Venustas Heated Vest – Test and Review

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Updated May 9th, 2024

Skiing and snowboarding are a lot of fun. Keeping warm makes cold weather sports a lot more enjoyable. A heated jacket or vest can make a big difference in staying warm. We recently got a chance to try out the Venustas heated vest 7.4v which can help keep you warm on the coldest days on the slopes. We found it did a great job keeping our core warm on a cold day. Keep reading for the full good and bad on the Venustas Heated Vest.

Features of the Venustas Heated Vest 7.4 volt

Venustas contacted us this winter to try out some of their heated clothing. I have always been skeptical of heated clothing and wasn’t sure how well it would actually work. Venustas makes a wide range of heated apparel including jackets, pants, baselayers, and gloves. They sent us a couple heated vests to try out. I was very pleasantly surprised at how well they work. They will become a permanent part of our skiing outfits on cooler days. As always with our reviews, we will tell you everything good and bad about a product so you can make an informed decision.

We chose the vests for skiing to wear under a ski jacket or shell. My arms don’t get cold that much and I don’t like the extra bulk. If you keep your core temperature warm, the rest of you will stay warm. While skiing your arms and legs do a lot of work so they don’t get as cold.

We got both a men’s and women’s version of the 7.4 volt heated vest. Venustas makes several versions of the vest including a cheaper 5 volt version. They make a version with a collar and a version with a v-neck. Ours are the collared version. There are also versions with a removable hood. I do not like wearing several hoods at once and all my ski jackets are hooded. I opted for a version without a hood or detachable hood.

Price

The Venustas heated vest 7.4 volt retails for $159.99. With our discount code ERO15 you can get it for $125.99 from VenustasOfficial.com. It is also available on Amazon.

Heat across body

The vest has carbon fiber heating elements in the collar, shoulder, lower back, and chest(pockets). See the below image for the locations of the heating zones.

The vest has 3 heating settings.

According to Venustas, the battery life should be as follows:

• High – 3-4 hours
• Medium – 6-7 hours
• Low – 9-11 hours

In our tests we found the battery life for each heat setting to be as follows:

• High – 3 hours
• Medium – 4 hours
• Low – 7 hours

Every review I have ever read or written has mentioned the battery life has always been a few hours less than specified by the manufacturer. Battery life is 1-2 hours less than specified for each heat level for the vests. This holds true for every manufacturer of heated clothing and gloves.

Easy to use heating controls.

Using the heating feature is simple. You just plug the battery into the cord in the vest. Zip the battery storage pocket shut. Hold down the power button on the front of the vest for a few seconds to turn it on. It starts off in a pre-heat mode at high power for 5 minutes. After that, it will default to a medium setting. You can change between high, medium, and low by holding the button for 1 second. The LED around the button changes color for the different heat levels. High is red. Medium is white. Low is blue. To turn it off you hold the button for a few seconds until the LED turns off.

Charging batteries

A charging cord is included with the vest. It is a simple USB C cord with a 110 volt USB adapter. To charge, you plug the cord into the battery and outlet. There is an LED on the side of the battery that tells you how full the battery is. It takes around 4 hours for the batteries to fully charge.

Use batteries to charge other devices

The batteries have a USB outlet on them. This is to use them for charging other battery operated devices like your phone. If you are in a pinch and need your phone or bluetooth speaker charged up, you can use the vest batteries to charge it. That will use up battery charge so you will have less heating time with your vest.

Materials and Insulation

The vest has a nylon outer shell with polyester fiber fill insulation. On the inside, it has a mylar heat reflective layer similar to a Space Blanket. They use YKK zippers. The construction seems pretty good. I don’t see any crooked seams or flaws in the sewing anywhere in either vest.

Fit

I normally wear XL clothing. I ordered a size XL vest. The fit is good. It’s not overly loose. There is enough room to layer underneath it for baselayers and a sweater without much extra. The sizing runs about average. My wife’s vest is size M which she normally wears. It’s a little big on her.

Machine Washable

The heated vest can be machine washed. It should be washed with cold water in a gentle cycle. Hang it to dry. Do not put it in a dryer.

How well does the Venustas Heated vest work?

I have worn the vest for several days now indoors and out. I am getting a consistent 4 hours of battery on medium power. This is through a few charges on both the batteries we have. This is a little less than the 6 hours that Venustas puts on their website.

The vest starts up with a pre-heat cycle which is high power for 5 minutes. It gets warm during this time. After this, you can change the power lever. It defaults to medium power.

I can feel the vest making heat on low power but not a lot. I find the neck and back heat to be most noticeable. I don’t notice the shoulder and front pocket heat as much.

It is nice and warm on medium. The heated neck is especially nice sitting on chair lifts where you can lean your head back into it. This is an area where you get cold skiing from air going down into the neck opening on your jacket. The back is heat is warm enough to make you feel good sitting on a cold chair. It helps a lot on cold days to have focused heat in these areas.

On high power, it gets a little warmer than medium. Not a lot. It does shorten the battery life by an hour.

The pockets get nice and warm on all 3 settings. I found the heating vest works well as a hand warmer on all 3 settings if I put my hands in the pockets.

How comfortable is it?

The battery is located on your back on the left side. I don’t directly lean on the battery pack when I’m sitting down. It’s off to the side far enough. I don’t notice it unless I’m thinking about it. I don’t notice any extra stiffness in the vest in the heating element zones. They are flexible enough.

Overall I like wearing the vest. It works well under a shell jacket or insulated jacket to give some extra warmth. It’s got enough insulation to add some value when turned off. It’s not too bulky where it gets in the way of moving.

How long does the battery last?

The battery lasts around 4 hours on medium power which is what most of you will use while skiing. This gives you 2 hours in the morning. You get another 2 hours after lunch. It’s easy to turn off and on with the button on your chest. You can turn it off when not needed while skiing. You can turn it back on for chair lift rides or when feeling colder.

If you are skiing somewhere really cold like Banff you will probably want to get 2 batteries. That will allow you to run it on high for your entire ski day.

Venustas Heated Vest 7.4v Summary

Venustas Discount Code

Use our discount code ERO15 to get 15% off at VenustasOfficial.com

The Verdict

If you tend to get cold while skiing or snowboarding or other outdoor activity, a heated vest is a really good idea. It helps keep your core temperature warm underneath your ski jacket. It makes a big difference in how you feel. I highly recommend the Venustas Heated Vest 7.4volt for anyone looking for a heated vest for skiing or check out some of the other heated clothes from Venustas Heated Apparel.

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