Golf Apparel Review: Mobile Warming Heated Golf Rain Jacket

Written by: Tony Korologos | Friday, November 9th, 2012
Categories: Golf Accessories • Golf Apparel • Golf Gear • Reviews

There are three inches of snow on the ground outside my house right now, and more snow is falling. Not golf weather. No worries though, because I have a HEATED jacket that can toast my upper body at up to 135 degrees, made by a cool company called Mobile Warming. Lets take a look at this great idea.

Mobile Warming Overview

Mobile Warming is a company based out of Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Wisconsinites know what cold is all about. MW makes heated apparel for men and women including jackets, shirts, vets and gloves. Their line is geared toward hunters, skiers, hikers, fishermen, motorcyclists and now golfers as well.

Heated Golf Rain Jacket

We are going to look at the Mobile Warming heated golf rain jacket specifically. This is a fine looking and greatly functional waterproof golf rain jacket on its own without the fancy electronics. The fit is nice and I love the way the stretchable liner near the wrists seals in the heat and keeps out the cold and water. The collar zips up to about mid neck, keeping the rain out.

Full power! Bring on the snow… click to magnify

Heating System

Now lets talk about the really fun stuff, the heating component of the jacket. The jacket’s heating system has three heating “panels” lined with steel alloy fiber elements. Two of the elements are situated on the chest of the jacket and one on the back. These areas are targeted because that is were we humans need it most.

The power source for the heat is a 7.4 volt rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery which charges in 4-6 hours. The battery produces up to 15 watts of power at 1 amp. Lithium-Ion batteries are great because they have almost no “battery memory,” when each charge lasts less and less until the battery is useless. Inside the left pocket of the jacket is the plug which plugs into the battery. The battery can provide up to 10 hours of heating, depending on the heat level selected on the battery.

Temperature Settings

There are four heat settings for the jacket, selectable from the battery:

Low – 90 degrees – 10 hours battery life
Medium – 105 degrees – 5 hours battery life
High – 120 degrees – 3 hours battery life
Full Power – 135 degrees – 2.5 hours battery life

On The Course – At The Game – In The Field

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a home football game, my beloved Utah Utes. We were braced for some very cold temperatures as the the game didn’t start until 7:45 p.m. A perfect opportunity to test out the Mobile Warming heated Jacket. Sitting in those seats for 4 hours in the cold of the night this time of year is usually bone chilling, but not this time. At first I cranked up the heat to full power, 135 degrees. In a short period of time I was too hot, while the people around me were putting on more and more layers. I ended up having to turn the heat to medium, where it stayed most of the game. I still had heat in the 4th quarter, when I turned it back up to high as it got colder. Throughout the entire game I was warm and comfortable.

I’ve had the jacket in play and worn it around town in the cold a few times too. In the golf swing there are no restrictions or tight areas. I can swing freely.

After writing this post I have to brave the snow (still falling) and head out to run some errands around town. When I get out, I’ll have my Mobile Warming jacket turned on. I’ll be nice and toasty.

Mobile Warming heated golf rain jacket – click to zoom

Wish List

I’ve got a bad lower back and when the temps get cold, the lower back can really stiffen up. The heated jacket helps a lot with back and upper body stiffness without a doubt. I’d love to see a jacket which has heating elements in the lower back, right where I need it.

Conclusion

I see a lot of crazy golf inventions and most are fairly worthless. Who needs yet another “device” to hold a golf club up off of the ground to keep the grip dry? There are about a billion of ’em. But there aren’t a billion heated jacket companies. In fact I can now only think of one. How this sort of idea hasn’t been implemented yet is beyond me. This is one of the best new products I’ve encountered in years. The Mobile Warming jacket is a fantastic concept and works brilliantly.

Mobile Warming website