Not too long ago Julie posted a news spotlight on Sanyo’s Eneloop Kairo hand warmer. I love the beauty of winter but hate the cold. I always enjoy going outside with my big coat with many pockets to keep my gadgets in, but my hands are always cold even with gloves! So I went out in search of hand warmers. I have tried one-time use chemical warms but those are true to their marketing of being “one time use” only. I also tried reusable chemical warmers that you can “recharge” by boiling them. But those too were one time use only when I’m out in the city without easy access to boiling water. Plus both of these chemical hand warmers are only warm for 30 to 45 minutes at a time. What if there was a hand warmer that can last the day in the city? That’s where Sanyo’s Eneloop Kairo comes in.
The hand warmer that I got was a bit different from Julie’s news spotlight since it was a 2 sided version (Model # KIR-SL2SS). I got it imported from Japan so everything is in Japanese.
Inside the small box are the Japanese instructions, the Kairo hand warmer, 2 AA eneloop pre-charged rechargeable batteries, power adapter, mini-USB cord, mini-USB to power tip converter, and the carrying pouch.
The Japanese instructions weren’t needed since it was pretty much self explanatory on how to set the hand warmer up.
1) Remove the top.
2) Put batteries in.
3) Close top.
4) Push button to turn on.
5) Enjoy being warm!
This hand warmer provides 2 heat settings. Push button once for 102˚F. Push it again for 115˚F. On tests, the Eneloop Kairo runs for 3 hours on low and 2 hours on high. The temperature is very comfortable and does provide warmth for a much longer time compared to the chemical warmers.
The best thing with the Eneloop Kairo is that you can always pop in fresh batteries when it runs out. And carrying an extra set of AA batteries in the winter coat isn’t so bad. Priced at $44.99, it is a bit pricier than chemical warmers but its reusability and longer warmth is well worth it.
Product Information
| Price: | $44.99 |
| Manufacturer: | Sanyo |
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I bought the hot-pink version for my girlfriend. She really liked it and she claims that it keeps her hands warm. She is planning to buy an extra pack of 4 batteries and an external recharger to keep the warm for hours…and hours… and hours..
One note is that the version that I bought directly from Sanyo US website doesn’t include the carrying pouch and the usb recharger. I didn’t even have the option to buy them with extra cost.
Moreover since you didn’t have the english instructions you might missed the “turbo” mode. If you press and hold the button for 2-3 secs it switches to the turbo mode (red led always on, not blinking) for 5mins. Press once more to go manually to the normal low or high mode instead of waiting for 5 mins to automatically switch. The turbo mode warms it up really quickly but consumes even more energy as expected.
Cheers
@Dimitris: Thanks for the info on the turbo mode. Loving it!!
So the mini-USB to powertip converter only allows it to be powered by an external USB connection, versus recharging the batteries, correct?
Just making sure, although I haven’t seen those up here yet either..
The tip recharges the batteries too!!