Heated Grips vs Heated Gloves
 

Has anyone here had both heated grips and heated gloves, and can you offer comment on which works better? Was thinking I'd like to get heated grips for my Switchback. But then was thinking - should I just get heated gloves? Is one better than the other? Would either really extend my riding season by allowing me to ride further into the fall and start earlier in the spring? If I'm going to spend the money, wondering if it's wroth it, or which would be the better alternative to spend money on.


My problem is that even with good cold weather riding gloves my fingers get really cold.


I know - why am I worrying about it in JULY? lol ...

Heated grips warm your palms. If you wear insulated cold weather gloves your palms are insulated from the warm grips. Heated gloves warm your whole hand.

Dan

I agree with Dan for the most part. I have heated grips and I do feel the heat while wearing insulated gloves but just the palms. I thought of going to heated gloves to warm whole hand and if I get rid of the heated grips, then I can get a throttle lock that disengages when I squeeze front brake. This throttle lock I want does not recommend installing with heated grips.

Get both, you won't regret it... Grips when it's chilly & heated gloves when cold.

Heated gloves, hands down (no pun intended.) Heated grips do nothing to warm the whole of your hand, just the palms. Cold air blowing over the top of regular gloves will chill very quickly. Heated grips will not distribute heat around your hands fast enough to keep them warm but heated gloves will.

I've had heated gloves for years and love them. My 14 Limited came with heated grips so I've played around with them at times. The grips are always there and with a simple twist of the switch they're on. My problem with them is that to get the most heat from them you must keep your hands closed around the grip. I also find that my thumbs get cold because I don't have them wrapped around the grip. I usually ride with a relaxed grip which allows heat to escape. Gloves require that they be connected to the bike somehow (I use the Gerbing supplied harness direct to the battery) and a switch/thermostat to regulate the heat. They do heat the outer part of the hand but easily generate enough heat to keep your entire hand warm. You can ride with a relaxed grip or even remove a hand from the bars and still stay warm. My preference is the gloves (maybe because I'm used to them) but the grips are more convenient.

heated grips
 

I have a 2013 ultra limited with heated grips. It has a range from 1 to 6. In cold temps like low 30s I haven't turned the heated grips past 3 with insolated gloves. The grips feel tacky they get so warm. Cant imagine turning them up to 6. I don't think you could go wrong with heated gloves either.

Have heated grips on ATV and HD; good when it's just a bit cooler out. Gloves are better yet, but not as convienient. Probably too cold for me to ride if I gotta plug more than a vest in...

I had heated grips on my last bike and decided to get heated gloves to try on this one and I'll buck the trend and vote heated grips all day long. Both bikes are street glides with stock bars so wind over the hand isn't a huge problem. Heated gloves are bulky and I have small hands, I really don't like bulky gloves. Heated grips and lightly lined gloves worked really well for me down to about 40. Also really convenient when it's even just a little chilly. I never set the, over 3 and they went to 6.

However, I also learned about heated jacket liners this year and those are worth the price of admission in cold weather.

I've had both but prefer the heated grips. Much easier and convenient.

How bout the disposable hand warmers inside of a quality pair of lined leather gloves? At $1 a pair you can burn through ALOT of those for the price of heated grips or gloves

Grips Vs Gloves
 

I have both. The RGU has a fairing and heated grips. A road glide fairing doesn't shield you from all the wind but it does help. I also have a pair of Outdoor Research gloves that are wind and waterproof and have liners with a pocket for a chemical heater packet. I haven't used the chemical warmers yet but I have ridden in the winter with the heated grips on with the gloves at 17°. If my hands are warm when I put the gloves on and I start the ride, the grips will keep my hands warm enough but if my hands are already cold before I put the gloves on and start the ride, the grip don't warm my hands enough.
Yes, the heated gloves are a little bit of a hassle, with the wiring, but they will warm my hands from cold and keep them warm no matter how cold and how long I ride.

Just get the gloves. Forget the grips.

Bingo! I don't have heated gloves but I do have heated glove liners. Sadly, after I got them for Christmas, every cold enough to wear them day was wet, so I never got to use them.

Can't give an opinion on heated grips as I never had them. I do however ride my bike year round as long as the roads are clear. Everything Gerbings makes for a motorcycle I own and love. 3 pairs of their gloves, jacket liner as well as Extreme outer jacket, Extreme outer pants, socks and dual controller. I had the boot liners but gave them to a friend when I got the socks. Not sure who makes the HD branded gloves now (pretty sure they went with another vendor besides Gerbings) but have heard they are quite good and some have said an improvement over the Gerbings.

This year I pulled the trigger on a pair of 12 battery powered heated gloves. They're the cats ass. The battery lasts for several hours on low and a couple hours on high, if I need more than that I can plug them into the bike. My hands sweat when it's below freezing outside.
Never had heated grips, but I've heard they don't keep your whole hand warm, but help a lot.

I have both and find myself liking the heated grips better than the heated gloves. I have an older set of Gerbings G3 gloves and never liked the lack of feeling and reduced dexterity while wearing them. Sure, they warm your hands, at least the backs of them, but when your hand is closed around the grip you are pulling away from the heating element. I will still use them when I'm on longer runs in real cold (sub freezing) temps.

The heated grips however, I absolutely love! They get plenty hot for me and I can keep the blood flowing to my fingers using the heated grips, glove liners and thinsulate lined deer skin gauntlets. That's saying something for a guy with Reynaud's Disease. I also found that Smart Wool medium weight knit merino wool glove liners are amazing at helping to keep the heat in.

Just my take on it. I think they both are useful tools, but if I had to chose one over the other, I would choose the grips.

Well, I have not had the grips, but it seems to my thinking the gloves would be better. The ones I have heat the fingers top and bottom. I don't see how grips would keep the backs of the fingers warm. My gloves do.

I tried heated gloves, but I have small hands and barely reach the leavers for brake and clutch anyway, and the gloves feel so bulky that I can barely get a grip. Once I get a grip, I find it hard to ungrip to reach levers. It just isn't safe for me.

I have heated grips, have had them on 3 bikes, and love them. The C50 and '06 SG, I used Heat Demons inserts, but I have the HD heated grips on my current bike. The true heated grips work better IMO, but either works much better than gloves for me. I ride with mid-weight, women's gloves and the heated grips work great.

However, gloves should actually keep your hands warmer because heating elements are on both sides of the hands (I think). My grips are easier to control heat-wise than heated glove controls though.

I have both. I like the grips when my hands get a little chilly in moderate temps. The convenience of being able to just turn them on is great. That said, I also have a pair of Gerbing T-5 gloves for when it's cold. I think it is important to note that many people don't actually ride when it's COLD. I ride year round here in NC. Cold for me is low 20's and I only have my gloves turned up half way in those temps.

I have both. The heated gloves are a PITA in my opinion and I only wear them if on a long run in very cold weather. If you are going to taking long rides without lots of stops etc. in very cold weather no question the heated gloves will keep your hands warmer. If you are going to be getting on and off, taking shorter rides in the cold weather, or riding only down into the upper 30s then if your like me you won't bother with the heated gloves. As you can see from the many responses YMMV.

I can't speak to heated gloves since I've never owned a pair but I do love my heated grips. I've never had them on past the 2nd setting and can ride for hours with them in chilly weather.

get the gloves, less expensive, cost less to replace, work far better, install and removal is quick and easy.

I asked the same question about 10 years ago, and was told ..Heated gloves.. went with them and couldn't be happier. I have heard about heated grips blowing fuses, but I don't know. Been using heated gloves every winter and Have ridden in 20 degree weather. Also like someone already said, you can replace the gloves or look around now, everyone sells winter stuff in the summer..lol

I've had both. I liked the heated grips, but the gloves are much better.

I have the new Gerbings hybrid ones that can take batteries or be powered from the bike (which is how I use them). They are a slight pain as you do need to run the wire harness through your jacket sleeves and plug into the bike - but I think next year I will add a heated jacket liner, so the gloves will plug into that instead.

You also need to be careful with them as they can get REALLY hot. I only ever use mine on the first or second (of 4) settings.