Gobi Heat: Jacket Review

Winter is Coming, Again

When the winter months hit and sun doesn’t shine so brightly, a trusty jacket becomes a precious essential for going out. Dressing for the weather means wearing a lot of layers. Sometimes, its 4-5 layers of clothing, a hat, gloves, and boots. If only there was an easier way to endure the cold.

There is no way to get around the need for clothing. But reducing the number of layers needed to stay warm is not too good to be true.

The general science behind staying warm and preventing hypothermia is to keep your core warm. If the heart and lungs can be insulated, they can send warm blood an oxygen to limbs and the brain. Hand warmers are nice, but that is a band-aid to the larger problem of warming the body.

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Unboxing a Gobi Heated Jacket

Meet Gobi Heat– the makers of a jacket that can help you stay warm without adding layers or bulk to your outfit. Their jackets bring in technology to bolster the effectiveness of fabric to cold weather gear.

The name is interestingly named after the Gobi Desert that overlaps China and Mongolia. The temperatures there land between 120ºF in the summer and as low as -25ºF in the winter. Their company’s mission is to be prepared for anything by providing warmth and comfort through heated clothing for all needs.

Their flagship products are the heated jackets. Gobi was kind to send us a jacket to test out first hand. It was the Men’s Sahara jacket in the Country DNA pattern by Mossy Oak.

Opening the box revealed a folded jacket in a clear plastic wrap with a battery box, and a quick guide pamphlet. Nice and simple.

It’s also kinda nice that it didn’t come in “luxury packaging” like say – an iPhone. It does convey that you are paying for the actual product, not branding and status. Above all, these jackets are meant to be functional.

Product Specifications & Features

Sahara Heated Hunting Jacket

Outer Material: Wind and water resistant polyester softshell fabric, and adjustable velcro wrist straps on the sleeves.
Inner Material: Ultra-soft polar fleece lining
Heat Zones: 3 heat zones. 2 chest zones, 1 back zone.
Pockets:
- 2 side pockets
- 1 chest pocket
- 1 battery pocket
Electronics:
- Internal conductive thread
- Rechargeable battery pack
- Wall charger
Heat Settings: Low 113° F | Med 131° F | High 140° F
Battery: 7.4V 6500 Lithium Polymer
Battery Life: Low 10hrs | Med 8hrs | High 6hrs
Weight: 2.8 lbs.
Warranty: 1 year limited warranty
Colors:
- Crimson/ Onyx
- Endeavor Blue/ Steel
- Onyx
- Steel
- Official Mossy Oak® Break-Up
- Official Mossy Oak® Country DNA
Price: $229.00

Heating Instructions

To turn on the heating element, place the battery pack in the pocket on the inside of the left panel of the jacket. You will need to connect the cable inside the pocket to the battery pack. Push the power button on the battery pack and the four orange lights on the side will display the charge level.

Next, go to the left chest panel above the Gobi logo. Press and hold down the three striped button for three seconds. The first stripe will glow indicating it is heating on the low setting. Press again to change to the medium heat setting, and again for high heat. Pressing once more returns to low heat. And holding turns off the heat.

Does it Work as Advertised?

It’s very easy to use and has a nice design. It also looks really stylish when worn. It fits well, looks good, and is comfortable to wear. The actual thickness is not very bulky or thick so putting it on and removing it is not cumbersome like with typical winter coats.

The heating function is very simple with three different settings. Real life testing worked just as advertised and the addition extra layers under the jacket helps insulate even more. The trick is to heat just enough to be comfortable because overheating for the conditions you’re in will make you take it off to cool down and then put it back on. Heating up again and again takes time and unecessarily drains the battery juice. To be efficient with the battery pack, try sticking to a heat setting lower than you think and with time you will warm up to your desired level.

Negative: The battery pack is small, but has some weight to it. A lighter batter pack would be nice but understandably a larger battery means longer heat duration in between charges.

Gobi Jackets vs Regular Jackets

The glaring difference here is the electrical heating elements built into Gobi jackets; where traditional jackets are only fabric materials with some insulation.

We’ve done some research and found that the Gobi heated jacket seems to be the best quality available. They stand out because just as clothing items they look great and come in color varieties to fit into any cold weather outfit.

And no one says you can’t wear a Gobi layer under a regular coat. You won’t survive in the Alaskan wilderness long with just this one jacket but it will keep you warm for short periods of time, such as hiking, hunting, or attending sports games in the cold.

A positive is their partnership with Mossy Oak. They have hoodies, jackets, and vests in color ways from official Mossy Oak camp patterns.

Is a Gobi Jacket Worth the Money?

This product is a great value for the price. So, if you’re looking for a cheap heated jacket, then this might not be the right product for you. The 1 year warranty is nice, and it is machine washable. As long as it is properly cared for and maintained it should serve you for many years.

In the category of heated clothing, Gobi Heat is the premium brand. Their standards are high because they spend plenty of time understanding the needs of the customers. They also have a variety of supplemental products to compliment jackets, like – gloves, hats, socks, and base layers.

While there are cheaper options out there for comparable heated clothing, you can feel good about a level of quality that comes with the higher prices from Gobi. When choosing a jacket that can be a “buy it for life” purchase, aim for quality, which Gobi seems to be the clear option.