Gear Review: ThermaCELL Heated Insoles
Winter in Ontario means you have to brave cold temperatures. Even spring and fall can bring frigid temperatures that leave a person wishing they could hibernate in a warm house until summer. Enjoying the outdoors is a challenge if you find yourself shivering and struggling to stay warm. As soon as my extremities get cold, particularly my feet, I’m done for the day and need to head indoors.
In the past few years I’ve solved my cold feet problem by wearing an incredible pair of winter boots rated to -100 C. Those boots keep me warm on the coldest days, but I find them bulky to wear when doing my outside chores, and they’re too warm for those milder winter days. A perfect solution to combating the variable winter temperatures is a pair of ThermaCELL Heated Insoles.
Head to thermacell.com to pick up your own pair.
When I received a pair of these insoles to review, I couldn’t wait to open the package and get them into my boots. Unfortunately, they arrived after our deep freeze of -30C finally ended, so I didn’t get to test them in the coldest weather, but I’ve worn them enough to know that I’ll be happy to have them for the next deep freeze.
ThermaCELL insoles come in five sizes, covering a women’s size 4.5 up to a men’s size 14, and can be trimmed for a perfect fit, though I found mine worked just fine right out of the box. There is a battery in the heel of the insole that runs a regulated heater under the ball of your foot. The Original version comes with a rechargable battery built right into the insoles, while the ProFLEX version has a removeable, rechargeable battery. The benefit to the ProFLEX version is that you don’t need to remove the actual insole from your boot to charge it, just remove the battery. That said, I received the Original version and found it was quite simple to remove the insoles whenever I needed to charge them.
Both products come with a remote to regulate the heat. With three heat settings (no heat, medium, and high heat), it’s like being able to add and remove pairs of socks, without having to take your boots off. I tested my insoles out while mucking stalls and started with the medium heat setting. After getting warmed up, I was able to push a button and turn the heat off when I no longer needed it. After I finished mucking stalls I headed to the chicken coop and spent some time watching the hens play around in their pens. My barn boots provide little protection from the cold and when my feet started to get chilly, another push of a button warmed them right back up.
ThermaCELL heated insoles would be a great product to use while ice fishing. Keep the heat off while walking out to your fishing spot, but turn the heat on once you’re set up and not moving around so much. As a biologist, I spend a lot of time doing field work and I don’t get to chose the weather. These insoles will be a great addition to my field gear and help keep my feet warm on cold days.
Another bonus is that I found these insoles to be quite comfortable. I left them in my boots on warmer days just because they made my feet feel better.
These insoles are not a cheap purchase for many of us, but I feel they are worth the expense. Comfy, warm feet on a cold day makes the day much more enjoyable and bearable.
Until March 31st, 2015, you can get a great deal on these insoles by purchasing them from thermacell.com and using the code HEAT15 at checkout. This code provides free shipping and a $20 discount. As well, the Original insoles come with a free car charger during this promotion. If you’re thinking about purchasing this product, now is the time!
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Disclaimer – This review is my opinion and I received the ThermaCELL Heated Insoles for free in exchange for giving said opinion. I have no association with ThermaCELL and was not reimbursed or paid for this review.
argosgirl
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