Written by
James Bricknell
Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission.
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James Bricknell Senior Editor
James has been writing about technology for years but has loved it since the early 90s. While his main areas of expertise are maker tools — 3D printers, vinyl cutters, paper printers, and laser cutters — he also loves to play board games and tabletop RPGs.
Expertise 3D printers, maker tools such as Cricut style vinyl cutters and laser cutters, traditional paper printers Credentials 6 years working professionally in the 3D printing space / 4 years testing consumer electronics for large websites.
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Sq. Feet of Lab Space $29 at Amazon
Classic warmth for your toes
Clarks hard-soled open-back slippers
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$160 at Amazon
Warm your room with a bit of style
Turbro Suburbs TS25 electric fireplace infrared space heater
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$120 at Amazon
Undergarments offer extra protection
Smartwool base layer top
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$27 at Amazon
Better than filling your pockets with soup
Ocoopa rechargeable hand warmers
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$21 at Walmart
Simple warmth for your top half
Hanes men’s sweatshirt
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$35 at Amazon
Heat just where need it
Pure Enrichment PureRelief XL heating pad
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$20 at Uniqlo
The bottom half of you needs extra layers
Uniqlo HeatTech tights
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Winter is in full swing. Snow-capped mountains are beautiful to look at from afar, but when the rain and snow is bringing the cold temperatures to your door, staying warm is a top priority. Technology to make us cozy and insulated clothes to keep us warm are our go-to solutions to stay comfortable during the winter months.
Our team at CNET can be super chill, but when it comes to the brisk weather of the season, keeping the cold outside is an absolute must. With that in mind, here’s a list of some of the gear we rely on to keep you warm and toasty this winter.
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My feet get cold when it’s cold, so the obvious solution is to wear warm socks and/or slippers. I’ve gone through many pairs of soft-bottomed sheepskin slippers and smooth machine-washable slippers over the years. It never occurred to me until recently to get hard-soled slippers that I can keep on (instead of sliding my feet out of my slippers) when I need to run to get the mail or slip out the backdoor briefly to convince the dog to come in out of the rain.
There are many choices of the kind of slipper you can get. I’m not here to make any judgments. However, being able to keep mine on for those brief forays out of my California home — without switching to my shoes when I leave and getting my slippers back on when I return — has helped me stay quite warm. This may be a small detail. But to me, it’s been an absolute game-changer.
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This Suburbs Electric Fireplace is a space heater that looks like a fireplace. Sure it sounds cheesy, but this product makes for an extremely cozy and inviting experience. It easily keeps my poorly heated basement warm and, since it looks like a fireplace, it’s calming to look at. Obviously t’s not a real fire, but my brain just says, “Ooooh, survival,” and blisses out when I sit near the heater. Simply put, it’s a big step up from a regular space heater in terms of ambiance.
There are some caveats, though. It can’t oscillate and only has one intensity level, unlike many clunkier-looking space heaters. That said, I love that it has a thermostat, a timer and is remote control-operated. The fake flames are also a key safety feature that will remind you to turn it off, since they’ll keep flickering, otherwise. I recommend sitting by it while wearing fleece-lined jeans, my other favorite purchase of this season, while holding a mug of something warm.
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I’m not usually a “you’ve gotta buy this brand” person, but: You’ve gotta buy this brand. Smartwool’s base layer tops, bottoms, hats, gloves and socks are made from merino wool, which promises to regulate body temperature and vaporize sweat. And in my experience, it works. Smartwool products have become my go-to and make a big difference when I know I’m going to have to be outdoors in the cold.
They’re pricey, but an investment — these pieces are durable and hold up over time. I’ve had some base layer shirts for years now. Not for nothing, they also offer plus-sized clothes and have a number of environmentally friendly practices in place.
— Alison DeNisco Rayome
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I regularly rely on hand warmers, but I don’t like single-use products, so I went looking for something I could rely on and landed on this. It’s basically a big battery and a heating element, with a USB-C charging port. There are three levels of heat output, the top level being seriously warm, and I find one full charge usually lasts me about two hours when it’s cold enough to need it.
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I live in South Carolina, so most of the time the weather is pretty reasonable and you don’t need to have a lot of cold-weather gear around. Because of this, I only need a sweatshirt at most to get the day started, then by the afternoon I’m in shorts and a T-shirt. I don’t like to spend a lot of money on clothes (never have), so this Hanes sweatshirt is perfect.
It’s soft, keeps me warm enough and has a hood with a front pocket for my hands. It fits true to size and has held up great after many washes. It comes in a huge variety of colors, so you can stock up on a few of them without breaking the bank.
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Sure, I could crank up the heat throughout my entire home or huddle dangerously close to the heating vents. But when the shivers take hold, I’m much more likely to reach for my heating pad. Luscious, localized heat warms me up in minutes while making a smaller dent in my energy bill. Best yet, a heating pad is eminently portable, which means I can wrap it around my feet on the couch, drape it over my lap at my desk or radiate heat down my back while reading in bed.
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Yes, it’s nice to plan for chilly weather, but what happens when you’re traveling and dramatically underestimate how low the temps will plunge? You don’t want to buy a whole new wardrobe — just something to get you through a few days so your business trip or vacation isn’t ruined. Enter Uniqlo, a fast-fashion brand with its HeatTech product line of affordable innerwear (or long underwear if you’re traditional).
For less than $20, you can pick up a pair of tights that will make your life a lot easier. As a former New Yorker, I can tell you protecting the legs is the most cost-effective way to get through a chilly spell. That said, Uniqlo also has tops, gloves and hats to complete your budget winter survival outfit. Uniqlo stores aren’t everywhere in the country, but you can zip over to one in Chicago, New York City, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco and the Washington, DC area (as well as Los Angeles and Orlando, though you probably won’t need HeatTech there!). Everyone else can order online and get their affordable winter protections in a few days — or see if there’s an H&M in town with its own line of thermal long johns.
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The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
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