REVIEW – Living in Michigan, I love the wintertime, but I hate being cold. So when it comes to winter jackets, I am always looking for the warmest thing I can find. I recently received a heated-down jacket from ORORO. I reviewed a heated vest (from another company) last year and loved it. In fact, it was my go-to outerwear for the entire winter. So a heated-down jacket is taking it to the next level, or is it? Let’s see how the ORORO Men’s Heated Down Jacket handles the cold Michigan weather.
What is it?
The ORORO Men’s Heated Jacket is just what the name suggests. It is a down-filled jacket with four heating element locations, ensuring all-around warmth.
What’s in the box?
- ORORO Men’s Heated Down Jacket
- Zippered mesh storage bag
- Lithium-Ion battery (4800 mAh, 7.4V)
- Battery charger with US plug (input voltage: 100-240V)
- User manual
Hardware specs
- Fit: Regular
- Length: hip-length
- Shell: 100% polyester
- Lining: !00% polyester
- Care: machine washable
Design and features
The ORORO Men’s Heated Down Jacket came nicely packed inside a semi-mesh zippered bag. The bag is an excellent addition if you need to store or load the jacket while traveling.
As for the jacket itself, I was surprised at how lightweight it was. There are 3 outside zippered pockets, 2 side entry pockets, and 1 chest pocket. The power/control button for the heating element is located on the front left chest.
On the inside, there are 2 more zippered pockets. A Napoleon pocket on the left chest and the battery pocket near the rear left hip.
The jacket’s shell is 100% polyester and is both water and wind-resistant. The jacket is filled with an 800-fill RDS-certified down, which is 90% down and 10% duck feathers. RDS stands for Responsible Down Standard. They even include a small sample of the filing with a QR code you can scan to learn more about the RDS.
The jacket also has a removable down-filled adjustable hood for extra warmth. I’m not a hood person, but it is nice to have one if needed. And it is easy to remove.
The cuffs on the jacket are stretchable and have a thumbhole to help lock in the heat.
The overall quality of the jacket is exceptional. The materials, stitching, and embroidery are all top-notch.
Heating element
The ORORO Heated Down Jacket uses a carbon fiber heating element to generate heat across core body areas (left & right pocket, collar, and upper back). There are 3 heat settings (high, medium, and low) that can be adjusted with a simple press of the power button on the left chest. Pressing and holding the power button for 3 seconds preheats the jacket, and the power button will blink red. You can feel the coat warm almost immediately, and it takes about 5 minutes to fully heat up. When preheated, the heating element will default to the medium setting. The power button changes colors depending on the heat setting you choose. Red for high (131ºF), white for medium (113ºF), and blue for low (100ºF). To turn the heating element off, press and hold the power button.
The jacket is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The ORORO Heated Down Jacket features the Mini 5K Battery. The battery is 40% smaller than the ORORO standard battery and lighter with rounded corners. It also has a USB port for charging smartphones and other mobile devices.
The battery charges using the included charger. ORORO recommends fully charging the battery before the first use, which takes about 4 hours.
The orange LED indicator lights will blink until the battery is fully charged. You can press a button to check the battery’s power level when it is not plugged into the charger.
When the battery is ready, plug it into the jacket’s power cable and slide it into the battery holder pocket.
The battery has up to 10 working hours (3 hrs on the high heating setting, 6 hrs on medium, and 10 hrs on low).
Fit and performance
The ORORO Heated Down Jacket has an excellent fit and runs true to size. I love how warm it is despite being very lightweight. And I like that the warmth doesn’t come at the expense of being bulky.
Overall, I was really impressed by how the ORORO Heated Jacket performed. We have had a mixed bag of weather since I received it. Everything from cold, rain, wind, and even a little snow, and the ORORO Heated Jacket handled it all. The down filling does a beautiful job of keeping me warm, while the outer shell really cuts the wind. The down-filling keeps me warm enough without turning on the heating element. But, if I’m outside for an extended period or the temperatures drop, the heating element keeps me extra toasty.
One of my favorite things is the soft heated collar. Since I don’t have much hair, the back of my head and neck are always cold. The jacket’s fleece-lined heated collar does an outstanding job of keeping that area warm. I can even feel the heat on my neck when wearing a hoodie. Love it!
I also like that the jacket has four large zippered pockets that are perfect for securely carrying my phone, wallet, and keys. My only smile gripe is that the jacket only comes in black. Additional colors or adding a splash of color to the zippers would be nice.
What I like
- Lightweight
- Very warm
- Four heating zones
- Four zippered pockets
- Small, lightweight battery
- What I’d change
- Make it available in more colors.
Final thoughts
With its 800-fill down filling and four-zone heating element, the ORORO Heated Down Jacket is easily the warmest winter jacket I have ever worn.
Price: $209.99
Where to buy: ORORO and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by ORORO.
Gadgeteer Comment Policy - Please read before commenting
Does the battery also need to be turned on to turn on the vest? I have 5v powered vests and its annoying to have to turn on the USB battery bank when I want to turn the heat on.
Hey Jason,
No the battery pack is always on. All you need to do is plug it into the jacket and turn the heating element on using the power button on the left chest of the jacket. THanks for reading and commenting.
Fabulous heating jacket from the ad, but wish it was available in other colors!!!