When I moved to New York, I figured Iād probably need a wardrobe update. It had been so long since Iād worked in an office, the kind of place where people wear shoes and maybe even hard pants. But the clothes Iāve actually needed these last two years werenāt at all what I anticipated, and Iām not just talking about my cozy work-from-home gear. Iāve gone electric.
Thereās a certain logic to how I ended up here. I live in a breezy, poorly insulated old house, and itās wasteful to keep pumping the heat through the whole space (and out the leaky window frames). Iāve learned to layer sweaters, to wear warm slippersāheating myself instead of the room. Eating outdoors in the chilliest months is simply the most extreme example of the same logic; itās tricky to really warm a space where the goal, for COVID-safety, is to keep outside air circulating. Iāve dreamed of restaurants with under-foot heaters, but for the most part, my favorite spots for eating with friends this winter have done the best they can with not particularly strong overhead lamps. And grilling in my backyard is a really chilly endeavor.
This is how I found myself googling āheated socksā online. Iād heard that my father-in-law occasionally wore heated gloves while shoveling snow and wondered if a similar situation could make an evening eating outdoors feel a little less like my toes were going to freeze completely and roll down the block on their own. Dessert is much more delightful if you still have the ability to move your feet properly.
I wound up buying a full panoply of wearables to get through the remaining cold evenings of this pandemic era. And Iām so glad I did.
The socks are really the big investmentāand also offer the biggest payoff. Theyāre basically your standard tall socks, with a pocket and plug for the rechargeable batteries at the top and a button that lights up when the heating element is on and indicates which heat setting youāve selected. The heat is focused in the toeāthe part that Iāve felt needs it the mostāand to be honest, at the highest setting, it can be almost too warm. Iāve worn these socks out to drinks in 19 degree weather and felt as if my feet were in a heated spa bath. The batteries last through a leisurely dinner, though I find theyāre best for evenings that donāt involve more than 20 minutes at a time of steady walking, since the heating element isnāt as soft as the base of a traditional hiking sock.
I also purchased a battery-heated hat, which is pleasant to wear while on longer journeys and warms the ears nicely. (Itās also easier to put on if youāre just popping outside to grill a piece of arctic char in weather that feels, well, arctic.) As with the socks, a button lights up when the heat is on, and the batteries are rechargeable. One warning: If your head is particularly small, you might find that the sizing is just too large, and a loose-fitting hat has trouble getting heat to your head.
Just to make sure all my extremities are covered, I also tried out three different hand-warming options too. Iād hoped that a rechargeable hand warmer would cut down landfill waste, but it didnāt give off enough heat to feel worthwhile. These compostable hand warmers offered some comfort but nowhere near the warmth of old-fashioned HotHands tucked into each pocket. I take an extra pair to dinner for anyone who needs it. Yes, spring is on its way, but March and April can be sneakily cold. With these warmers, hopefully we can all get throughāwith all of our extremities cozyāto celebrate comfortable outdoor dining season again.
