Regatta Thermogen Heated Jacket

How Do Heated Jackets Work?

If you're going to spend a lot of time outdoors during the colder months, (whether for enjoyment or employment) you'll really feel the benefit of wearing a heated jacket. Gone are the days of wandering out of the house in the morning to be met with the cold bite of winter, even if it's just to quickly run from your front door and into your car or to stop you from freezing whilst defrosting it.

Heated Jackets: Everything You Need To Know

Sceptical about heated jackets? Read on to have your questions answered.

How Do Heated Jackets Actually Work?

Heated jackets work similarly to heated blankets and heated car seats. During assembly, the back of each jacket is lined with an electronically powered copper heating zone, powered by a battery pack which sits within an inside pocket.

They’re toggled on and off via a small temperature control inside the jacket, of which there’s up to three different heating settings to choose from on our range-topping Volter Shield IV.

Heated Jacket technology explainer

How Long Does The Battery Pack Last?

On a full charge, you can expect up to two hours worth of continuous heating from our entry-level Voltera & Volter Loft II heated jackets and up to six hours from the Voltera III & Volter Shield III, though this is best used in short bursts to conserve some battery power for when you need really need it. The battery itself is USB powered and is sold separately from the heated jacket. We recommend disconnecting the battery when you aren’t wearing the jacket as the battery can slowly drain over time.

Fun Fact: You can also charge your smartphone!

How Long Do Heated Jackets Take To Heat Up?

Our heated jackets don’t warm up instantaneously, they’ll take a few minutes to fully get going to a point where you’ll start to feel the benefit.

Once you’re fully warmed up, you won’t need to keep the heating functionality switched on, as our insulating THERMOGUARD technology will take over and help to retain all the core body heat you’ve built up.

Men's thermogen jacket by regatta

Are Heated Jackets Safe?

Yes. Heated jackets are safe, though scepticism on their safety is reasonable as water and electricity doesn’t make for a healthy combination. If the jacket were to somehow get wet inside the lining, we would advise taking the jacket off and disconnecting the battery immediately, though getting wet won’t damage the jacket.

The temperature control embedded within the jacket is waterproof, and you can even wash the jacket in your washing machine as long as the USB battery is removed before washing.

It’s also worth nothing that you should not use a heated jacket if you suffer from a serious illness or chronic health condition such as heart disease, anaemia, low blood pressure, paralysis, hypertension, diabetes or any other condition that causes poor circulation.

As for the battery, you’re protected by a variety of safety features, including:

  • Over Charge & Discharge Protection
  • Over Voltage Protection
  • Over Current Protection
  • Short Circuit Protection
  • Over & Under Temperature Protection
  • Loop Back Protection

What About Overheating?

Our heated jackets have an internal thermostat, so that they only heat up to the desired temperature setting you have set it to. However, if the temperature were to exceed this setting for any reason, there’s a built in safety cut-out which will turn the jacket off immediately.

rg_uk-Blog - Author - Chris Taylor

Chris Taylor

Chris covers all things gear and lifestyle related for Destination Outdoors.

Publish Date: 09/01/2023

Updated: 19/03/2024