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Heated Clothing Question


James_H

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I am going to buy some heated clothing this month, a jacket liner and gloves. They will be for my wife but might buy some for me also. I have been looking at the options. I found there are two main vendors (maybe three), Gerbring and Warm and Safe. A third option appears to be the same as Warm and Safe, Powerlet. Price is part of the consideration. However, I believe you get what you pay for. A set of Powerlet (maybe same as Warm and Safe) is being sold on the ST Forum for about $380 (Jacket liner, gloves, and controller). The same items would cost about $100 more from Gerbring. or from Warm and Safe.

 

Considerations, I like the G3 gloves from Gerbring. They look light and supple. My wife shies away from the thicker gloves because they are thick and make hand motion awkward. Also Gerbring appears to sell a smaller size in their line. I like the look of the Gerbring controller. It looks streamlined and while looks aren’t everything, it does indicate some attention to detail. This might well carry through to the clothing. Warm and Safe makes a big deal about their controller being solid state pulse width modulation for heat control. It would seem that this should be uniform for both vendors but I have not found out how the Gerbring works.

 

Having said all that, the savings of $100 must be considered, potentially $200. I’d welcome any options on these selections particularly if you have used both.

 

Thanks.

 

Jim

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I have the Gerbing Classic gloves which I bought before the Gerbing G3 came out. A friend of mine just bought a pair of the G3. He complained about not enough heat from the G3 and compared them to my Classics and thought the Classics put out much more heat. He was also told by Gerbing that they can turn up the heat a bit on the G3 and he sent them back for review and adjustment.

 

The Classic model from my own experience is a bit bulky but not that bad to wear. In fact I like them because they are so warm that a lot of the time I do not even need to put on the heat in the gloves.

 

To me this is important because if I'm out riding and its cold and I don't have heat from the gloves I know I still have a good amount of hand protection from the cold.

 

I wouldn't mind having a pair of the G3 gloves for the colder Fall and Spring days/nights but in cold weather as far as I'm concerned the Classic is the way to go.

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Just got the W&S Jacket ($189) and Heattroller control unit ($69). There were three configurations of heattrollers, got the unmounted version. Jacket is comfortable, works well, and installation took 10 minutes. Just connected to battery and placed a few wire ties to route the cord out from under the back seat.

 

I don't know what they charge for gloves, but the jacket is all set up to connect them off of it.

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Jim

Like you said "You get what you paid for". I noticed this "Made in China" tag (see attachment) on a Gerbing liner that is on eBay.

You might do some research on all their websites.

Personally, I would give Warm and Safe a long look. I have one of their semi-permanent controllers and it works great.

956004-Gerbingtag.JPG.5f78ade964a71739f5c44602c93fc916.JPG

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Formerly_Capecodbeemer

Another vote for the Warm and Safe. Starting third season and still impressed. Not sure if the Gerbings is the same but the W&S has strech panels on the sides to keep it snug and still give with movement. Have the permanent controls mounted on the dash.

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In the Women's sizes, I found that the Warm and Safe jacket design, with its longer arms and stretch panels, was a better more comfortable fit than the Gerbings which was large on my body and short on my arms. The closer fit fits nicely under my jacket.

 

I also like that all the various cord pockets are zippered so they can be tucked well away.

 

There is a pricier heated vest out of GB called EXO.

Linky

They say the fabric is heated and there are no wires inside the jacket. I wanted to be able to heat my arms and spend less money, so I didn't look into this one. I found the product intriguing, however.

 

I strongly recommend finding a stocking dealer to examine the products and try them on as sizing can vary. Happy shopping!

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What price would you put on Gerbings lifetime guarantee on the electrical components of their products?

 

The EXO heated vest uses the same technology as the BMW heated vest.

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I've had a few electric vests, BMW and Widder. Both excellent. I now have a Gerbing and like the idea of the lifetime warrantee. I'm using the controller from the Widder with it and It's absolutely lovely. Dial in the comfy you want and enjoy.

I tried the Widder gloves with the jacket but it seemed to suck the heat out of the jacket. Gloves would need a seperate line to work well.

With problems I had with the Widder heat elements breaking and being a the PITA to repair The life time with the Gerbing seems good.

Butt! with the Darien jacket and liner worn over the Gerbing I don't have to turn it on much. I'm I pocket of comfort behing the RT fairing. wave.gif

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What price would you put on Gerbings lifetime guarantee on the electrical components of their products?

A point to consider is the Warm-n-Safe gear is made here in the USA, Gerbing is made in China. Warm-n-Safe is of the highest quality. Mike Coan, the owner is a rider and a heck of an engineer. He designed the original heat troller which Gerbing stole from him, then had mass produced in China.

 

Warranty - Both manufacturers carry a lifetime warranty on the elctrical components. So, in this respect they are equal.

 

Warm n Safe is a better product, uses less amps, provides more heat, better materials, better fitment, and better price.

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Warm n Safe is a better product, uses less amps, provides more heat, better materials, better fitment, and better price.

 

Not to be picky but: All electric liners are 100% efficient (there are very few photons of light being emitted). If it draws more power, it generates more heat.

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I've only used the Gerbing jacket liner and G3 gloves and I tgried teh Widder vest and chaps. Forget the Widder stuff. The vest leaves you with cold arms and neck and the arm chaps are ridiculous. The Gerbing's jacket liner is great. It ahs wires in the collar too. The G3 gloves are less bulky than the classic gloves. Frequently, they are warm enough, compared to regular gloves, without heat to them. I don't know where my Gerbings were made. I'm not palnning on eating them so if there is china lead in the liner it is ok with me.

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A point to consider is the Warm-n-Safe gear is made here in the USA, Gerbing is made in China. Warm-n-Safe is of the highest quality. Mike Coan, the owner is a rider and a heck of an engineer. He designed the original heat troller which Gerbing stole from him, then had mass produced in China.

 

I know there have been issues between Gerbing and Warm and Safe. As a dealer, we used to receive these epic tirade e-mails from Mike Coan ranting on and on about Chinese products vs. American, all the while he rides a BMW. You can't have it both ways.

 

Greg, a suggestion if I may. Whatever the issues, before you make a factual-sounding statement using words like "stole" I would make sure of your facts. Getting sucked in as a participant in a legal battle can be expensive and/or time consuming, even if you're just repeating what someone has told you.

 

I don't KNOW what went on between the companies, and I want to make that perfectly clear.

 

----

 

 

Both Gerbing and Warm and Safe make good gear. You won't go wrong with the quality of either, based on our experience and that of our customers. I will tell you this, however. Gerbing makes more sizes, and more torso/arm length combinations, than anyone. With Gerbing I have fit customers with everything from a 30" sleeve to a 40" sleeve, and from a 26" chest to a 62" chest.

 

In the past year, we have had two instances where we needed to order a replacement Warm and Safe controller for a customer. In both instances it was impossible to get through to a human being at Warm and Safe. In the first instance, there was a nice message saying that Mike Coan was on vacation in Europe and please call back in two weeks when someone would be at the office. In the second instance, we called several times during a work day and eventually left a voice mail which they did not return for three days. By that time we'd gotten Gerbing to step up and donate a controller. That's darned impressive since the failed controller was one of their competitors'. (More on this later)

 

I can reach Gerbing Monday through Friday during normal working hours and there is always someone to answer the phone. On rare occassion I've left a voice mail and I get a prompt call back.

 

Lastly, the Gerbing approach to Customer Satisfaction is absolutely stellar. I've had them warranty stuff that was YEARS out of warranty, simply because, as they put it, "that's our customer." And they've done it more times than I can recall. It's just the way they do business. They're extremely loyal to those who are loyal to them, and they're just plain kind to those who buy a competitor's brand.

 

Again, this does not speak to the quality of the products. Both, from what I've learned, are very good. But when it comes to needing something for a customer who's cold, Gerbing has always been there for us and for our/their customers. Our dealership's experience with Warm and Safe has been the opposite. Now, those experiences may have been isolated instances. But that's all we have to go on. Had our experience been different, I would have told you that, too.

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Gerbings.

2 jacket liners

2 G3 gloves

2 controllers

0 problems

1 exchange, per my mistake, no problems

5 phone calls for orders, checking, etc., always talked to a friendly individual

pleasant, courteous, staff,

1 return of their glove liners that my wife found too hot, no problem, same friendly service

all items on time or early

on 1 return they mailed the product replacement before I returned the item

Warm and Safe may be as good, better, or worse, than Gerbings.

I don't have personal experience w/them.

You asked. lurker.gif

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Greg from Bakes....and EffBee..

 

thanks for your posts to this thread...both excellent thumbsup.gif

 

my vote for the American product always..

 

MB>

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Mrs. Whip and I have used Widder products for the last several years. They work very well and have never had any malfunctions or breakdowns.

 

We used them extensively in Alaska, Death Valley, and even Fall Torrey.

 

I bought a set of Widder Heated gloves while in Alaska and was very impressed by the way they work.

 

http://www.widder.com/

 

Whip

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IN process of maybe getting some gear. I will go for a jacket liner and rely on heated grips otherwise with good warm gloves (not heated) I can have a few heat packs along if needed for some reason.

Made in China or Mexico or assembled in xxxx from imported parts. MOst of the stuff is designed in USA and marketed in USA so only some material and low grade labor is foreign. Most of the value of the product stays in USA. Same with toys etc....

Automobiles are a little different so those Amerifiles have a really hard time explaining why they drive something less American........

 

Garments are seldom made here unless they are handmade specialty stuff (like heated gear)

 

I will let you know what I bought and how it works, once it gets cold first.

h thumbsup.gif

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Warm n Safe is a better product, uses less amps, provides more heat, better materials, better fitment, and better price.

 

Not to be picky but: All electric liners are 100% efficient (there are very few photons of light being emitted). If it draws more power, it generates more heat.

 

As to power delivered to the electrics, correct. Apparently, however, there is an argument that some controllers produce wasted heat.

 

On the other hand, even if true, I'm not entirely sure this is an issue... would you notice in your fuel economy?

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Fernando,

 

I don't like to sidetrack a thread but feel a small need to respond to your post. I don't know why you took offense to my statement. It was a pretty innocuous statement in my way of thinking. If I get a knock at the door from the think police for what I said, well, I guess shame on me. However, I don't think public correction from you was warranted.

 

As for Warm-n-Safe, I have spoke with Mike Coan many times and purchased his products in the past. I have only had great service service from his company. I am sorry your store has not had the same stellar experience.

 

My apologies to you all for the slight hijack.

 

EDIT: Just to clear the air, I have also purchased from Gerbing in the past. On each contact they were prompt, curteous and very helpful. If I ensinuated a different message by not mentioning them previously, then I hope this clears that up.

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I have the Warm and Safe jacket and gloves. Both work well. Gloves are so comfortable that I wore them the entire time on my trip to California. You get a discount if you indicate that you have taken the MSF course. The warmth from the collar is a nice touch.

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Fernando,

 

I don't like to sidetrack a thread but feel a small need to respond to your post. I don't know why you took offense to my statement. It was a pretty innocuous statement in my way of thinking. If I get a knock at the door from the think police for what I said, well, I guess shame on me. However, I don't think public correction from you was warranted.

 

As for Warm-n-Safe, I have spoke with Mike Coan many times and purchased his products in the past. I have only had great service service from his company. I am sorry your store has not had the same stellar experience.

 

My apologies to you all for the slight hijack.

 

EDIT: Just to clear the air, I have also purchased from Gerbing in the past. On each contact they were prompt, curteous and very helpful. If I ensinuated a different message by not mentioning them previously, then I hope this clears that up.

 

Greg, no problem at all. My concern is that as long as Mike Coan continues on his tirades and the spreading of negativity about Gerbing, the good folks at Gerbing may run out of patience. If that happens, statements such as yours, and how you came to possess such an "opinion" might be called into the dispute. That means eating up your valuable time, and time is money. Just a friendly caveat.

 

Your experiences with WS differ from mine. I know that one cannot come to a valid statistical conclusion based on just two experiences, so I said that they might be anomalies. But they were the only thing I had to go on. I think it's great that you have always gotten through. We could not, and we also found the place shut down for a couple of weeks for vacation. Not good for my customer, but fortunately Gerbing came through for them when WS wasn't there to. Can you imagine Honda providing a free part for a Yamaha (assuming they could) because Yamaha was unreachable? That's what Gerbing did.

 

As to product, I have no favorites. I know how well Gerbings work, both having used them and sold them. I have heard how well Warm and Safe works from people whose experiences and evaluations I trust. Seems pretty even.

 

One final feature that might or might not be a difference between the two products. The Gerbings are wired with two independent circuits for the jacket liner and for the gloves. Therefore, by using a dual controller, one can set independent temperatures for each. I don't know if other heated clothing offers this feature.

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Gerbing makes more sizes, and more torso/arm length combinations, than anyone.

 

Getting a good fit is important.

 

I had a great experience getting fitted at my local dealer before ordering through them. I got a perfect fit. clap.gif

 

Another thing you don't often read about, for heated garments, is crash safety. For Gerbing, the power cord has an in-line electrical connector between the jacket and the bike. It stays in place nicely until it is pulled taut, as it would be in a crash, and then it disconnects. That's good because it means that you aren't tethered to the bike in a crash. Don't know if the other brands are that way, too.

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Hi,

 

Had a chance to try on the Powerlet(Warm n Safe manufactured) gloves today at the RKA booth at the IMS San Mateo.

Nice fitting glove for me and looks well constructed.

If I were buying,I'd get these,as they are made with the breatheable waterproof liner,plus decent protection using carbon fiber panels.

 

Have a Warm n Safe liner,fits me better than my previous Gerbing.

 

If that Powerlet set is still available and fits you,that seems like a great deal!

 

JR356

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Have both a Widder Vest (Mine) and a Warm n Safe Jacket (Wifes) While it took a couple attempts to contact Mike to clarify Sizing, I found him courteous and responsive. He also provided an MSF instructor discount smile.gif

 

Both sets of gear, and their controllers are well made, and operate as advertised. The jacket pulls more power (90 watts vs. 55 for the vest) so that might be an issue depending on what you ride.

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Fernando,

One final feature that might or might not be a difference between the two products. The Gerbings are wired with two independent circuits for the jacket liner and for the gloves. Therefore, by using a dual controller, one can set independent temperatures for each. I don't know if other heated clothing offers this feature.

 

The Warm'n'safe jacket liner also has this feature. I have a mix of gear. Warm'n'Safe jacket liner, Gerbings G3 gloves and Gerbings dual controller. The dual controller is plugged into the liner and independently controlling the liner and the gloves plugged into the sleeves. They all work well together.

 

I went the Warm'n'safe liner route after a season of cold arms with a Gerbing's vest. I liked the fact that the WarmNSafe liner has the stretch panels. With the Gerbing vest I felt too restricted in my movements and figured that I'd have the same issue with the jacket liner unless I bought a looser fit - which wouldn't be as effective since the goal is to keep the heated material snug against your body.

 

As for negative experiences with Gerbing. In case folks were unaware, Gerbing has an outlet website where they sell older versions at a significant discount. On September 28th I placed an order for a Union Ridge Jacket and Pants outfit. They tell you that they will check inventory for your size and let you know if it is available within 2-3 days. After a week of not hearing anything I attempted to send an email for status - no response after two days. I then called them and was told that the person that handles those orders was on another line so they took a message for her to call me back. This person is different than the person who is noted on the website as handling outlet orders. No call back. I called at the end of the next day and reached the person who told me that they would have to look into it and get back to me. The next day I get an email that says "Thank you for your order. We regret to inform you that the items you ordered are unavailable." Ok, no dice, right? A week later I get another email that says "Thank you for your order. We regret to inform you that the Union Ridge jacket you ordered is unavailable. All other items on your order will be shipped out." from a different person. I call and told her about the previous mail from the other person and ask what's going on. This woman tells me that she's now handling the outlet orders and that there was no record of the previous person's email to me, but that my pants indeed will ship but the jacket in the size I requested wasn't available. I asked if the jacket was available in the next size up and am told that she can't access inventory and would have to send a request to the warehouse and get back to me. Two days later (now October 18th - three weeks after placing my order), I get another email telling me the same thing - no jacket, other items will ship. I call back and tell them to cancel the entire order. It appears that - at the very least - their outlet store is poorly managed. As a footnote, I just went to the website - http://www.heatedclothingoutlet.com/shop/ - and it says that the site is closed and will reopen in the Spring. I don't know if this is because they simply sold out of all of their outlet stuff or if they realized that they need to get their act together - or both.

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Hey James

 

I left something out. After rereading your original post I thought about why we use the Widder products over the Gerbing.

They take up less space. Traveling two up across the country tryin to fit enough "stuff" for the two of us is always a challenge.(not for me) The vests just take up less space than the jackets. The other thing is we don't travel below 20 degrees.

 

Good Luck and have fun.

 

Whip

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I had a Gerbings liner that didn't fit right. My mistake, not theirs, but, it forced me to look around. I just bought a WnS liner and am very impressed with it. Seems much warmer, although, that could be due to the fit of the Gerbings, not the liner.

The day after I placed the order, I decided to order a pair of their gloves. They offer to add another item and not charge shipping. In my glove order, I asked if it would still be possible to do so. I had palced the original order over the weekend. 10 min. after placing order for gloves, I get a call from Mike Coan. The guy with the name on the door, assuring me that if they were not included, they would cover shipping! Can't beat that kind of customer service by a mile!

 

WEll, the liner and gloves arrive. 3 days after placing order. That's coast to coast. Liner works perfect. Gloves not so. I email Mike. Within 5 min. I get another email instructing me to send back my gloves for exchange or full refund. Again, can't ask for better service.

 

I bought my Gerbing at another store, so, I have nothing to compare Gerbings customer service to, but, so, far, Warm n Safe gets my dollars. That is, until I decide to buy a liner for the bottom, which WnS does not make!

 

The whole made in china vs. america thing is moot to me, since a) everything is made in China these days, and, it doesn't mean it is inferior anymore and b)my WnS gear has a label that states, "Made in Pakistan" confused.gif Maybe the electrics are all done in the US??

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Hey James

 

I left something out. After rereading your original post I thought about why we use the Widder products over the Gerbing.

They take up less space. Traveling two up across the country tryin to fit enough "stuff" for the two of us is always a challenge.(not for me) The vests just take up less space than the jackets. The other thing is we don't travel below 20 degrees.

 

 

 

Good Luck and have fun.

 

Whip

 

I also like the Widder vest, and I agree about the space issue even though I'm traveling solo.

 

I found the heated jacket, inside my liner, inside my outer jacket, was uncomfortable for me, too much bulk and too tight which can lead to heat loss.

 

allikanbe mentioned the Widder vest left him with a cold neck. I have not found this to be the case with mine. It has a nice neck element that does the job perfectly.

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Hey James

 

I left something out. After rereading your original post I thought about why we use the Widder products over the Gerbing.

They take up less space. Traveling two up across the country tryin to fit enough "stuff" for the two of us is always a challenge.(not for me) The vests just take up less space than the jackets. The other thing is we don't travel below 20 degrees.

 

 

 

Good Luck and have fun.

 

Whip

 

I also like the Widder vest, and I agree about the space issue even though I'm traveling solo.

 

I found the heated jacket, inside my liner, inside my outer jacket, was uncomfortable for me, too much bulk and too tight which can lead to heat loss.

 

allikanbe mentioned the Widder vest left him with a cold neck. I have not found this to be the case with mine. It has a nice neck element that does the job perfectly.

 

We have the Widder 2 vests with extra neck warmers.

 

http://www.widder.com/html/Product/System2/index.html

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One more thing. Because I have a pretty hard time finding clothes that fit and motorcycle shops that stock women's gear in my size, it was important to me to find a local distributor where I could try on the gear.

 

Our local BMW dealer is listed as a Gerbings dealer and I went over there first. They had no gear in stock except for a few odds and ends on clearance. And, as noted in my prior post, they had one small jacket that was a very poor fit for me. They were equivocal about whether they were getting more product into the shop anytime soon.

 

I looked on the internet for other dealers of electric gear and discovered our independent shop carried warm n safe. When I called him, he had my size in stock.

 

Although I liked the features of warm n safe I identified in my prior post, I must also add that the ability to go to a retailer that stocks the products made the difference to me.

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Lastly, the Gerbing approach to Customer Satisfaction is absolutely stellar.
I've got to tell this little Gerbing customer service story...

 

I have heated seats on our GS and to get variable heat I use the Gerbing in-dash single controller in each. Now keep in mind this is not their OEM use of this controller to say the least...

 

Well when I low-sided the GS a couple of weeks ago as the bike slid down the road one of the things that got ground off was the knob and stem of one of the controllers sticking out the side of the seat. Kind of saved the side of the seat from damage actually.

 

So, time to order one to replace, right? Placed the order on-line with Gerbing. The next day they called ME checking to make sure this shouldn't be a warranty replacement! After I assured them this wasn't in any way their fault, they went ahead and sent it out. And billed me as they should of course. But now THAT'S customer service IMHO. I don't care where the product is manufactured!

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  • 2 weeks later...
Greg from Bakes....and EffBee..

 

thanks for your posts to this thread...both excellent thumbsup.gif

 

my vote for the American product always..

 

MB>

 

Done some additional checking in the past week. While it appears that the Warm N'Safe controllers are made in the U.S., the clothing may be made in Pakistan. The controllers may be headed there for future manufacture as well.

 

Not that this makes them better or worse. I'm just trying to clarify some information.

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Hi. What about the new Tourmaster Synergy electric gear? Is it any good? It seems to be priced lower. Thanks.

 

---John.

The nicest thing about the tourmaster gear is that it includes the controller for less money than the other brands without a controller. I bought a vest to check it out and it works great - love the high collar.
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Jim

 

Very happy with my Gerbing, no experience with the other. Last winter, I splurged on a pair of RevIt winter gloves with the phase change material in them. Paid $120 at the dealer, on sale. I don't know if the PCM is a marketing hoax or not, but the gloves are terrific. I wanted to avoid electric gloves, due to the (admittedly minor) hassle of connecting them. The RevIt's take the heat from the grips and seem to spread it though the glove. Again, excellent. They got a little cold last winter on a windy 4 degree day, but in the teens and twenties Fahrenheit they work great. Nicely armored on the knuckles.

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Hi. What about the new Tourmaster Synergy electric gear? Is it any good? It seems to be priced lower. Thanks.

 

---John.

The nicest thing about the tourmaster gear is that it includes the controller for less money than the other brands without a controller. I bought a vest to check it out and it works great - love the high collar.

 

Does it come with the BMW accessory plug? TIA.

 

---John.

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Jim

 

.......The RevIt's take the heat from the grips and seem to spread it though the glove......

 

That seems a neat idea. Looked on their website but could find nothing about this design feature. Any more information you can provide?

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Interesting takes on the various products. I have been using a Widder vest and arm chaps for over two years. I would NOT buy them again. The on/off switch broke when it was 19^ on a ride. My dealer told me it's a common problem. They essentially tack a little solder to a post inside the switch and in time it breaks off. Cheapo.

 

The socket connection from cord to vest got loose and falls off all the time when riding until I rigged some velcro to it. Really a cheesey set-up.

 

The arm chaps are worthless as they heat the underside of your arms and not the top where the wind blast is.

The vest heats fine, but the neck does get cold.

Look elsewhere for heated clothing.

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Jim

 

Very happy with my Gerbing, no experience with the other. Last winter, I splurged on a pair of RevIt winter gloves with the phase change material in them. Paid $120 at the dealer, on sale. I don't know if the PCM is a marketing hoax or not, but the gloves are terrific. I wanted to avoid electric gloves, due to the (admittedly minor) hassle of connecting them. The RevIt's take the heat from the grips and seem to spread it though the glove. Again, excellent. They got a little cold last winter on a windy 4 degree day, but in the teens and twenties Fahrenheit they work great. Nicely armored on the knuckles.

 

+1. I have them & they do work great w heated grips. The material is "phase change" (German manufacturer)and is in the BMW long johns I have.

 

They aren't bad in the summer either.

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Jim

 

.......The RevIt's take the heat from the grips and seem to spread it though the glove......

 

That seems a neat idea. Looked on their website but could find nothing about this design feature. Any more information you can provide?

I wrote this several weeks ago...
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I've used a Kanetsu vest and Gerbring socks for a some years now with complete satisfaction. Used a buddy's Gerbring vest a couple years back for a weekend and was equally comfortable. I've never felt the need to have a fully heated jacket/pants combo and I ride well into the 20s. Having a heated seat + vest keeps the central venous blood warm and heated socks + heated grips works on the distal parts. But make no bones about it - you NEED a decent riding jacket and pants to make the heated clothing work to its potential.

 

Good luck choosing.

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outpost22, if the arm chaps are heating the bottom of your arms then you have them on backwards, they go over the top and in front. they make a vest with a heated collar and one without, if your neck is getting cold then get the other vest. I am WAY happy with my widder electric stuff.

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outpost22, if the arm chaps are heating the bottom of your arms then you have them on backwards, they go over the top and in front. they make a vest with a heated collar and one without, if your neck is getting cold then get the other vest. I am WAY happy with my widder electric stuff.

 

No they are not on backwards. That is the way they mount. and they do somewhat go over the top until you relax your elbows. The inside of the arm is then exposed to the cold.

 

Also, I would not waste my money on another of their product to heat my neck. I would solve that issue by going to another brand/manufacturer, especially after my experience with their cheesy cord set-up. eek.gif

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Has anybody seen the new Tourmaster Synergy Electric Jacket Liners that are now out? It comes with a controller for only $161.99

 

No, but I CAN tell you that the website for Tourmaster/Cortech says out of stock... confused.gif Tried to find them locally as well(4 shops) no luck, each was listed as a distributor... THEN/...

 

Just picked up a system 2 Widder vest, BMW plug and electronic controller for 143.29 out the door. Think I scored this time, they were discounted, and I don't know why.. guess they didn't sell too well at a Cycle Gear store..they still have some left..

 

All this discussion of "heated gear" got me excited crazy.gif

 

MB>

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Has anybody seen the new Tourmaster Synergy Electric Jacket Liners that are now out? It comes with a controller for only $161.99

 

Disclaimer: We're a Top Ten Gerbing dealer. We also carry Tour Master clothing. I also used to work for Tour Master's parent company, so I don't have a dog in this fight and feel that I can be pretty objective.

 

When the Synergy gear was announced, we ordered a set in to see how it compared and how it was made. Here's what we learned.

 

Quality: The nylon material feels OK, albeit just a tad thinner than Gerbings. Stitching of fabrics appeared adequate. No gaps were found.

 

Sizing. Gerbing clothing has far more sizes for the kind of snug, accurate fit that delivers the greatest warmth. The synergy jacket and vest have a 5" elasticized strip from the armpit to the waist in order to compensate for a variety of sizes within their XS-XXL range. Naturally, this elastic not only has no heating capabilities, but can allow heat to escape.

 

Warranty: I haven't heard an "official" warranty, but it should at least be as good as Gerbings if they want to compete. The downside is, should you need warranty work, you cannot go direct to Tour Master. They are part of a large distributor and they deal primarily with dealer issues. It is up to their dealers to deal with consumer issues. With Gerbing you can call and talk to someone who will give you a warranty repair/return number and get the process rolling. Additionally, if you have a warranty claim within the first 30 days with Gerbing, they will reimburse your UPS Ground shipping charges to get the product back to them, and of course they'll ship it back no-charge as well.

 

Controller: It is a 3-position, low thru high. Low and med are both pretty low. Useful only in mild cold. High is high. The heat range of the medium setting needs to be brought up because in our testing, we kept switching back and forth between med and high. In this respect, the variable controller from Gerbing (as well as the one from Widder) is far better.

 

Jacket: The arms get warm, in particular the forearms. The chest gets a lot less heat. The back almost none. It is not even heating throughout the garment. However, underneath a jacket I imagine it will provide more comfort in the cold than not having any heated gear. Just be aware that to get enough heat to your torso, your forearms will be quite warm, almost hot. Overall, I would rate it poor.

 

Vest: Chest gets warm, back much less so. Not a bad garment. If you can live without heated sleeves, this is a good buy, keeping in mind the controller issue.

 

Chaps: Relatively worthless if worn over your jeans. If worn under your riding gear, then your knees and thighs get hot. Your calves get warm. Your butt freezes. We were not impressed.

 

Gloves: Convoluted wiring. A real clusterfart. However, the gloves do get warm and that's good. Fit, however, was an issue. The thumb/forefinger web is too tight. Grabbing a grip made it worse, especially trying to reach for the brake with your first two fingers. You may end up wearing one size larger just to get this to fit well. So, apart from the wiring and the fit (and when it comes to fit we're all different, so YMMV), the gloves are decent.

 

Comparing all this to Gerbing, the Synergy line is in its infancy. I believe Tour Master will work on it to make it better, and if their progress with their regular jackets and pants is any indication, they will succeed, although the price may go up as they add the features and quality the market demands.

 

At present, the emergence of the Synergy gear will serve to introduce many new riders to the season-extending potential that heated clothing provides. Being new to heated gear, many noobs may think they've got good gear, much like noobs think a half helmet provides good protection. In time, they will grow in their appreciation of what quality heated gear can truly do for them and if Synergy hasn't yet gotten to that level, they'll move up to Gerbing. Keep in mind that heated clothing is a very small part of what Tour Master does. At Gerbing, it's EVERYTHING that they do, every day, all year long. Thus, you can't expect a first-year company to come in on par with an established and respected veteran.

 

Until then, I'll tell you the same thing I tell people about Autocom when they ask me about Chatterbox. Chatterbox does what it says. Autocom does it so much better that if you buy the less expensive brand you're eventually going to want the better brand. So you end up paying twice, or settling for less.

 

Again, as Synergy improves, this may change. But right now, it's a fair product, though not the best nor, given its shortcomings, the best value.

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Wow, thanks for a great review. That review alone is worth the price of admission. thumbsup.gif
You paid to get admission to this site!?! Heck I think there are a couple of people who would pay me to leave it! wink.gifgrin.gif

 

Seriously though, as Fernando said, to paraphrase a cliché from the telecom world, "Nobody ever got fired for buying Cisco/Gerbing."

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AdventurePoser

James,

 

FWIW, the Lovely Flame and I have used Widder Vests and now Gerbing liners. We love our Gerbings gear. Warm, comfy and great customer support from the dealer if necessary.

 

Cheers,and ride warm!

 

Steve in So Cal

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Update on the Synergy Gear. We probably should have sent it back when we were done checking it out. It wasn't up to par. But a customer came in asking for it, and it happened to be his size, so we sold it.

 

Just heard today that the gloves and the vest have stopped working. The customer doesn't want it warrantied, he wants his money back. We'll accommodate him, of course.

 

Again, I have high regard for a lot of the Tour Master Jackets and Pants. We carry them in our dealership and we think they are a decent, budget-priced line. But stepping into the world of heated gear is not something one does easily or is expected to do with great success the first year. It's going to take some time, with these products out in the hands of the public, before they get all the kinks out.

 

Aether, I don't want you to think I'm ignoring your comments. Yes, you had a bad experience. Gerbing should be notified of your displeasure. Given the way they usually handle things, and the inconsistent communication, I'd guess they were having personnel issues. It can happen, but it doesn't make it any less unpleasant for you.

 

I think I've been pretty even-handed in my observations. Gerbing's product and customer service shine. But they're not perfect. Tour Master has a good reputation in clothing, and their first effort into the world of heated clothing shows promise, but falls short. They are a strong company that will not give up and they will eventually have competitive products.

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