I’m going to be blunt: I’m not a fan of vests. I think some people can pull them off, but I’m not one of those people. I already own an ORORO Jacket and didn’t think I would have any use for a vest, but a couple of weeks after getting one as a gift the vest gets more use than the jacket. Here’s why and why you may want to consider adding an ORORO Heated Vest to your closet.
What is it? The softshell heated vest is a standard black-looking vest with a water and wind-resistant shell. What makes it unique is that the single battery powers four heating zones (upper back, lower back, and pockets). This is an improvement if you have the Classic Jacket and the same number of heating zones as the Classic Jacket 2.0.
All the standard ORORO features are here: single battery, several hours of runtime even on the highest setting, machine washable and zippered pockets so you don’t lose things like your phone. I’m going to gloss over most of that because ORORO products do well with the basics of making good, high-quality cold-weather gear that is also electronically heated.
Why I like it Better: As I said in the beginning, I don’t like the way I look in vests. I tend to lean towards things like my hoodie which usually has a brand or logo I enjoy representing. However, those aren’t warm enough for cold winter mornings. I’ve been using the vest as a base layer underneath my hoodie, making it my most used ORORO product. In my household, I have an ORORO jacket, poncho, vest, and gloves, but the vest gets used the most still.
Using the vest as a base layer puts the heating pads closer to your skin. When you add something like a sweatshirt on top of it, it further presses the heating pads against your body. When comparing how I feel with the vest vs. the jacket, I can physically feel the heat more with the vest. The vest’s lining also feels thinner allowing the heat to transfer to my skin more efficiently.
Use: Just like ORORO’s other products this is great for pre/post-race and is a nice thing to pass off to your family/friends who come to watch you race. The ability to wear it as a base layer underneath other clothing is what truly separates it from the others for me and why I would recommend it to others.
Overall: The vest comes in at the lower priced end of ORORO products sitting at around $169. You can usually find a discount code to save you a couple of dollars to make it a little more affordable like on the MuGear-Hannibal Race Pro Team page.
If you missed it, go back and check out my review for the new Classic Jacket 2.0 with four heating zones, and coming soon: be sure to check out the product that surprised me the most, the Ororo poncho/blanket.