When I first saw the Venustas Heated Jacket, I wasn’t sure what to expect. In concept, it makes perfect sense to bring extra warmth to the rock on a cold winter day, but it seemed too good to be true. I thought maybe it was just a gimmick, rife with technical issues and poor quality components. Well, I was very, very wrong!
I received the jacket in early fall and attempted to test it on a 70 degree (F) afternoon. I only spend about 2 minutes in the Venustas heated jacket before I start sweating like hell. This jacket is pure hell! The heating elements start working almost immediately. Its operation is quite simple: it comes with a lithium battery (the size of a large smartphone) that powers the internal graphene heating coils. It’s a lot like an electric blanket that plugs into the wall at home.
The jacket itself is very high quality and will keep you very warm, even in subzero temperatures. The material is very durable, but soft to the touch. It also has several storage pockets and a removable hood. Similar in quality to some of the more traditional branded jackets I have used in the past.
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Specifications
The battery is a massive 7.4V 5000mAh beast capable of keeping you warm for up to 9 hours. It also has high and medium heat settings that last 2 to 3 and 4 to 5 hours, respectively.
The jacket features multiple graphene heating elements located around the chest, back and abdomen. This will ensure that you don’t feel cold during those very cold winter days. The jacket also has fairly good wind resistance. I should note that when the jacket is on, the button on the chest glows red/white. You’ll definitely get a few questions about this, which can be a good or bad thing depending on what you’re doing.
The battery can also double as a phone charger, so you’ll never have to worry about a dead battery again (just bring the right charging cable)! You can recharge the battery overnight with the included USB-c cable. I should note that you can purchase additional batteries from the Venustas website to ensure you stay warm throughout your adventure.
Venustas also includes a waterproof storage bag with the jacket I have. It’s very convenient to store it and keep it safe. It seems to come with most of their models, but be sure to double check the website.
My only complaint with the Venustas Heated Jacket is that it is quite heavy (around 4 pounds). This isn’t a problem in most situations, but I still prefer my light down jacket for long approaches. That being said, I definitely miss the Venustas 🔥 when I get there.
“You can’t have too much winter in winter.“
Robert Frost
So should you get a Venustas heated jacket???
If you’ve ever been so cold while climbing that you had to give up early or if you could never warm up enough to attempt your project, then you definitely need to get a Venustas heated jacket. It’s absolutely worth every penny. Personally, I can tolerate very cold conditions, but I lent the jacket to friends so they could be comfortable laying down and spotting me on the colder days.
Venustas offers many different options, sizes and models. This would be a great gift for the fair-weather climbing partner who hates the cold.
Owner and operator of Every Last Rock. He is dedicated to spreading the word about all things climbing. He is often found bulking in the United States and training obsessively.