Best heated motorcycle socks

Staying warm in winter on the bike can be a challenge sometimes though there is plenty of kit around the help you. Jackets and trousers, for example, can come with hefty thermal liners to help keep the warmth in, particularly when the outer layer keeps the rain and wind out.

Similarly, layering up with a set of base layers, either year-round examples or warmer winter ones for when the temperatures really drops, is pretty much a given and hands and fingers that are out in the worst of the weather on exposed handlebars can easily be protected by winter gloves or indeed, heated gloves and grips to prevent numbness and cold.

But what about the feet? Toes can be just a vulnerable as fingers to the cold – generally, the feet are perhaps one of the most exposed parts of the body.

Related: Best mid-layer motorcycle clothing

Sure, like winter gloves for example, you can get plenty of waterproof and windproof boots that will keep your feet dry and keep chilling windblast away but what about when the ambient temperature drops and those toes get chilly?

This is where a pair of heated socks can come to the rescue. They will add warmth to the part of your body most exposed and furthest away from the core to not only keep your feet warm but also, prevent the rest of your body from getting cold as it tries to maintain the temperature in your tootsies.

With this in mind, here are some of our favourite ways to keep your toes warm this winter.

They have three heat settings with temperatures ranging from 35°C to 50°C and control is by a push-button on top of the sock. They are washable as well, once the battery is removed.

Pros:

Washable

Three heat levels

Rechargeable batteries included

Cons:

Button may be in way of boots

They use Gerbing’s Microwire heating technology to provide heat both above and below the foot and draw just 1.4A of current when in use. They are designed to be wired directly to the bike’s battery via a wiring harness or via a connection to Gerbing’s heated trousers to provide heat at all times on the bike.

Pros:

Tall to keep lower leg warm

Heating surrounds feet

Powered by bike so permanent heating

Cons:

Can only be used on the bike

These are to be used over a pair of thin socks, not on bare feet and under waterproof boots and use Keis’s Micro Alloy Element technology for even heating of the feet. They connect to the battery or the bike via a wiring harness or from heated trousers and can be used with their own heat controller to vary the level of warmth.

Pros:

Power from battery of bike

Low current draw – 0.6A

Optional heat controller

Cons:

Must be worn over another pair of socks

They are good for eight hours yet will be ready for use for months as long as they are kept in their packaging. They are used by several European winter-sports teams and after their single-use, can be disposed of in regular rubbish.

Pros:

Always ready

No electrical power needed

Suit any footwear

Cons:

Single-use, disposable items

Control comes from a smartphone app so there are no buttons to get in the way and they can be powered directly from the bike’s battery, via a wiring harness or via Macna clothing or from dedicated rechargeable batteries, though the batteries and wiring systems are not included.

Pros:

Connect to bike or rechargeable batteries

Work with other Macna heated clothing

Smartphone app controls heating

Cons:

Power supply not included

Pros:

Bluetooth control

Rechargeable batteries

Whole-foot warning

Cons:

No direct-wiring option

Pros:

Work with existing socks

Powered by battery or bike

Even heating over base of foot

Cons:

No heat to top of foot

Non-Heated Options

Sometimes the need is for the in between, where the weather is turning and you want something with comfort and some warmth.

While heated options are great, and there are many great options, here's some which are less heated and more thermal lined.

That wet suit style lining is actually a hydrophilic membrane, which is 100% waterproof and pulls moisture away from your skin. This means that any sweaty feet will be kept dry by these socks, like magic.

Pros:

Warm and comfortable

No need for extra socks

Extremely waterproof

Cons:

Quite pricey for a pair of socks.

These have a thick knit in the heel and sole for comfort and shock absorption and using high density materials, they double up on comfort and with an added bonus of keeping your feet warm.

Pros:

Nice long length

Shock Absorbing

Comfortable

Cons:

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