtle warmth to your extremities, preventing them from getting super cold and allowing them to warm up faster once your gloves are back on. Alternatively, if you’re someone whose hands don’t get too cold while skiing: the wrist warmers are great at providing subtle warmth throughout the day, and help maintain comfortable temperatures in the event you need to take off your gloves, as mentioned.
Customers love the wrist warmers for indoor purposes as well. They are commonly used by those with poor circulation and painful joints, ensuring helpful comfort as they attend to daily activities. So if you opt for the wrist warmers, we’re confident you’ll get ample use of them away from the slopes as well.
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Head & Body Warmer
Aurora Heat’s Head & Body Warmer is an excellent insulator for keeping your head warm. The warmer is very compact, so it can easily be tucked into hats, toques, and helmets while you ski. Moreover, its large surface area allows it to be worn wherever you need it on your body! So if your elbows or knees are cold, you can always tuck the Head & Body Warmer there for additional warmth and comfort. They are also great at providing gentle heat for those sore muscles apres ski. All in all, a very useful warmer to have on the slopes!
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Ultra Body Warmer
The Ultra Body Warmer is like the Head & Body Warmer, but even bigger! With 78 square inches of supremely soft fur, this warmer can be placed anywhere on the body and will do the trick, so long as the fur side is facing your skin. Just like the other warmers, the grippy texture of the leather will help to keep it in place. The Ultra Body Warmer is commonly used to keep the chest and bum warm when skiing, or on sore muscles apres ski, but it can be used in so many other settings as well. Many customers wear this warmer when sleeping or lounging around the home. So if you decide on this warmer, know that you’ll find many versatile uses for it outside of the slopes!
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Breast Warmers
For those with sensitive breasts or implants, you might find your breasts get cold quicker, especially when in colder temperatures. For cases such as these, you’ll find Aurora Heat’s Breast Warmers super effective at keeping you warm. Simply insert them into your bra with the fur side facing your skin, and enjoy the benefit of their added comfort and warmth. You’ll thank us later!
Available in two thicknesses, these warmers are very subtle and discreet, so no one will notice if you wear them with thin clothing or a single layer. This makes them a fan favorite for everyday activities - not just when layering up on the slopes!
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Cell Phone Warmer
Ever had your cell phone shut down due to extended cold temperatures? Not ideal when you’re far from home, spending a full day on the slopes, and need reliable access. Enter Aurora Heat’s Cell Phone Warmer. This product is designed to keep your phone warm, so you can continue using it throughout the day on the mountains, without any issues. The supreme softness of the fur ensures that your phone remains scratch-free as well.
While this product was designed for cell phones, customers also rave of its effectiveness for keeping batteries and snacks from freezing. It is considered worth the investment by many. See the reviews for yourself:
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Takeaways
Fortunately, Aurora Heat has a number of eco-friendly products to keep you warm while skiing or snowboarding. Their versatility, reusability, and everlasting warmth make them outstanding investments for your winter wardrobe!
Consider which parts of your body are the most vulnerable when skiing, and go from there. You may find the Ultra Hand and Ultra Foot Warmers to be more effective than their Reusable Hand and Foot counterparts, simply because of the larger surface area - the more skin that is touching the fur, the better! That being said, everyone’s physiology is different, and our recommendations differ based on what your most pertinent needs are.
If you’re considering a number of products, but only want one or two to start, think about which warmers you’d use the most. If you’re an infrequent skier or boarder, which product would you need the most in your everyday activities? Maybe you have cold feet all throughout the winter. In this case, the Foot Warmers or Ultra Foot Warmers would be the best one to start with. Or maybe you suffer from chronically cold hands, in which case we’d recommend the Hand, Ultra Hand, or Wrist Warmers. Again, it all depends on your greatest needs!
Consider going sustainable next ski season with the gift of natural beaver fur. Your hands and feet will thank you.
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