As someone who camps in the Canadian wilderness four seasons of the year, I can tell you that one of the most important pieces of outdoor clothing is your mid layer.
Mid layers go between your base layer and your outer layer, and are typically made of fleece, wool, or down—but they can also be made of synthetic materials like polyester or nylon.
These days, some of the most high-tech mid layers (including jackets and vests) come with heating elements built right into them, which is great for really cold days when you could use a little more warmth than your body provides.
Venustas’s unisex 7.4V heated jacket is one such mid layer that I tested in early spring.
Here’s my honest review of the jacket.
Unboxing the Venustas unisex 7.4V heated jacket
The jacket came with the following accessories:
- Waterproof bag
- Battery pack (5000mAh, 7.4V)
- Battery charger
- User manual
Design and quality
At first glance, the jacket seemed to be of good quality with the potential insulate well even without the heating components.
It looks like your standard puffy jacket designed to provide a balanced combination of warmth and lightness, featuring horizontal baffles that run along it to keep the insulation in place.
The jacket is super lightweight and I wouldn’t even be able to tell that it has built-in heating elements if I didn’t know it already.
The materials, stitching, and details that make up the jacket appear to be well constructed, which is something you’d expect from a well-known brand like Venustas.
It’s made of mostly nylon and polyester with a small amount of silver mylar thermal fabric that lines the inner part of the jacket to help reflect heat back at your body.
There are two pockets with zippers on each side of the jacket featuring soft, insulated fabric (rather than nylon) inside, which is great for when you forget your gloves and want to keep your hands warm.
The hood is removable with a zipper, which gives it some nice versatility.
All the zippers, including the ones on the pockets, hood, and front of the jacket have extra long handles on them that make them easy to zip up or down.
Because the outer shell is made of nylon, it’s not waterproof, but it is water resistant, meaning you can get caught in a light drizzle without too much worry.
You’d definitely need another waterproof outer layer on top of it if you were expecting a downpour.
Heating elements
The jacket includes six heating elements located on the left and right chest, left and right pocket areas, back, and neck.
These heating elements are made of graphene, which is a highly conductive form of carbon.
In addition to being really good at conducting heat, graphene is also very thin, strong, and flexible—meaning there’s a very low chance of damaging it while you move your body during high levels of activity.
Comfort and fit
I ordered the jacket in the size 2XL because I’m 6’5″ and often struggle with finding clothing that has long enough sleeves.
It was the right call, because it fits perfectly.
This is great news for people like me who are very tall.
If you’re tall and interested in this jacket, going up a size or two from your regular size may be a good idea.
I’d say that the jacket has a classic fit (as opposed to a slim fit) and is very comfortable to wear whether you’re being very active or not.
One feature that this jacket has that some people may not like is an elastic band that runs along the base the jacket, which creates a slight cinching effect at the hips.
My hips are narrow so I’m fine with it, but people with bigger hips or who want a slightly closer fit by not sizing up might find this to be a bit of a problem.
My wife Elise, however, tried the jacket on and wasn’t a huge fan of the elastic at the base, but because it was extra large on her, she didn’t mind.
Heating performance
The jacket has an inside pocket on the left side, which is where the battery pack goes.
If you fish around inside, you should be able to find a short/small wire that connects the jacket’s heating elements to the battery.
Just plug it in and you’re good to go (as long as the battery is charged, of course).
Heating the jacket is super simple.
There are two LED buttons on the upper left of the chest area—one that heats up the front chest and pocket areas, and the other that heats up the back and neck area.
To turn it on, all you need to do is press and hold down one of the buttons for 3 to 5 seconds.
The button will light up and start blinking in red, meaning that the heating elements have begun pre-heating to the default medium heat level.
After about five minutes, the preheating should be complete and the LEDs will stop blinking.
What I really love about this jacket is that in addition to being able to heat the back and front separately, you can also choose from three heating levels.
Low heat heats the jacket to 95F° (35°C) and is lit up by a blue LED.
Medium heat (the default level after preheating) heats the jacket to 113F° (45°C) and is lit up by a white LED.
High heat heats the jacket to 130F° (55°C) and is lit up by a red LED.
To switch between heating levels, press the button for one second to cycle through low, medium, and high.
You’ll be able to tell which level you’re at by looking at the colour of the LED.
Venustas notes that the you may feel a slightly lower temperature as it’s regulated at the internal heating element.
My experience
I wore the jacket in early spring at about 50°F (10°C), heating it up to the default medium heat level.
I was pleasantly surprised at how well it kept me warm, but not too hot.
The heating elements at the neck were a nice bonus and the inner reflective material seemed to help disperse the heat evenly around my body.
The jacket itself is also warm, so during times of higher activity when I’d generate body heat, it was easy to use the buttons of the chest to turn the heating elements off.
Turning them off requires pressing and holding the buttons down for 3 to 5 seconds until the LEDs are no longer lit.
My wife tried it too
Elise and I both love that the jacket is unisex and looks great on both men and women, which was why we got the 2XL—so both of us could comfortably try wearing it.
One thing we did notice that may make a difference in how warm you feel is the fit of the jacket.
The closer the jacket fits to your body, the warmer you’ll be, so if you go a size up or two like I did, you may not get the same level of warmth as someone who’s wearing a size that’s a more snug fit.
Elise confirmed this for herself.
The size we got was significantly bigger on her, leaving more space between her body and the heating elements.
She still felt warm in it, but not as warm as I did.
Unfortunately, one problem I kept having was that the wire kept disconnecting from the battery as I moved around, which meant that the jacket would turn off and stop heating.
At first, I realized I wasn’t pressing the wire in securely enough, but noticed after a few times it was still happening, so I had to keep pushing the wire back into the battery compartment every so often.
I’m not sure if maybe I just need to play around with positioning the battery and wire better inside the pocket, or if maybe I have a wire and battery that just don’t fit perfectly.
It’s inconvenient, but I’d say it’s a minor issue that I think should be easy enough to figure out the more I use it.
Battery life
The battery pack meausures 3.75 by 2.5 inches and fits in a pocket on the inner left of the jacket, as mentioned earlier.
It weighs about 200g, which is just about a little less than half a pound.
To put that into perspective, that’s around a similar weight as your average smartphone with a case on it.
It definitely feels heavy when you hold it, and the extra weight may feel a little strange once you put it inside the pocket.
Considering that it’s a decently powerful battery, it takes several hours to fully charge.
The battery has an LED display that shows the battery life percentage so you know exactly how much power is left, whether you’re charging it or using it to heat your jacket.
According to Venustas, here’s what you can expect in terms of battery life:
Low heat: 8 to 9 hours of heating
Medium heat: 4 to 5 hours of heating
High heat: 3 to 4 hours of heating
Putting the battery life to the test myself, I found that I was able to get about four and a half hours of heating out of a fully charged battery at a medium heating level with both the front and back sides turned on.
I’d say that’s pretty good.
Realistically, I wouldn’t have the jacket heating for a full four hours anyway.
Another nice perk is that the battery has a USB port so you have the option to charge your smartphone at the same time.
Doing this will of course drain the battery faster, leaving you with less power for heating the jacket, but it’s great for added versatility.
Price and value
This jacket is currently priced at $179.99 USD, and comes in sizes from extra small all the way up to 4XL.
I obviously got the black one, but there are two new colours in turquoise and yellow if you’d prefer something brighter.
The jacket isn’t cheap, but it’s not overly expensive either.
Considering the amount of technology and design elements that went into it, plus the fact that it comes with its own extra powerful battery pack to make it work, I’d say it’s worth every penny.
A regular puffy jacket can cost anywhere from $75 to $300 depending on the brand and design (such as down versus synthetic fill).
The Venustas heated jacket is priced right in the middle of that range, and offers much more than a regular puffy jacket—it offers warmth on demand whenever you need it.
Considering that, I’d say its value far exceeds its cost.
What I liked and didn’t like about the jacket
I would certainly say that there were a lot more things I liked about this jacket than I didn’t like.
No jacket is perfect, but I’d say this one as a lot of great features.
What I liked:
- Minimalistic puffy jacket design
- 3 colours and multiple sizes from XS to 4XL
- High quality materials designed for outdoor activity
- Classic fit for comfort
- Great for tall guys like me (go up a size)
- Unisex style
- Good insulation
- Removable hood
- Warm pockets with zippers
- Reflective inner layer for maximizing insulation
- Two separate buttons to heat up the front and back
- Extremely easy to turn on and off
- 3 heat levels (low, medium, high)
- Extra powerful battery pack
- USB port for charging other devices too
- Battery life indicator
- Good value for money overall
What I didn’t like:
- Elastic around base of jacket may not be suitable for all body types
- Takes some getting used to carrying around heavy battery
- Wire regularly disconnects from battery inside pocket
- No extra inside pockets for added storage
- Jacket is water resistant, but not waterproof
- Not ideal for using in rainy/wet conditions
- Reflective inner layer has a strong smell to it
Verdict
The Venustas unisex 7.4V heated jacket is a great jacket for anyone who wants the convenience and warmth of an on-demand heated garment.
It’s well made with durable materials, is lightweight and comfortable to wear, and keeps you warm even in very cold temperatures.
The battery life is good, offering you several hours of warmth depending on how you use it.
And with three heating levels to choose from, you can easily adjust the jacket to your own preference.
So, are heated jackets worth it?
In my opinion, yes—especially this particular model.
I would say that this jacket is perfect for hanging out at camp during cool mornings and evenings in the shoulder seasons.
It would also be great for winter activities when you need a little extra boost of warmth.
I wouldn’t, however, use it in wet weather since it isn’t waterproof and the heating elements can be dangerous to use if the inner reflective lining is wet.
Overall, it’s definitely worth considering if you’re looking for a reliable heated jacket that won’t break the bank.
It’s a great option for anyone who wants to stay warm while outdoors.
Next up: When is the best time of year to buy camping gear?
Ross is an experienced backcountry canoe tripper and winter camper from Ontario, Canada. He loves looking at maps, planning new routes, sport fishing, and developing his nature photography skills. He’s also certified in Whitewater Rescue (WWR) I & II and Wilderness First Aid (WFA).