Customer Reviews Outdoor Research Stormtracker Heated Sensor Gloves

As a backcountry skier and owner/maintainer of rental yurts, and someone with Raynaud's syndrome, I had accepted the fact that often my fingers get so cold that I lose the use of my hands and then freak out while I try to start a fire or open my disposal chemical handwarmers. These gloves have been a game-changer for me. I put them on either at the usual times when Raynaud's kicks in (i.e., about 10 minutes after I stop moving) or when I start to get really cold on a ski out, and they make life ok again. Here are some specific things I like about the gloves: They fit great and provide enough dexterity to do actual work. I usually ski for a couple hours, then work on or in a yurt for a few hours, and then ski a couple more hours. I can do all these things with these gloves, whereas I used to have to constantly switch depending on the task. I have narrow but long hands (for a woman), and the unisex medium fits great. The loops are perfectly sized and place for pulling the gloves on. I also like the zipper on the gauntlet for flexibility in how tight the wrist is. Finally, the big power button is easy to use, even with the gloves on, and the indicator light is easy to read. Here's what could be better: The big power button sometimes gets pushed inadvertently while I'm working, and that turns the gloves off until I suddenly notice that one hand is not warm anymore (not a big deal, IMO). I do wish they were more waterproof - for prolonged hands-on work in the snow - but I might just have to get the Capstone or Lucent gloves for the GoreTex. And while I wish the batteries lasted longer, they are at least small and lightweight enough that I don't notice them. Finally, I like that the gloves come with multiple power adapters, but USB would be a nice option.

These gloves are super quick to warm - it's almost immediate! Having three settings is great and allows me to change depending on conditions and duration of my trip. The colors (red, orange, and green) are super visible and it's easy to know the setting it's on. Not just the heater, but the gloves are awesome even without the heater!

Overall, I LOVE this glove: great fit, super for ice climbing, waterproof and warm with the heat. This glove does have ONE MAJOR and expensive design flaw: The battery is not attached to the glove unless it's plugged in. When I store these gloves, to prevent phantom battery drain, I don't plug the battery into the glove power cable. This means I usually leave the battery pocket unzipped. The flaw: the next time I grab the gloves for a weekend of ice climbing or snow boarding, i totally forget that the batteries are not plugged in and the battery pocket is unzipped. This results in my dropping the batteries out of the battery pocket on the gloves SOMEWHERE between my apartment and my destination. (admittedly this is my addle-minded fault, alas, the gloves would be made more fool-proof if there was a way to connect the batteries to the gloves without plugging them in). I've lost my batteries more than a few times but have been lucky enough to find them (usually outside of my apartment door). The last time I lost them, i had to buy new replacements. (at the expensive cost of approx $60). No more: My home-made workaround is this: with 2 pieces of 8"-long 4mm nylon cord, I've tied a triple fisherman's around the power cable that goes to the glove, and a clove hitch with a backup knot to the batteries between both cells. HURAAAAYYYY no more accidentally dropped batteries. This would be an easy fix for O.R. to implement... perhaps a clip of some kind that attaches the battery to the inside of the glove.

Perfect in-between set of gloves. Good for those days when the weather turns colder, just turn up the heat. These intermediate level gloves are just that, an in-between light and heavy gloves. I have used them for jobs that require more dexterity than bulkier ski gloves, including skiing in weather down in the teens and shoveling snow. Good wind resistance on the slopes. The lack of heating elements on the palm side is a plus for dexterity - if you want that feature, move up to the heavier model.

Awesome gloves, you theme for casual and skiing

I was using the non-heated stormtracker gloves for paragliding, which were good to about 40 degrees. With these, I am good down to 25 degrees. In a steady 25mph wind, I wouldn't say I feel the warmth, but my hands don't get cold- a game changer. They aren't too thick so I still have dexterity and can use my phone. Great product as always

Excellent gloves. I can feel the heat in the fingers...many heated gloves to spread the warmth that well. Warm but not too heavy. Good for outdoor sports... such as cross country skiing.

These are the most comfortable and dextrous heated gloves I've been able to find. I can open zippers, grab items from my pocket, and use my phone without removing them. It takes some work, but I can even swap my extra set of batteries into these gloves without taking them off. The limitation of these gloves is their insulation. They put out plenty of heat, but in cold, windy, or very wet weather, they're too thin to retain it. To combat this, I've combined these gloves with the Outdoor Research Alti Mitts, and I'm extremely pleased with this system. On most days I wear these as a liner under the Alti shells, but on very cold days I'll wear these gloves + the Alti liner + the Alti shell. It's admittedly a bit thick, but with that much insulation, even on a brutal -10 F east coast day, I can keep the gloves on low and stay comfortable. The insulation is that good. I have compared this system directly to the Lucent heated mittens and Capstone heated gloves. The Heated Stormtracker + Alti Mitt combo provides far more insulation than either other option, and essentially becomes a dextrous liner that stays on when you pull your hand out of the insulated outer layer. If you don't care about dexterity, I recommend the Lucent mitten or Capstone glove, as they are both single-piece systems, and reasonably well insulated.

These gloves provide great warmth and wind proofing for skiing in the interior of Alaska in January. The heating feature is easy to use and boosts the warmth just enough to keep your hands at a comfortable temperature.

Great gloves for walking the dogs or being outside late fall early winter, early spring. I live in canada and i find they work great. and i find that they are very comfortable up to about -10C. Battery life as advertised is accurate. Well built gloves that allow the use of a touch screen while wearing them.

These gloves have saved my fingers once or twice since buying them a month ago. The heat is excellent, that little extra kick to keep your hands warm, especially when you find yourself standing still for a few hours. I plan on taking these gloves out for my next hunt where I will be sitting in a stand for a large portion of the day.

Fit was great, my. My husbands favorite gloves.

Fantastic gloves couldn't be happier. Great for handling a K9 or shooting and keeping hands warm. Recently used during -37 range day and fingers were fine the whole day. I was worried about the cost at first but this was a investment that has already paid off

perfect if you have cold hands

They work fine for the first few years but, it seems that either the switch on the gloves or the heating wires internally either fail or no longer supply heat, It happened to both my gloves and my wife Mary's gloves. We both had the same Stormtracker style. We could not fault your warranty. We both now have new gloves. Thank you

I live in the pacific northwest where it hovers around freezing (and is damp) most of the winter; I was looking for something to mitigate Raynauds while commuting on the bike, taking walks/hikes, etc. I tried a couple of other makes as well as the OR Gripper but all of them had major drawbacks; the Stormtrackers are the hand's-down winner. They are comfortable, warm, and not too bulky (can easily handle dog leashes and clasps). Compared to the Gripper's, the leather palm and reduced seams keeps the front of the hand much warmer and makes them more agile. I find that I usually start out on high heat until my body warms up, and then I can drop to medium or low for the rest of the activity. I originally shied away from these gloves due to the price and the critiques of the warmth. For sure the price is pretty high, but the warmth will be subjective - I think they're great. I doubt these gloves alone will keep most people warm well below freezing (though I bet with an outer mitt shell they'd be pretty toasty), but I'd give them a shot around freezing. In terms of size, my hand measured in the L range according to the OR guide, but I ended up downsizing to M - the L left too much space, and I like them better snug for warmth and dexterity. Knocked one star off due to price/value, esp w/no heating elements on the front of the hand (a common feature of lower-priced competitors).

Overall good product

I use these for alpine skiing. I'll recommend these assuming you'll work around the limitations mentioned below: I already own a pair of Capstone electrical gloves with the previous (square) control. Capstones are great but are warm and bulky; with 2 battery packs per glove I only use them in temps below 25F. I bought Storm Trackers for 25 to 29F, mostly clear conditions. Having 1 battery pack and zipper cuff makes them easier to tuck under your jacket sleeve. Storm Tracker warmth, breathability and battery duration work well in the 25 to 29F range. Mostly set to low, I get the advertised 5+ hours if they don't inadvertently switch to medium or high. The new control is easily visible, maybe too big. The real problem is the control is much more sensitive than the previous square switch to accidentally being "pushed" and changed as you ski or even load the lift. Accidentally turning off is less a problem than a switch to higher temp that reduces the battery life for that ski day. You can always carry a spare set of battery packs. Having to always check is not what I expect from OR gear. My suggestion to OR is to redesign the switch so the button and light is recessed below the overall switch housing. That would turn my 3 to a 5.

If you live in Eastern Canada and want to use this for alpine skiing, make another selection. These gloves are thin and not wind proof. Even at minus 5 deg, they do not do the job even at the highest setting.

Fit is tight. Heat is fine on the back but not on the Palm. Wire placement needs to be addressed.

These gloves heat great, but the heat disapaits quickly because there's a lack of insulation. Any wind also tips the heat away. I end up not using them and opt for a different glove

I bought the previous version of these gloves and they seem very similar. Not super-warm on their own but helpful for those with chronically cold hands or Raynaud's who don't want to wear huge skiing gloves everywhere. Heating element on the back means don't spend too much time holding a cold steering wheel or other object in you unheated palms. Lasted two seasons before one of the gloves refused to turn on.

After about one season one of the gloves with intermittently shut off. At first I thought it was a battery issue but it is not. Can't rely on them to stay on and then you notice one of your hands gets really cold and realize it is shut off for no reason.

I have the previous incarnation of this glove, which seems pretty similar, and have mixed feelings about their performance. Not sure if they changed the electronics, which is the problem, but it doesn't seem like it. I do a fair amount of mountain biking in the winter, both fat biking and trail riding when possible, and need good dexterity for shifting, breaking, and gripping the bars, as well as the ability to regulate temperature. In theory these should be ideal for any human powered winter activity where you are warm when going up and cool quickly on the downhill. I shut off the juice for climbs and turn it back on for the downhills. Sounds perfect except that are very unreliable. I'll notice one of my hands is freezing and discover that the power is off on one of the gloves. I try to turn it on to no avail, but later it will work again. This can lead to some very unpredictable and uncomfortable rides. Otherwise the gloves are great. They are a fairly dexterous, mid-weight, soft shell glove that is windproof, but still relatively breathable. The heating component works well when it works. They are not the equivalent to heavy winter gloves or mittens, but the heating element helps a lot when it's functioning. I will probably ditch these gloves as you just can't depend on the heating component. Too bad as they otherwise rock.

Sighlike others, very disappointed, especially for the price. The elements run along the top side of the fingers, nothing on the bottom. There is no insulation in the bottom aside from the leather so even on high, the top side feels barely warm at -10C while the bottom side freeze. Could only feel the heat in high and barely got an hour out of the batteries. Back they go.