Grip Heaters or Handlebar Mitts?

[Dakota_c69]

Which would you choose and why?

[malcolmzilla]

I run... both.

The bar mitts are very nice in the extreme cold, however some folks find them too restrictive if you and bike part company, I prefer to view it as "commitment"...

But they do take a beating on trees, a set might not see me thru a winter season, and can be snow scoops if your bike is prone to taking frequent rests...
I cut some gallon plastic jug plastic into strips and ziptied it over my mitts to the barkbuster under the mitt. Sort of a tree skidplate for for the mitts , getting a second season out of a set now, and arguably defeating those trees that jump out at me better.

With grip heaters as well as mitts, you can quickly take a cold wet numb hand/finger back to life... The symtec/moose dual element are the best IMO, with clutch and throttle specific elements. Run a quick wrap of heat reflective insulation (mopac) under both sides to bump up the BTU transfer to your paws. If you don't have a kicker you'll want a grip heat indicator light too!

For milder days, the grip heaters provide enough warmth and I can ditch the mitts. But I also wear a winter glove. Some prefer a mx glove to reduce arm pump.
Insulating your levers with a bit of hockey tape also seems to help the finger issue, but perhaps I'm just a delicate flower.

[Brass]

I also run both. The mitts keep the wind off your hands and the heaters help to dry your grips when you decide to closely examine those rare winter plants that thrive in the snow.

With the heaters and mitts, I am able to ride comfortably with my normal summer riding gloves. Helpful if you're like me and have small hands or don't like the bulk of ski gloves.

I believe Tusk makes a pair of mitts that are shorter for use on bikes. Being shorter than the atv version helps prevent being tangled up in a crash. Mine are short and i have crash tested them hundreds if not thousands of times and have never had a hand get stuck in them. I am not saying it can't happen, just that it has never happened to me, ymmv

[dirtyboy]

My hands are claustrophobic and don't like the muffs. They also sweat profusely in them and I end up with wet gloves.

I use grip heaters very sparingly with a good set of regular enduro gloves.

[Braap791]

I ran a set of 100% brisker gloves yesterday. For the price they are not a terrible option. They keep your hands warm and dryer than a regular glove yet they are not super bulky and awkward feeling when using the brake and clutch.

[Ynot303]

Grip heaters all the way. I swear by them.