If you’ve seen Ads for Solana Gear Heated Vest and you’re thinking of buying one this winter, this review is for you! Couple of weeks back I fell for the hype and placed an order on solanagear.com.
I thought it would be a nice little treat for myself. A warm, stylish and cool vest for my school runs, grocery trips, and my everyday mom life.
The vest arrived almost two weeks later. I was excited to try it on. But from the moment I opened the package, my excitement disappeared. Here’s my brutally honest review of Solana Heated Vest.
About the Solana Gear Heated Vest
Solanagear.com advertises this vest as a smart heated vest with warming zones in the front, back and neck. They show videos of people walking around in the snow feeling warm from head to waist. They present it like a premium winter gear. Something powerful enough to replace layers. Something that will keep you warm outdoors.
I’ve to mention here that the website also sells other heated winter clothing like heated gloves, scarves, pillows and even power hand warmers. But I only placed an order for the vest, as I wanted to give the brand a try before ordering any other thing.
My experience using this heated vest
The very first disappointment hit me as soon as I read the little card inside the package. The vest does not come with the battery pack needed to make it work. They never mentioned this clearly on the website. There was no obvious alert at checkout. There was no pop up telling me I needed an extra piece to make it function. Nothing.
You simply receive a vest that cannot heat up unless you buy a separate battery pack for almost twenty dollars. Meanwhile, the vest itself costs around fifty nine dollars. If I did not already have a power bank at home, I would have been forced to place another order and wait again. And considering the shipping took almost two weeks the first time, I could not imagine going through that again.
I plugged my own power bank into the vest and tried it on. I really wanted it to impress me. Winter here is no joke and I was hoping this would make things easier.
It did not.
The heating was barely noticeable. The only part that warmed up was the neck. And even that section felt like mild warmth. Nothing close to what the ads show. The front and back, which they heavily advertised as the main heating zones, stayed cold. No heat at all. I kept adjusting the wires, pressing the button again and again, waiting for something to happen. Nothing changed.
Then came the zipper. It was plastic and very cheap. It refused to glide smoothly. I had to struggle with it every time. The more I pulled it up and down, the more it felt like it would break with just a little extra pressure. It made the whole vest feel even cheaper. The quality was nothing like what they promised in the ads. The material felt thin. The stitching looked rushed. It was disappointing.
Better Alternatives
After this experience, I decided to check on Amazon. I typed in “heated vest” and immediately found so many options. Here’s what I discovered, most of the heated vests fell within the price range of $49 – $90. However, those below $70 doesn’t come with a battery pack.
Anyways, I ended up buying the KOVNLO Heated Vest for Women. It comes in different colors, and because I wanted something chic and minimalist, I went for the white.
Even though this does not include the battery, I still think it very worth the price I paid ($42). The design is sleek and hug your body. Easy to push on/off the power and great to have a pocket storing the cable so I can wash it. Bonus point to include the laundry bag with the jacket.
Overall, lightweight, stylish, and incredibly warm!
PRO: This heated vest is amazing! It warms up fast, fits comfortably, and keeps me perfectly warm on cold mornings or long days outside. The smart controller with the lights-out feature is super convenient and easy to use.!
The bottom hem line is a bit stretchy. Which I love since I have wide hips.
Nice large side pockets 7.5 inch wide by 8.5 inch long. So plenty of “storage space”.
Even though the battery isn’t included, it worked great with my own power bank.
CON: The only thing I wish is that the battery pocket was a bit bigger for a large external battery pack.
Is the Solana Heated Vest a Scam?
I wouldn’t really call it a scam perse, as I did receive it. However, it is not as effective as advertised. Also, the missing battery pack, poor heating performance, cheap zipper and low quality stitching proves it’s not worth the price.
When a product fails on so many levels and then pushes you to buy extra parts just to make it function, it does not feel like a thoughtful winter investment. It feels like something made only to take advantage of the hype.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Neck gets slightly warm
- Easy to pair with a power bank
Cons
- No battery pack included
- Poor heating performance
- Only the neck warms up
- Cheap material
Final Thoughts
I really wanted the Solana Heated Vest to work. As a mom who spends a lot of time outdoors and on the move, I was looking forward to something warm and practical. Instead, I got a vest that barely does anything. The heating is weak. The quality is poor. And the fact that you need a separate battery pack, even though they do not clearly mention it on the website, left a bad taste in my mouth.
If you are thinking about getting this vest, please save yourself the stress and disappointment. Check Amazon. Compare options. Read reviews. You can get a stronger, warmer and better made heated vest for the same price or even less.
while you’re here, here’s my review of another currently trending winter product ‘Heatflash heater‘