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Zone Tech Car Steering Wheel 12V Heated Cover - Classic Black Premium Quality Ultra Comfortable 12V Vehicle Heated Wheel Protector.
$24 on Amazon.
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I have begun to develop arthritis in my left hand, especially the pinky finger, and gloves just don’t help due to reduced circulation therefore I have been looking for a simple, low-impact solution.
Last season I was using disposable hand-warmers but didn’t like the waste they generated so I decided to try a heated steering wheel cover.
Important note: The actual item I received looks like the amazon page, but the packaging was completely different and my power cord it quite a bit heavier than the one in the images. So far I have only had -cool- (55-65) weather to test.
I have installed this item in a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. Therefore it should physically fit other Chevrolet vehicles with the identical steering wheel (Cruze, Sonic, Malibu). BE AWARE, like any good steering wheel cover this is a VERY tight fit. Install should only be attempted when the cover is warm and it will still take some care and some muscle to get it into place. I also suspect if you are ham-fisted on the install that you could damage the heating elements and ruin the cover. I felt like the install was very similar to putting a tube and tire on a bicycle without damaging them.
Some people complained about a vinyl smell. Mine had -no- odor to it.
My unit takes about 10-20 seconds to come up to temperature and then cycled on and off in a measured (IR thermometer) range around 100-105 degrees. That temperature range is enough to feel warm through the padding, not enough to feel hot. If you were wearing gloves I doubt it would feel hot enough but to bare skin it’s pretty nice and kept my fingers pleasantly warm. The heat is a full 360 degrees on the outer edge of the wheel (where the tread would be on a bicycle tire).
It does make the steering wheel pretty thick, I have large hands with long fingers so no issue for me, but those with smaller hands might not like it. I do have to say that the microfiber-velour surface has a really nice feel.
This item comes with absolutely NO INSTRUCTIONS. This is a major flaw because if you run the cord –behind- the steering wheel you get an unsafe situation when you turn the wheel and the cord starts wrapping around the steering column. Also it would be nice to have instructions that tell you to pull the cord attachment socket out when installing the cover so that you can access it to plug in. Having to pull the cover back off and pull out the socket was VERY annoying.
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Package says it “massages your hands”. This is untrue, there is no massage function it is just a heater.
Any time your power outlet/lighter socket is active, this heater will draw power. This could result in a dead battery if left on too long. I strongly recommend that you just unplug it from the wheel when not actively in use.
As it gets colder and I use it over time I'll follow up and let you know how the heater is holding up.
Initial Bottom Line:
Like another review on the Amazon page, I ordered and then read the reviews and wondered if I had made a mistake. However so far I'm a lot happier with this heater than most of the reviewers.
$24 on Amazon.
I have begun to develop arthritis in my left hand, especially the pinky finger, and gloves just don’t help due to reduced circulation therefore I have been looking for a simple, low-impact solution.
Last season I was using disposable hand-warmers but didn’t like the waste they generated so I decided to try a heated steering wheel cover.
Important note: The actual item I received looks like the amazon page, but the packaging was completely different and my power cord it quite a bit heavier than the one in the images. So far I have only had -cool- (55-65) weather to test.
I have installed this item in a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. Therefore it should physically fit other Chevrolet vehicles with the identical steering wheel (Cruze, Sonic, Malibu). BE AWARE, like any good steering wheel cover this is a VERY tight fit. Install should only be attempted when the cover is warm and it will still take some care and some muscle to get it into place. I also suspect if you are ham-fisted on the install that you could damage the heating elements and ruin the cover. I felt like the install was very similar to putting a tube and tire on a bicycle without damaging them.
Some people complained about a vinyl smell. Mine had -no- odor to it.
My unit takes about 10-20 seconds to come up to temperature and then cycled on and off in a measured (IR thermometer) range around 100-105 degrees. That temperature range is enough to feel warm through the padding, not enough to feel hot. If you were wearing gloves I doubt it would feel hot enough but to bare skin it’s pretty nice and kept my fingers pleasantly warm. The heat is a full 360 degrees on the outer edge of the wheel (where the tread would be on a bicycle tire).
It does make the steering wheel pretty thick, I have large hands with long fingers so no issue for me, but those with smaller hands might not like it. I do have to say that the microfiber-velour surface has a really nice feel.
This item comes with absolutely NO INSTRUCTIONS. This is a major flaw because if you run the cord –behind- the steering wheel you get an unsafe situation when you turn the wheel and the cord starts wrapping around the steering column. Also it would be nice to have instructions that tell you to pull the cord attachment socket out when installing the cover so that you can access it to plug in. Having to pull the cover back off and pull out the socket was VERY annoying.
Package says it “massages your hands”. This is untrue, there is no massage function it is just a heater.
Any time your power outlet/lighter socket is active, this heater will draw power. This could result in a dead battery if left on too long. I strongly recommend that you just unplug it from the wheel when not actively in use.
As it gets colder and I use it over time I'll follow up and let you know how the heater is holding up.
Initial Bottom Line:
Like another review on the Amazon page, I ordered and then read the reviews and wondered if I had made a mistake. However so far I'm a lot happier with this heater than most of the reviewers.
