Ororo Unisex 5-Zone Ultralight Adjustable Heated Liner Quilted Vest Review

About the ororo Unisex 5-Zone Ultralight Adjustable Heated Liner Quilted Vest

• Heating zones: Five, across the abdomen, shoulders and upper back, and lower back (not individually controlled in this model)
• Heating elements: Carbon fiber
• Heat settings: Low, medium, and high, plus custom temperatures in the app
• Controls: Power button on the front of the vest; ororo app via Bluetooth
• Battery: PD 5K rechargeable battery included (5,075mAh, 7.4V, 37.5Wh)
• Battery life (ororo estimate): 2.5 hours on high; 4 hours on medium; 7.5 hours on low
• Charging: USB-C fast charging in about two hours (33W dual-port charger and cable included)
• Sizing: Unisex XS/S, M/L, and XL/2XL
• Color: Black
• Materials: 93% polyester and 7% spandex front shell; 100% polyester back shell, lining, and fill
• Care: Machine-washable on a cold, gentle cycle in a mesh bag with the battery removed; line dry
• Battery certifications: UL, cUL, CE, FCC, and RoHS
• Warranty: 3-year limited on the heating elements; 1-year limited on the battery
• Price: $199.99, battery included

The vest is a lightweight, quilted heated liner and ororo's first Bluetooth product. The company has come a long way since the heated jacket we reviewed in 2018, which had three heating panels, a glowing logo button our tester found distracting, and a thin hood that did little to keep the wearer warm. We passed on that jacket.

This time around, the app lets you turn the button's light off, among other controls. Five heating zones cover the abdomen, shoulders and upper back, and lower back, and you can cycle through low, medium, and high using the power button on the front of the vest or the ororo app. The rechargeable battery sits in an external pocket, so you can reach it without unzipping all your layers.

The app is optional, since the power button still controls the vest and changes sync with the app when it's connected. What the app adds is finer control: custom temperatures between the preset levels, an auto shut-off timer with quick actions (such as high heat for five or 10 minutes, or turning off in 10 or 30 minutes), and an Eco Mode that ororo says extends battery life. It also includes a battery meter and usage data, such as total time worn and average power draw, plus vibration alerts when the heat level changes. Unlike ororo's dual-control garments, this vest heats all five zones together.

For layering, the vest has an adjustable hook-and-loop closure at the waist, stretch side panels, and wide armholes. A separate external pocket holds small essentials.

How we tested

I tested this vest both indoors and outdoors. My townhouse's living room has a cathedral ceiling, so after summer ends, all the heat running through the house rises above our heads. I usually wear long sleeves and a sweatshirt from October to May.

In addition to my cute little 27-pound lapdog named Sally (pictured above) to keep me warm, I have my trusted heated blanket, but I can only use that when I've entered the couch portion of my day, after our 1-year-old is in bed—so this vest came in handy.

I also wore it underneath a jacket to a local community festival that was largely outdoors, so I could test the heat levels and see how comfortable I could stay during the dusk hours in windy November weather.

What we like

It’s a truly portable heating solution

The best thing about having a heated vest is that you’re not chained to an outlet, fireplace, or space heater to warm up. You can put it on and go wherever the frigid temperatures take you. It takes a lot for me to get uncomfortably warm, so being able to wear it while chasing my toddler around or walking my dog is a neat concept.

Once you find the right level, it heats up well. I used a lower level indoors and the highest level outdoors, and I stayed mostly comfortable. Wearing it underneath my jacket helped, since the jacket pressed it closer to my body. The vest itself is thin and lightweight, and the material is soft.

Setup couldn’t have been easier

After opening the box, all I had to do was plug the battery into the included power cord to charge it. After unplugging it, hold down the button to see the battery level so you don’t end up with a dead vest when you need it.

Then you find the wire on the back-left side of the vest and plug it into the battery, slip the battery into the little pocket, and press the ororo button on the top left of the vest to turn it on—and that’s it.

The app is customizable and easy to use

I’ll start by saying: You don’t need the app to use the vest. The button on the outside of the vest works as a power and level control, which I like a lot. But if you have it tucked underneath all your layers or want more customization, the app provides plenty of options.

Once you download the ororo app, you can add your garment, and the app finds your vest via Bluetooth—it took only one try, to my delight. After you connect it, you can control the vest itself.

You can adjust levels and see what each color means (which comes in handy even if you’re not using the app, since the button on the vest lights up in those same colors), check your battery level, and set automatic shut-off times if you want. It also tracks your usage—I’m not sure why you’d need this information, but it is interesting to see, if nothing else.

What we don’t like

The unisex fit might not work for everyone

Given my petite frame (and 5-foot-3 height), I ordered the XS/S. I wear a women’s S in most clothes, so I figured that would be perfect since it’s unisex. To get the most out of the heat, it helps to have the vest fitted snugly against your body. I could only manage this with a layer over it pressing it against me—and even then, the fit fell short.

I had to wrap it as tightly as it would go, until there was no Velcro left to attach, and it still felt loose in some spots.

It also seems built to fit a man’s shoulders, and I have a short torso, so the chest of the vest sat low on me, with gaps where it barely touched my body. That meant missing out on some of the heat you want to feel close to your heart. The low fit also dropped the bottom of the vest (and battery pack) below my hips, which made sitting upright in the car slightly uncomfortable.

My 6-foot-6 husband tried it on as well, and it wasn’t a perfect fit (slightly short), but he wore it comfortably with the Velcro toward the loosest end. He usually wears an L or XL in men’s sizes, so an XS/S vest that fits him almost perfectly runs large for something meant to sit snugly against your body.

The button is convenient, but it’s easy to press accidentally

A couple of times during the festival, I noticed the heat had weakened. I opened my jacket to see the button lit blue, which means low. I sure as heck didn’t turn it down while standing in those blustering winds.

I had picked up and held my daughter a few times throughout the event (which made me warmer, since it pressed the vest harder against my body), and that pressure must have clicked the button and turned the level back down. It’s a minor issue, but it’s something to be conscious of so you don’t lose heat when you need it.

It's on the expensive side

At $199.99, the ororo vest is pricey, and some shoppers may balk at spending that much on a heating accessory. Other Bluetooth heated vests (from brands like Fieldsheer, Venture Heat, and Therm-ic) start around $140 and run to $190 or more, so this one sits on the higher end without being an outlier.

The extra cost buys five heating zones and app control, but since the vest works fine without the app, anyone who doesn't plan to use it may find better value elsewhere.

Warranty

The ororo 5-Zone Heated Vest comes with a 3-year limited warranty on the heating elements and a 1-year limited warranty on the battery when you buy it directly from ororo. Purchases from authorized retailers such as Amazon and Home Depot carry a 1-year limited warranty on both. The company also offers free return shipping in the U.S.

Should you buy the ororo Unisex 5-Zone Ultralight Adjustable Heated Liner Quilted Vest?

Yes, if you love being toasty

Overall, this product is a slam dunk. It lets you warm up wherever you go—what could be better? While I'd love to see women’s sizes in this model instead of unisex to provide maximum heat to petite gals, it’s still a great—albeit pricey—heating tool for the winter (and could make a thoughtful gift!).

With this ororo 5-Zone Heated Bluetooth Vest (available at Ororo) , cold weather might not seem so daunting to those of us who would rather roast in the hot sun than feel even a slight chill up the spine.