Men’s Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V Review: A Brilliant Way to Stay Warm on the Coldest Days

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The Lowdown

The days are growing short. The trees have turned and are about to lose their leaves. Before we know it, winter will be in full swing, and frigid temperatures will arrive. When that happens, I’ll be grateful to have the Men’s Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V.

Overall
4.5

Pros

  • Fits great and is a comfortable, well-designed winter jacket
  • Comfortable, lined pockets
  • Water-sealed breast pocket for phone and earbuds
  • Detachable hood
  • Heats quickly
  • Three heat levels

Cons

  • The battery uses a proprietary connection so you can’t use your own portable power packs as spares

It breaks my heart, but the cold weather has arrived here in New Jersey. The leaves are turning. The days are shorter. And it is getting COLD. Before we know it, winter will be in full swing. Thankfully, I’ll be warm this winter thanks to the Men’s Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V. It’s comfortable, and it’s heated. Yep, it’s heated.

A few years ago, I purchased a heated vest so I wouldn’t be quite as cold when I’m officiating graveside funerals in the middle of the winter. It worked well enough, but it wasn’t that comfortable, and it looked like a heated vest.

In other words, I was glad that I was able to wear it under an overcoat, and no one ever saw it.

Two years ago, I had the chance to review a heated jacket. It worked well enough, but it looked and felt like a tech jacket. And while that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, it did limit the settings in which it felt appropriate to wear the jacket.

When Venustas approached us about reviewing one of their heated jackets, I was excited to see how their jackets differed. I was surprised to find that they not only offer heated jackets and vests but also offer heated hoodies, fleeces, and more.

While I was tempted to get one of the fleeces for review (I mean, how cool would a heated fleece be?), I decided to see what the Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V had to offer.

I have to admit. I’m impressed.

Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V in shipping packaging

Rather than shipping the jacket in a plastic bag that would immediately get tossed into the garbage and end up in a landfill or floating in the ocean, the Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V came in a high-quality, reusable, waterproof zippered bag.

The reusable waterproof bag had me impressed right from the start, and I expect I’ll use it when packing for trips. I appreciate that they spent a little bit extra to make something that might otherwise be disposable into something reusable; if only all companies thought like that!

Inside the bag, I found the jacket and a small box with the included rechargeable battery.

I set the battery aside and spent some time looking at the jacket. At just $199, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I certainly didn’t think the Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V would be as nice as it is, and it is nice. I would happily wear this jacket even if it didn’t have a heating system.

The author wearing the Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V

Here’s why:

First off, the jacket fits me perfectly and has a decent amount of heft to it. It isn’t a heavy jacket, but it does feel substantial. The polyester shell is thick and feels quite durable. It is also machine washable.

The author wearing the Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V with the hood up.

As we will see, the removable hood has the same lining as the jacket; a visor is permanently sewn into the top and offers a bit of protection from the sun. That’s especially important if it is a sunny day and the light is reflecting off freshly fallen snow.

A reflective strip sits along the top of the visor and adds a bit of visibility if you are out at night. Drawstrings let you winch the hood around your head for added warmth. What I especially appreciate is the fact that once unzipped, the jacket’s collar shows no indication that there was ever a hood there.

Side view of the author wearing the Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V

Outer pockets on either side of the Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V are roomy enough for gloved hands and have a fleece liner for added warmth. YKK zippers and rugged pulls hopefully translate into a durable jacket you’ll wear for years to come.

Close-up of the author wearing the Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V

On the right outer breast, there is a zippered pocket large enough for a phone. It is also lined with fleece, but, in this case, I assume it is to keep phones scratch-free rather than warm. A water-sealed zipper ensures that any phone or earbuds placed in the pocket are protected from the elements.

Inside lining of the Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V

The inside of the Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V is lined with textured silver and black material. The company describes it as a “special new silver mylar thermal lining, which is skin-friendly and soft.” It looks cool and feels nice to the touch, but I suspect it also helps transfer heat from the electric coils to the wearer.

The sleeves are the perfect length for me and have a nice amount of insulation. Velcro at the cuff allows you to adjust the wrist and, when the weather drops, seal the cold air out.

The jacket has a YKK zipper and a wind flap with snaps to double the protection the jacket offers from the elements.

Finally, there is elastic running along the bottom of the jack and two-inch points so you can tighten it around your waist and keep the cold air out.

The Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V has a water and wind-resistant exterior that promises to keep you warm and dry in unpredictable weather conditions.

This is a comfortable, well-made jacket that I suspect is quite warm. It hasn’t gotten bitterly cold here yet, but when I wore the jacket out on a chilly night last week, I quickly became too hot and had to take the jacket off, and that was without the heating system turned on!

Honestly, if this were a “regular” jacket rather than a heated one and someone offered it to me, I would be quite happy. It’s a nice jacket. Period.

But. This “nice jacket” is also a heated jacket. Let’s dig into that a bit.

 

Hidden in the Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V are five carbon fiber heating panels. There is a large panel in the back, a small panel on each shoulder, and a larger panel on the left and right chest.

You can’t feel the heating panels, but they are there.

According to Venustas, the panels on this jacket are 30% large than in previous models. As I’m new to the brand, I can’t speak to that, but I will say that the panels cover ad impressively large area.

The power button on the Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V

On the front left breast, there is a round button. It sits just above the tasteful Venustas branding. A long press turns the heating system on. Once it is, each individual press of the button cycle through the three heating levels. With each level, an illuminated ring around the button turns a different color.

Powering the system is an included 7.4V battery. It weighs 6.88oz, has a 5000mAh capacity, a USB-A port for charging using the included USB-A to USB-C cable, a USB-C port so you can simultaneously charge your phone while also staying warm, and a female port to connect the battery to the jacket’s heating system.

The battery goes into a zippered pocket on the inside left panel. Just in case you ever forget how to use the jacket, this pocket has use instructions printed on it.

Inside the panel is a short cable and a plug that connects to the battery.

This brings us to my one main gripe with this jacket.

The connection between the battery and the jacket is proprietary when they could just as easily have used a USB-C connector. That would have allowed me to use any number of other external batteries as well as the one included with the jacket.

Of course, there is an advantage for the company since it makes consumers reliant on them for replacement or additional batteries, but I wish they had put consumers first in this regard.

It hasn’t been cold enough for me to put the jacket’s heating system to the test, but I can report that once turned on, the Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V heats up quickly. The company reports that a single battery will last up to 3 hours on the highest setting, 5-6 hours on the medium setting, and 8-10 hours on the lowest setting.

If you think you are going to be outside longer than that, you can pick up additional batteries from the company for $69.99 each. (They are currently sold out, but when they are available again, you can grab one here.)

I’m quite impressed with the Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V; it fits me perfectly and is comfortable. Despite it being a substantial jacket, I’m able to move freely with little to no restrictions. The velcro closures on the sleeves and drawstring on the bottom inside cold air is kept out, and the removable hood is also insulated.

As I said previously, the Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V would be a fine jacket I would happily wear even if it didn’t have the built-in tech. But it does have built-in tech, and the implementation of that tech seems well-conceived.

The large, carbon fiber heating panels cover a significant amount of the wearer’s body while being thin and flexible enough that you can’t even feel they are there. The button to control the heading system looks like branding and is easy to use. The included battery is large enough to last hours and powerful enough to heat the jacket in a matter of seconds, and I appreciate that the battery has a USB-C charging port so you can top off your phone.

I am, however, not happy they opted to use a proprietary connection between the Venustas battery and the jacket and force consumers to use their batteries. It makes sense from a business perspective but isn’t the most consumer-friendly move.

At the same time, I’m impressed enough with the jacket that I may get myself one of the fleeces. If I do, I’ll have access to two batteries; I imagine that will be plenty.

The days are growing short. The trees have turned and are about to lose their leaves. Before we know it, winter will be in full swing, and frigid temperatures will arrive. When that happens, I’ll be grateful to have the Men’s Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V.

The Men’s Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V sells for $199.99; it is available for purchase directly from the manufacturer.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I Like: Fits great and is a comfortable, well-designed winter jacket; Comfortable, lined pockets; Water-sealed breast pocket for phone and earbuds; Detachable hood; Heats quickly; Three heat levels

What Needs Improvement: The battery uses a proprietary connection so you can’t use your own portable power packs as spares

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.

3 Comments on "Men’s Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V Review: A Brilliant Way to Stay Warm on the Coldest Days"

  1. Liz Armstrong | January 27, 2023 at 10:45 am |

    My husband would love this!

  2. Looks like a great jacket, but having to purchase their proprietary battery as a replacement or spare is definitely a down side. I would prefer one that you can use your own battery pack.

  3. Barbara Tryon | January 29, 2023 at 3:47 am |

    Been wanting to get a heated jacket for my boyfriend.

Comments are closed.