We tested the battery-powered Ravean Down X heated jacket in winter and gave it high marks for warmth, comfort, style and the ability to charge electronics.
Over a cold weekend in January, stationed at a campsite in the Angeles Crest National Forest near Los Angeles, our review crew and my little family set out to test the battery-powered Ravean Heated Jacket to see if it was all it was claimed to be or was too good to be true. Our female reviewer and I elected to test the Down X jacket for this snowy adventure, and I am happy to report that we made the right choice.
The Ravean Down X is a Responsible Down Standard-certified jacket with back, chest and pocket heating zones, and three modes of heating intensity. The jacket comes in men’s and women’s fits, ranging in size from extra-small to extra-extra-large. All are available with or without a 12-volt rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
Let’s take a look at the two Down X models that are currently available:
Model in Ravean Women’s Heated Jacket / Photo: Jeremy P Elder
Women’s Down X Jacket
Our female reviewer tested the women’s jacket for a full day in winter conditions. From the photo shoot to snowball fights, sledding (including getting taken out pretty badly by a crew member’s daughter on a sled) and the mile-long trek through the snowy woods back to the car, the jacket remained comfortable, dry and, best of all, heated. After juicing up the battery for two hours, the jacket continued to produce heat for the duration of the five-hour product demo.
The jacket’s three heat-intensity settings are a great feature because the highest setting can be too warm when you are actively pursuing outdoor adventures. Pushing the button in the collar of the jacket cycles through the three heat modes and allows you to adjust your comfort level.
Highlights of the women’s jacket are the water-resistant coating, the stylish and functional faux-fur lining around the edge of the detachable hood, and the body-hugging V-shaped contour that accents and warms the curves of the female shape.
Several warm and toasty zones / Photo: Ravean
Men’s Down X Jacket
Stay warm all day / Photo: Jeremy P Elder
As for the men’s jacket, I tested this bad-boy out myself. The features are very similar, if not the same as the women’s jacket. However, there are a couple of small design variations between the two. The men’s jacket does not feature the V-shaped body contour like the women’s, nor does it have the faux-fur lining on the hood, which is a bummer because I happen to like fur on the hood. Other than that, the jackets look and function the same.
I loved wearing this jacket for the day and preferred setting it on the lowest heating intensity. Even with the heat turned off, it is a warm jacket. The rounded contour of the battery makes wearing the jacket more comfortable, particularly when sitting. Another impressive feature is that the removable, rechargeable 10,050-mAh battery can do double duty powering the heating elements and charging your phone. There’s no other way to say it, but it’s really cool to be able to charge your phone with your jacket!
Ravean provided a heating diagram to show the different zones that heat the jacket. As you can see from the diagram below, the front of the jacket has heating elements on the left and right chest areas and each of the pockets (my personal favorites), as well as one heating element on the back. Together, they produce nice, even heat across the whole jacket.
Ravean recommends using the high heat setting on really cold days, as low as minus-10 degrees Fahrenheit. In temperatures from 15 to 38 degrees F, the medium setting will keep you warm, and the low setting is recommended for about 38 to 55 degrees F. In warmer weather, you won’t need the heat, in which case you may elect to use the battery exclusively for charging your electronics.
Conclusion
We loved this jacket! I would purchase the jacket for its looks alone, whether it produced heat or not. Our female reviewer gave the same feedback, and we had many members of our team inquiring about the price of the jacket, based purely on the how it looks. At least four people inquired about the jacket before we even explained that it had heating features. That says a lot. It’s not just a lightweight heated jacket; it’s comfortable, stylish and machine washable.
MSRP for the Ravean Down X jacket and battery bundle is $299.99, but both the men’s and women’s jackets were sale priced at $199.99 at the time of this posting. The battery can be purchased separately for $39.99. A 12-volt wall adapter (19.99) and battery extension cord ($15.99) are also available.
