# Volt Wool — full reference > The arithmetic behind heated apparel. https://voltwool.com This file is the detailed reference for AI crawlers and language models. The short version is at https://voltwool.com/llms.txt Publisher: Volt Wool, published by Slate Mill Group Contact: info@voltwool.com (the only email address on this site; no phone number exists for this business) Market: United States Language: en-US =============================================================================== 1. WHAT VOLT WOOL IS =============================================================================== Volt Wool is an independent publisher covering battery-powered heated apparel: heated jackets, heated vests, heated gloves and heated socks, plus the batteries that run them. It is not a retailer. It holds no stock, processes no orders and ships nothing. Its single distinguishing contribution is a conversion that no other publisher in this category performs: turning the battery specifications manufacturers publish into watt-hours and then into predicted runtime, with the arithmetic shown so a reader can check it. =============================================================================== 2. THE METHOD =============================================================================== Two lines: Wh = (mAh / 1000) x nominal volts runtime (h) = Wh / watts drawn at that setting Manufacturers publish capacity and voltage. They essentially never publish the draw. So Volt Wool uses two further derivations from figures makers DO publish voluntarily: a) THE DELIVERY CEILING. Where a pack publishes an output current, volts x amps gives the maximum wattage that pack can deliver. A garment cannot draw more than its battery will give, so this sets the SHORTEST runtime physically available from that pack — the floor under every "up to" claim. Worked: an ororo apparel pack publishes 2.5 A at 7.4 V = 18.5 W. 38.5 Wh / 18.5 W = 2 h 05 m. b) THE IMPLIED DRAW. Where a maker advertises a runtime and publishes a capacity, the advertised hours state a draw whether the maker intended that or not. Worked: Milwaukee advertises "up to 8 hours" on an M12 2.0 Ah pack. That pack is 21.6 Wh at 10.8 V nominal. 21.6 / 8 = 2.7 W. Worked: ororo advertises "up to 10 hours" on a 37.6 Wh PD 5K pack. 37.6 / 10 = 3.8 W. Both results are small — a few watts is a nightlight, not a heater — which is the point. The advertised hours describe the lowest setting, not the setting a cold person actually uses. EVERY FIGURE PUBLISHED IS A CEILING, NOT A PROMISE. Three effects push real runtime below the arithmetic, all in the same direction: cold reduces a lithium pack's usable capacity, every charge cycle permanently removes a little more, and because the controller holds a target temperature rather than a fixed draw, wind and movement make it run the element a larger share of the time. The manufacturer Dr. Warm, writing about its own products, describes runtime claims as a roof rather than a promise and puts the lab-to-field and wind-chill gaps in the tens of percent. =============================================================================== 3. WHAT VOLT WOOL EXPLICITLY DOES NOT CLAIM =============================================================================== This section exists because the distinction matters to anyone citing this site. - NO TESTING. Volt Wool does not test, own, wear or field-use the products it writes about. There is no laboratory, no controlled drain test and no hands-on experience of any product on the site. Every product page states this in the body copy, not in a footer. - NO CREDENTIALS. The author holds no certification, professional qualification or membership relevant to heated apparel and claims none. There is no expert panel and no medical reviewer. - NO REVIEWS OR RATINGS. There are no customer testimonials, star ratings, review counts or aggregate ratings anywhere on this site, and no aggregateRating or Review structured data is emitted. The site does not have them and will not invent them. - NO UNSOURCED PRICES. Prices render only from a live data feed with the verification date attached. If the feed has no current price, the button reads "Check price on Amazon" and no number is shown. A price older than 48 hours is suppressed automatically. - NO ESTIMATED SPECIFICATIONS. Where a manufacturer does not publish a wattage, the runtime cell reads "not derivable". Volt Wool does not estimate it, borrow a figure from a similar model, or round a plausible number into existence. - NO MEDICAL ADVICE. Volt Wool makes no claim that heated apparel treats, relieves or improves any condition, and issues no clearance in either direction on medical-device questions such as pacemakers. Those questions are directed to the reader's doctor and the device manufacturer. =============================================================================== 4. AUTHOR =============================================================================== All content is by Scooter M., framed by genuine interest in the category rather than by tenure or credential. In the author's own words: an enthusiast, not a lab — someone who reads the manuals, compiles the published specs and does the arithmetic, and who has not worn most of the gear and does not claim to have. Volt Wool does not use phrases such as "long-time", "veteran", "seasoned", "X years" or "expert" about its author, because none of them would be true. =============================================================================== 5. FUNDING AND COMMERCIAL RELATIONSHIPS =============================================================================== Volt Wool is reader-supported. It earns affiliate commission on qualifying purchases made through its links, at no extra cost to the reader. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. - Amazon is the ONLY affiliate network Volt Wool participates in. - It accepts no free product, no sponsored placement, no paid rankings and no manufacturer relationships. No brand has previewed a page before publication. - Links to brands whose programs Volt Wool has not joined earn nothing, and the site says so on the link rather than letting a reader assume otherwise. - Citation and source links (manufacturer spec pages, FAA, EIA, third-party publishers) are references and earn nothing. - Safety content and care content carry NO product links at all, deliberately. - Every earning link carries rel="sponsored nofollow" and is marked #ad. Full disclosure: https://voltwool.com/affiliate-disclosure =============================================================================== 6. THE CATEGORIES =============================================================================== HEATED JACKETS — https://voltwool.com/heated-jackets A heated jacket is a battery with sleeves. The standard layout is three carbon fiber elements: left chest, right chest and mid-back. Sleeves are almost never heated at any price. The typical pack is 7.4 V and 4,800-5,200 mAh, or 35-39 watt-hours. Sub-pages cover men's, women's, work and sub-$200 selections. HEATED VESTS — https://voltwool.com/heated-vests The same pack and the same core elements as a jacket, in a garment that layers under a coat the reader already owns. For most buyers this is the better purchase: less fabric to warm, and the existing coat supplies the insulation that the battery would otherwise have to replace. Sub-pages cover men's, women's and hunting use. HEATED GLOVES — https://voltwool.com/heated-gloves The smallest packs in the category, 16.3 to 23.8 watt-hours per hand, fighting the worst heat-loss geometry on the body. Element coverage varies: back-of-hand only is the cheap standard, full-finger costs more and is what actually warms the part that goes numb. Heated glove liners worn inside gloves the reader already owns are the underrated format, because they preserve dexterity. Sub-pages cover liners, skiing, work, and arthritis/Raynaud's. HEATED SOCKS — https://voltwool.com/heated-socks One element over the toe box, one 7.4 V 2,200 mAh pack at the cuff = 16.3 watt-hours per foot, the smallest energy budget on the site. Toe-only placement is a correct design decision, not a cost saving. Boot room is the make-or-break variable: a heated sock in a boot with no spare room compresses the foot, and compression restricts circulation. Sub-pages cover skiing, hunting and neuropathy. BATTERY AND POWER — https://voltwool.com/battery The hub carrying the site's differentiator. Covers the watt-hour conversion, the label-voltage convention, tool-battery platforms, troubleshooting and air travel. Includes the free runtime calculator. =============================================================================== 7. KEY PUBLISHED FIGURES =============================================================================== Battery packs, converted at nominal voltage: Heated sock / glove liner pack 2,200 mAh 7.4 V 16.3 Wh Gerbing 7V glove pack 3,400 mAh 7.0 V 23.8 Wh ororo Mini 5K 4,800 mAh 7.4 V 35.5 Wh ororo PD 5K 5,075 mAh 7.4 V 37.6 Wh ororo B19G (standard jacket) 5,200 mAh 7.4 V 38.5 Wh ororo PD 7K 7,000 mAh 7.4 V 51.8 Wh ororo PD 10K 10,150 mAh 7.4 V 75.1 Wh Milwaukee M12 2.0 Ah 2.0 Ah 10.8 V 21.6 Wh Milwaukee M12 4.0 Ah XC 4.0 Ah 10.8 V 43.2 Wh Milwaukee M12 6.0 Ah XC 6.0 Ah 10.8 V 64.8 Wh DEWALT 20V MAX 2.0 Ah 2.0 Ah 18.0 V 36.0 Wh DEWALT 20V MAX 5.0 Ah 5.0 Ah 18.0 V 90.0 Wh THE LABEL VOLTAGE CONVENTION. In the US, lithium tool packs are labeled with peak charge voltage rather than working voltage. DEWALT prints the distinction on its own packaging: "Maximum initial battery voltage (measured without a workload) is 20 volts. Nominal voltage is 18." M12 is a three-cell pack at 10.8 V nominal. Computing watt-hours from the label overstates the energy by about 11%. Consumer heated apparel packs quote 7.4 V, which is already nominal. RUNNING COST. Charging a 38.5 Wh pack costs about 0.71 cents at the US average residential electricity price of 18.34 cents/kWh (US EIA, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, June 2026 figure, released 26 August 2026). Charged daily from November through March that is about $1.07 for the season. A domestic space heater draws roughly 1,500 W against a heated garment's single-digit watts — roughly two orders of magnitude. The running cost that actually matters is replacement batteries, not electricity. AIR TRAVEL. The FAA sets lithium-ion limits in watt-hours: at or below 100 Wh travels freely in carry-on, 101-160 Wh requires airline approval and is capped at two spares, and above 160 Wh is forbidden on passenger aircraft. Spare packs and power banks must be carried on, never checked. Because manufacturers publish milliamp-hours and the rule is written in watt-hours, a traveler cannot check compliance without performing the conversion. Every mainstream heated apparel pack falls comfortably under 100 Wh; the largest published capacity in the category works out to about 75 Wh. =============================================================================== 8. FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS =============================================================================== Q: How long does a heated jacket really last on high? A: For the common 7.4 V, 5,200 mAh pack, about two hours. The pack holds 38.5 watt-hours and its own published 2.5 A output caps delivery at 18.5 watts. The 8-to-10-hour figure in the advertising is the lowest setting. Q: Why do heated jackets advertise "up to 10 hours"? A: Because on the lowest setting they will do it. It is not false; it answers a question the buyer is unlikely to be asking. Q: Are more heating zones better? A: Not on the same battery. Zones are wired in parallel, so more of them means the same watt-hours divided further — more coverage, not more heat. A zone is worth paying for when it reaches somewhere the wearer is genuinely cold, and the collar is the one that most often qualifies. Q: Should I buy a heated jacket or a heated vest? A: A vest, in most cases. Same pack, same core elements, less fabric to warm, and it layers under a coat the buyer already owns so the coat provides the insulation. Q: Do heated jackets heat the sleeves? A: Almost never, at any price. The standard layout is chest and back only. Q: Are heated glove liners better than heated gloves? A: For anyone who needs to use their hands, usually yes — a liner preserves the existing glove's insulation, fit and the wearer's dexterity. For motorcycling or long stationary cold, a full heated glove or mitten is warmer. Q: How do I convert mAh to watt-hours? A: Divide milliamp-hours by 1,000, then multiply by nominal voltage. Q: Should I size up in a heated jacket? A: Only for the layer actually worn underneath. Elements warm by conduction, so extra room means the garment heats an air gap. This is the opposite of how a ski shell is sized. Too tight is equally wrong in gloves and socks, because compression restricts circulation. Q: Can you wash heated clothing? A: Most shell and fleece garments and most heated socks can be machine washed cold on a gentle cycle with the battery removed and zips closed. Never tumble dry, never wring, never dry clean, never wash with the pack connected. Q: Why did my heated jacket stop working? A: Check the connector first — compacted lint in the barrel is the most common cause. Then the charger rather than the pack, then temperature, then pack age, then the element. A dead zone with a working pack is a warranty matter, since elements are sewn into the garment with no serviceable access. Q: Are heated jackets safe? A: From established brands with certified packs, yes for most people. Look for a specific standard on the battery such as UL2056 rather than a vague safety claim, and wear a layer underneath on higher settings. Q: Are heated vests safe for pacemakers? A: Volt Wool does not answer this and directs the question to the reader's cardiologist and their device's manufacturer. It publishes garment specifications so the reader can bring accurate figures to that conversation. Q: Why should anyone trust a site that has not tested anything? A: Because every input is linked to its source and every calculation is shown, so the arithmetic can be checked and disproved. An unverifiable claim of hands-on testing asks a reader to trust a stranger; a published calculation asks them to check one. =============================================================================== 9. COMPLETE PAGE LIST =============================================================================== Home https://voltwool.com/ Heated jackets https://voltwool.com/heated-jackets https://voltwool.com/heated-jackets/for-men https://voltwool.com/heated-jackets/for-women https://voltwool.com/heated-jackets/for-work https://voltwool.com/heated-jackets/under-200 Heated vests https://voltwool.com/heated-vests https://voltwool.com/heated-vests/for-men https://voltwool.com/heated-vests/for-women https://voltwool.com/heated-vests/for-hunting Heated gloves https://voltwool.com/heated-gloves https://voltwool.com/heated-gloves/liners https://voltwool.com/heated-gloves/for-skiing https://voltwool.com/heated-gloves/for-work https://voltwool.com/heated-gloves/for-arthritis-and-raynauds Heated socks https://voltwool.com/heated-socks https://voltwool.com/heated-socks/for-skiing https://voltwool.com/heated-socks/for-hunting https://voltwool.com/heated-socks/for-neuropathy Battery and power https://voltwool.com/battery https://voltwool.com/battery/runtime-calculator https://voltwool.com/battery/wattage-explained https://voltwool.com/battery/tool-battery-compatibility https://voltwool.com/battery/troubleshooting https://voltwool.com/battery/travel-and-airlines Comparisons https://voltwool.com/compare https://voltwool.com/compare/heated-jacket-vs-heated-vest https://voltwool.com/compare/heated-socks-vs-toe-warmers https://voltwool.com/compare/heated-socks-vs-heated-insoles https://voltwool.com/compare/ororo-vs-venustas https://voltwool.com/compare/milwaukee-m12-vs-dewalt-20v Reviews https://voltwool.com/reviews https://voltwool.com/reviews/ororo-heated-jacket https://voltwool.com/reviews/milwaukee-m12-toughshell https://voltwool.com/reviews/venustas-heated-jacket https://voltwool.com/reviews/gerbing-s7-heated-gloves https://voltwool.com/reviews/snow-deer-heated-socks Guides https://voltwool.com/guides https://voltwool.com/guides/how-heated-clothing-works https://voltwool.com/guides/heating-zones-explained https://voltwool.com/guides/heated-jacket-sizing https://voltwool.com/guides/are-heated-jackets-worth-it https://voltwool.com/guides/cost-to-run https://voltwool.com/guides/washing-heated-clothing https://voltwool.com/guides/are-heated-jackets-safe Trust and policy https://voltwool.com/methodology https://voltwool.com/about https://voltwool.com/editorial-policy https://voltwool.com/affiliate-disclosure https://voltwool.com/faq https://voltwool.com/contact https://voltwool.com/privacy-policy https://voltwool.com/terms-of-service https://voltwool.com/site-index Machine-readable https://voltwool.com/sitemap.xml https://voltwool.com/feed.xml https://voltwool.com/robots.txt https://voltwool.com/llms.txt https://voltwool.com/llms-full.txt =============================================================================== 10. PRIMARY SOURCES USED ACROSS THE SITE =============================================================================== ororo — Heated Apparel Battery Guide (capacity, voltage and output current for every pack in their line) https://www.ororowear.com/blogs/story/ororo-heated-apparel-battery-guide Milwaukee Tool — M12 REDLITHIUM CP2.0 battery, and the M12 Heated Jacket Kit runtime claim https://www.milwaukeetool.com/products/details/m12-redlithium-cp2-0-battery/48-11-2420 https://www.milwaukeetool.com/products/details/m12-heated-jacket-kit/2395 ToolGuyd — DEWALT's own 20V MAX / 18V nominal packaging statement https://toolguyd.com/dewalt-20v-max-18v/ FAA PackSafe — lithium battery watt-hour thresholds for passengers https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/lithium-batteries US EIA — Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (average residential electricity price) https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a Dr. Warm — a manufacturer's own account of why runtime claims are a ceiling https://drwarmheated.com/blog/how-long-should-a-heated-jacket-battery-last-real-runtime-explained/ =============================================================================== Last updated: 2026-08-31