Zippo Refillable Hand Warmer Review

Every winter I complain about cold hands, but I am also not a fan of gloves. I’ll wear them if I have to, but even if they are touch screen compatible, they get in the way and are always more frustrating than no gloves at all. Unfortunately still since I enjoy clay pigeon shooting, gloves are often difficult to wear due to the trigger guard. Yes, I could put them on between shots but it takes so long for my hands to warm up and so quick to go cold again that it just feels like a pointless exercise. 

So I was glad to receive a Zippo Handwarmer as a gift last Christmas. This is the refillable model, so it runs on lighter fluid. It’s really easy to use, simply fill up using the provided filling cup and then light the burner to get it warm.

Despite using lighter fluid you do not have to worry about having this in your pocket. The burner is flameless so it’s perfectly safe, and it does come with a cloth carry case that you can keep it in whilst in use to stop you burning your hands on the hot metal. The warmer will remain hot for up to 12 hours if filled completely, if you want to use it for a shorter amount of time then you don’t have to fill it every single time, you can just fill it halfway or less for a shorter heating time. 

Actually using it outside though I love it, I can fill it up and light it as I’m leaving for work in the morning, and it is guaranteed to keep my hands warm on both my commutes to and from work. When I’m outside hiking I can keep it in my pocket, or shooting then it warms my hands much quicker than gloves between shots. It really adds a lot of warmth and when the wind is biting, it is also comforting to hold. I’d recommend keeping it in the cloth pouch so that your hands don’t get too hot and burnt. But as the cold weather approaches this is quickly becoming part of my everyday carry gear.

The refill process won’t take long, providing you don’t lose the filling cup. You can quickly fill it up before leaving the house, just make sure your lighter also has fuel otherwise you won’t be able to get it lit.

There are a few downsides to this type of burner though, if you are travelling for a few days then you need to bring lighter fluid with you to put in before every use, that gets even more complicated if you are flying or travelling abroad. The second is that you cannot switch it off, once it has been lit you have to wait for it to have burnt itself out, so be careful to only put in enough fuel for your needs. 

The Zippo Refillable Hand Warmer is a great gift for yourself, or even for that friend that we all have, who has permanently ice-cold hands. Especially with Christmas around the corner then this makes a great stocking filler for your outdoor enthusiast friends. I do reserve this for trips in the UK though. Especially when I know I will be in the cold for long hours without a break.