(checked 2026-10-10)Small sample: only 29 ratings (1-star 16%, 2-star 3%). The older, non-Pro HeatBank 6 listing (B091B5Z3CJ, 237 ratings) shows 6%.
Top pick at both Wirecutter and Travel + Leisure: a single pocket warmer that also has a flashlight and can charge a phone. Wirecutter measured 5.5 hours of real heat, short of the advertised time. It covers only one hand at about $45, recharges slowly over Micro-USB, and has only a small number of Amazon ratings, some reporting units that stopped charging.
Top complaints
- Pricey, and it warms only one hand
Wirecutter calls the cost its biggest flaw: about $50 for a single unit, so a pair for both pockets gets expensive. Zippo lists it at $44.95, and it isn't sold in pairs.
- Slow to recharge
Wirecutter drained it and found it took more than two hours to recharge with the included Micro-USB cable, longer than some rivals, so you have to plan ahead. Travel + Leisure got a different result: about 30 minutes to be ready again after it died.
Source: Wirecutter (NYT), Travel + Leisure - Some units stop charging early
On Amazon (29 ratings), a 1-star review says it stopped recharging after a single use, and a 3-star review says it lasted well under a year of gentle use. Travel + Leisure also had to cycle through the single button several times to set the heat level.
What owners love
- Long, steady heat
It reached 99 °F in 15 minutes, peaked at 104 °F and stayed above 99 °F for 5 hours 30 minutes, the second-longest in Wirecutter's test. Travel + Leisure kept it on high for several hours at a time across multiple days.
Source: Wirecutter (NYT), Travel + Leisure - Flashlight and phone charging built in
It has a USB port to top up a phone and an LED flashlight (24 lumens per Zippo). Wirecutter suggests it for a backpack, glove compartment or emergency kit.
- Safe low setting and a tough shell
The low setting is fine in bare hands (Wirecutter, Travel + Leisure). Travel + Leisure notes a tire-like material with bumper corners designed to survive drops.
Source: Wirecutter (NYT), Travel + Leisure
- You want one for each hand without paying twice
- You need something thin enough for a glove
- You often forget to charge ahead of time
- One warm coat pocket for games, walks and campfires
- A car or emergency kit (flashlight and phone charging)
- Holding in bare hands on the low setting
Scores (tap for why)
What experts say
- Wirecutter (NYT): Best hand warmer (updated 2026-10-08): 5 h 30 min above 99 °F, short of the advertised nine hours. The flaws are the price and a recharge of more than two hours.
- Travel + Leisure: Best overall (updated 2026-08-26). It's multipurpose and lasted for outdoor sporting events, but the testers had to click through the settings a few times to adjust the heat.