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Cold, like beauty, may be in the eye of the beholder, but if you’re going to venture out into the frozen arctic wastelands–or just to the corner store–then you might as well do it in style. A wool peacoat and a pair of mittens just doesn’t cut it in this era of space-age gear and omnipresent technology. With more snow on the way, we’ve assembled a list of cold-weather gear to turn you into the ultimate winter warrior.
Revolution Plus
Lug a lot of stuff in the snow–or want to? How about a jacket that’s warm and doesn’t force you to leave your tech at home? ScotteVest’s $200 Revolution Plus boasts 26 pockets, including specialized compartments like one with a cleaning cloth on an elastic cord, so you don’t lose it; a clear windowed pocket that lets you see–and use!–your smartphone without exposing it to the elements; and even one that that fits your iPad. Pouches in the collar provide a place to stow your earbuds when they’re not in use. It’s no slouch as a coat, either, with quilted lining, a removable hood, and Teflon-treated fabric.
F-BOM
When you’re on the slopes (or out in the thick of a storm), you can’t afford to not see where you’re going. Abominable Labs’s F-BOM goggles have a built-in defogger, sandwiching a heat-conductive film between two slabs of scratch-resistant polycarbonate plastic. Best of all, you don’t need to do anything but switch it on and enjoy seven hours of fog-free bliss. A Boost Mode that brings the defogging capability only when you need it, extending battery life up to seven days, and it recharges with a standard micro-USB cable. You’ve also got your choice of four colored lenses–gray, red, yellow, and black–depending on what kind of conditions you’re used to.
StormTracker Heated Gloves
Any pair of gloves should keep your hands warmer than no gloves, but if you want your fingers as toasty as they’d be indoors, you might want to investigate a pair of heated gloves–like these $235 StormTrackers. With lithium-ion batteries to power internal heating elements, these gloves can keep your hands warm for up to eight hours. We’re not sure there’s really a price too high for avoiding dreaded cold hands, but for a cheaper option, you can always put together your own set of heated glove liners for around $100.
Strobe
Safety and warmth go hand-in-hand, and nowhere is that more obvious than with the 180s Strobe. These ear warmers will keep your sensitive lobes protected from the elements, but the built-in red LED lights on the headband will also make sure that you’re visible in whiteout conditions. Powered by replaceable batteries, you can toggle the lights between on, off, and flashing at the click of a button. At $20, safety’s never been so affordable.
Hi-Hat Knit Hat
Cold shouldn’t require you to sacrifice your tunes. The Hi-Hat Knit Hat has built-in headphones that connect to pretty much any audio-playing device via a standard plug. The extra-nice part? A built-in microphone so you can have a phone conversation without fishing your device out of your pocket and a control to let you play or pause your music. And because style is still important, you can get it in black, red and black, or blue and black for $25.
Pro X Snow Sled
This ain’t your grandpa’s Flexible Flyer. The $180 Hammerhead Pro X sled has a powder-coated aluminum frame, polycarbonate front skids, and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) rear runners, all of which contribute to its incredible lightness. (If you’ve ever lugged a hefty toboggan back up a steep hill, you’ll appreciate that.) Stainless steel leaf springs allow for precision steering, regardless of whether you’re going down feet- or head-first. And because the frame is similar in size to a bike frame, you can add headlights, tail lights, mirrors, and whatever other accessory floats your… sled.
Related: Check out some of the best winter hats, snow shovels and more winter essentials!
