Contrary to what many people think, a pair of heated grips isn’t purely the domain of riding in the deepest of winter. Of course, when the temperature drops, they can help enormously to keep hands warm but they can actually be really useful in spring, autumn and even in the height of summer as well.
Why use heated grips?
Heated grips can help warm hands on chilly early morning or late evening rides – arguably some of the best times to be out riding. Typically in the warmer months, you want a pair of summer riding gloves – all about the feel for the bike’s control through thin material and cooling air flow during the heat of the day. However, this comes at a price – they can leave the hands feeling chilly at each end of the ride, and this is where heated grips come in.
A little warmth against the palm of the hand where you hold the handlebars and inside the fingers can help stave off unpleasantly cold hands, which can affect your enjoyment as well as your safety.
Many motorcycle manufacturers offer heated grips as an option when buying new but they tend to be expensive and of course, older bikes may not have them at all. So a pair of aftermarket items can be a relatively quick and easy fix for chilly hands, not just on early summer rides but deep into winter.
One thing to bear in mind though; Gore-Tex waterproof and breathable membrane works by heat transfer – the water (moisture generated as sweat) flows from the hot side (inside the glove) to the colder side (outside). However, if you’re using heated grips in the wet with Gore-Tex, then water will flow in the opposite direction, as the outside is now hotter and you may end up with wet hands.
RELATED: Top neck warmers
The best motorcycle heated grips
Description
Good value and effective, you can't ask for more than that. As standard, they come 123mm in length
Description
Replacement grips are a neater and more integrated solution than wraparound sleeves but they do
3. Oxford Hotgrips Advanced
Description
Oxford has a range of grips for different styles of bikes, including these sports, as well as
Description
Designed for all bikes using 22mm handlebars, these replacements from R&G are 124mm long,
5. Ultimateaddons Integrated
Description
These replacement grips from Ultimateaddons are super-slick with an integrated activation and
6. BikeTek Premium Heated Grips
Description
Designed for 22mm handlebars, these grips from BikeTek feature a soft rubber outer with
7. Bike-It Adjustable
Description
The own-brand replacement grips from Bike-It come with an adjustable heat controller so that the