Gadget: EXO2 SnowStorm Heated Gloves

Published on Sunday 10 January 2010 10:37

EXO2 SnowStorm Heated Gloves (£165 from.exo2.co.uk)

Cold extremities are decidedly unpleasant. If there's one thing we know about in Scotland it's coping with the cold. The humble glove has been around for centuries, but now Scottish company, EXO2, based in icy Lanarkshire, has catapulted the traditional hand warmer into the 21st century. I'm going to take the brave step of revealing the price of these gloves first: 165. Yes, for a pair of gloves. Before flicking the page and tutting – "yet another overpriced gadget", remember the wallet busting extent of your last MOT or that jaw-dropping bill from the dentist. My point? Your hands deserve some loving. You have neglected them for long enough.

The SnowStorm heated gloves have a cunning trick, literally up their sleeves. There's no shortage of heated gloves on the market but the SnowStorm ones are the first to use a new technology called ThermoKnitt. In a nutshell, it means that a heat-producing fabric called FabRoc is knitted into the yarns of the glove itself. This combines with yarns of silver, which conduct low-voltage electricity of 3.7V. The great thing about all of this "technoknittology" is that they feel just like normal gloves – you can stretch them, pull them or get them wet. The net effect is that your entire hand, from thumb to pinkie is treated to waves of warmth. There's a built-in battery pack which pumps out enough juice for three hours. The gloves themselves are top-of-the-range too. They've got soft-grip leather palms, tough Cordura backs, a breathable Hipora wind-and-water-resistant layer along with Thinsulate insulation.

These are the next best thing to polar bear paws and if you can get past the price, they'll reward you with years of finger-tickling warmth.