Chaval’s exclusive ALPHAHEAT™ wire-free technology is effective in sub-zero temperatures and designed to keep fingers toasty warm up to three times longer than any other brand.
Chaval Heated Gloves & Mitts
Description
We’ve tested many heated gloves and mittens over the years and found most of them disappointing: Some are too bulky and stiff, most look like you’re off to the slopes, heavy batteries are uncomfortable and difficult to insert in pockets, and more. So, when we were asked to test Chaval heated gloves and mitts, our expectations weren’t that high, but we were very pleasantly surprised!
First, these mitts are all leather, and not just any leather – this is buttery soft, top quality specially treated goatskin. And when you slip your hands into these mitts, you’re surrounded by a luxury-quality shearling wool lining. Even without the external heat source, these mitts are warm and comfy!
While the outer fabric is thick, it bends well as needed. While not as flexible as Gerbing’s heated fleece glove fabric (our gold standard on heated glove dexterity), it’s far superior to other leather heated gloves we’ve tried – note I stated gloves, not mitts or mittens, as we’ve not yet tested a mix between a glove and a mitten before. The mitt design offers good maneuverability for such a thick shape with the added warmth offered by a mitten shape. And, given the style (more sport than fashion), it’s not like a person will need to use them for everyday activities when good dexterity is needed. My experience with most heated gloves is that there’s too much extraneous, thick fabric that not only gets in the way of movement, but also in the way of feeling the heat and experiencing much warmth on the fingertips – a really important feature for people with Raynaud’s. That was not an issue with Chaval’s mitts.
Next, you’ll notice the super thin battery. Many brands have bulky, heavy ones that can sit uncomfortably on the wrist. Chaval’s is the thinnest I can remember trying, and it makes for a much more pleasant experience.
But let’s get to the most important part, the warmth. The heat is speedy – they warm up incredibly fast. I don’t exactly know how to describe the warmth, the best words I came up with are “surround sound warmth for your hands.” The gloves are so soft and pliable, it’s like pillows of warmth that just surround the full hands down to the fingertips. You’re conscious of it, but not in an intrusive way. I compared the warmth to a pair of standard heated gloves from a reputable manufacturer, and there was no contest. Part of the issue was that the other gloves had too much fabric, as mentioned earlier. Chaval’s fit is better suited to feeling the heat down to the fingertips.
Another important feature for heated apparel is the controls – you want them to be easy to use and access, and Chaval’s are just that! I don’t get the need for heated gloves that work with phone apps – who can use their cell phones wearing heated gloves anyway? It’s too hard! I can’t easily control the level of heat wearing most heated gloves, there’s just too much fumbling! I much prefer controlling my heat manually with simple touch buttons. Chaval’s large, raised button is easy to access while wearing the mitts. The mitts offer 4-6 hours continuous run-time per charge. Since there’s only one heating level to select (see why below), there’s no need to refer to different run times for higher or lower settings, and no fumbling to hit the control button for regulating the temperature.
Chaval’s heating options go one step further than most – there are no heating levels to control, and there’s a good reason for not offering them: Chaval gloves and mitts offer self-regulating heat. I didn’t wear them under variable conditions, so I couldn’t give that feature the best test, but it’s a promising concept. I’ve tested a few high-tech gloves that claim to be self-regulating using apps, settings, etc. and they were just too much trouble. Plus, with other self-regulating gloves tested, you’re aware of one glove heating up while the other one isn’t, which only left my other hand feeling “needy.” It appears Chaval’s technology is more subtle, which is a plus. If the self-regulating feature was working, I wasn’t aware of it, and that’s a positive statement. You don’t want your fingers to get cold enough to feel the need for more heat; nor do you want them to feel the heat so strong that you want to dial it back. My fingers were just right for the entire time I tested the mitts.
One more feature to mention: Chaval’s no hassle charging – amen! For my test of Chaval’s mitts against another pair of heated gloves, I can’t tell you what I went through getting the other pair of gloves “ready” for comparison. Most leather gloves have slim pockets holding their bulky batteries and it can often be impossible loading and unloading the batteries for use. I thought I would never get one of the batteries out for charging in the comparison pair for the test!
Chaval promotes its exclusive ALPHAHEAT™ wire-free technology, effective in sub-zero temperatures and designed to keep fingers toasty warm up to three times longer than any other brand. As I’m not a techie, it’s better to let you read how Chaval explains the benefits of it’s proprietary heating technology:
In freezing weather, glove heating elements must produce 62 degrees Celsius to effectively keep hands warm. Other brands can produce this amount of heat only for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Chaval’s exclusive alphaHEAT™ polymer nanotechnology can produce this level of heat for up to 6 hours.
Instead of the decades-old heating wire technology prevalent today in heated apparel, we developed a paper-thin polymer heating film with proprietary nanotech ‘programming’ that enables independent temperature regulation in each finger. This self-regulation, constantly adjusting the levels of power to the nanotech polymer in each finger, ensures perfect steady warmth, and enables excellent power conservation. The result is luxurious warmth and significantly longer battery life.
In addition, the thumb and index fingers are touch-screen compatible, although most sport gloves are difficult to use with mobile devices even with this feature, and a mitt design is likely even more challenging.
For a balanced assessment, there are a couple of issues to be aware of. First, these mitts are clearly designed to be sport activity gloves. We’re always looking for products our members can use every day to make their lives warmer and more comfortable. You won’t wear these out to dinner or to a business meeting, so they will have limited use for certain occasions, but they still offer excellent benefits for those who need warmth during sport-related or casual outdoor activities.
Second, and this is the elephant in the room, is the price: Both Chaval’s heated gloves and mitts each sell for $425. While these mitts proved to be a premium quality product, the price is still above the cost of other high-end brands we’ve featured in the past. But in defense of Chaval’s pricing, the comfort of the leather and lining are far above any other brand we’ve tested, and the self-regulating heat feature isn’t available on most other mainstream heated gloves. So, it’s really a matter of deciding if trading up to this product is worth the cost for you to enjoy and experience these luxury features.
Special Offer for Raynaud’s Members
Members Receive a 10% Discount
Use Discount Code: MEMBER 10
Chaval Heated Gloves and Mitts are available in sizes XS through XL in black for $425. As mentioned above, it’s difficult to compare prices with other heated gloves, as several of Chaval’s features are unique to the brand, but we can say the premium quality of these mitts do justify a higher price point. Best to evaluate the features that are most important to you in a heated glove or mitt when shopping in this category. But do expect to pay a few hundred dollars for a good, reliable brand of heated gloves and apparel.
And there’s good news for our members: As a Sponsor of the Raynaud’s Association, Chaval is offering the Raynaud’s community a 10% discount. Just use the Special Promotional Code MEMBER10 during checkout.
If you do give Chaval heated gloves and mitts a try, please share your experience with us!
7720 Springridge Road
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(360) 930-9525
