Alpinestars HT-5 Heat Tech Drystar Gloves

Alpinestars has three new battery powered heated glove options debuting this riding season. The three styles are the HT-3, HT-5, and HT-7. All three styles share some features so I’ve grouped their review together so you can decide which model is right for your ride.

All three new Heat Tech battery powered gloves use the same 7.4v lithium battery that heats the gloves up to a maximum temperature of 70°C/158°F on the highest setting (more on the settings below). The battery lasts for about 3 hours of riding and it takes about 3 hours to recharge. This battery stores in the cuff inside a small pouch with a hook and loop closure. There is a wire inside the pouch that will be disconnected when you receive the gloves, so step 1 when you receive the gloves is connect the battery to the cable inside the pouch. Step 2 is to charge the batteries using the included USB to y-split USB-C BEFORE turning the gloves on. The power button on the gloves should turn Red while charging and change to Green once the battery is fully charged.

The differences between the gloves are pretty simple : The HT-3 has a Drystar waterproof membrane and 100g 3M™ Thinsulate™ insulation with a slightly shorter gauntlet than the other styles with a single hook and loop closure strap. The battery pouch is a little cumbersome on the HT-3 and seems like a bit of an afterthought on the outside of the gauntlet on the palm side. Likewise the control button is on the outer side of the cuff, so you have to turn your arm/wrist to see what setting it is on. The HT-5 has the same membrane and the addition of 80g PrimaLoft® insulation and a slightly longer gauntlet with dual hook and loop closure straps. The battery pouch on the HT-5 is contained within the gauntlet on the palm side and the power button is on top of the wrist to the medial side so it is visible at a glance and easy to turn on/control temps. The HT-7 is the same as the HT-5 in waterproofing, thermal insulation, and battery and button location, but it has an intelligent controlled heating system which is composed of sensors that recognize when the glove is pulled on or off the hand and automatically turns the power On or Off and a Smartphone App for turning the gloves On or Off and setting and controlling the internal temperature. The app has the added benefit of showing the battery life as well. The HT-7 is also a beefier glove, with leather on the backhand and hardened knuckle protectors on the exterior of the glove. The gauntlet still has a dual hook and loop closure, but the wrist strap is on the top of the hand vs. the palm side on the HT-5. The HT-7 also has two heating element lines per digit (instead of 1 on the other models) that warm the entire length of the fingers.

The gloves have a power button on each gauntlet that also functions as the temperature control (see note above about the HT-3 sub-optimal location). Hold the button down for a few seconds and the gloves will turn on, a Red light means high heat. A quick press of the button will move it through the heat setting options. Orange is medium heat, and Yellow is low heat. Another press will turn the gloves off (the light goes out, if the light goes back to Red you might need to hold the button for a few seconds to power off).

Besides the heating options, these gloves have all the standard features you would expect in a riding glove. They all have goat leather palms with reinforcements in key areas. The HT-5 and HT-7 have hardened TPU palm sliders as well. The knuckle protection is basically the same on the HT-3 and HT-5, a single piece hard knuckle is under the outer shell of the glove, while the HT-7 has a larger external knuckle protector as well as finger knuckle protectors. All three gloves have touchscreen materials on the thumbs and index fingers that seems to perform well on Apple and Android devices here at the shop. The HT-3 is a knit type of material over the Drystar liner while the HT-5 is a standard textile material you would expect in a waterproof glove with leather on the top of the finger tips. The HT-7 has leather on the top of the hand down past the knuckle armor where it transitions to textile with a leather gauntlet strap.

Alpinestars’ new Heat Tech glove line has something for everyone. They’ve clearly gone for a “good-better-best” line-up and I think they’ve achieved that goal with the various options between the models. These gloves should work well for most riders in cold to warm temperatures in just about any riding conditions. :: Mike, 03/05/2022