Heat Holders Ski Socks Review.
You Know How to Squeeze Me.
Pop quiz: the lyric above is from what song and artist? clue: or is that Noddy ‘skweeze-ing’ me?
Endorsed by GB ski veteran Graham Bell, my first impression of Heat Holders ski socks is that they are incredibly thick, soft and fluffy and it is easy to see how they have achieved a 2.3 tog rating.
As I understand it, it is a matter of human biology that generally, women have colder feet than men; being a woman who does get cold feet, but whose favourite pastime is skiing, I was very keen to give these socks a good testing.
Heat Holders Ski Socks Under Test.
So, with snow falling from the sky and the temperature forecast to drop to -15oC, I pulled on my new Heat Holders ski socks. My second impression of these ski socks is that they are longer then my usual ski socks; no bad thing. I wear capri-length base layer bottoms as I don’t like to pack multi-layers of clothing into my ski boots, so these socks provided a good overlap.
My third impression is that Heat Holders ski socks are still very thick! My ski boots have been expertly fitted to provide a very close fit that is comfortable without giving my feet much room to move. Getting my boots on over my new ski socks was a bit of a squeeze and left my toes with no wriggle room at all.
What this squeezing action also meant was that I had squeezed out much of the warm air; the very thing that the makers claim would keep my feet warmer for longer. So after one day with my new ski socks I would conclude they didn’t really work to keep my feet warm.
Ski Sock Test Day Two.
Undeterred, the next day I took an insole out of each of my boots (I have two insoles in each of my ski boots) and tried again. This time my feet were snug, but not cramped and my feet were quite warm and cosy all morning – a success.
Day three, as an experiment, I wore one of the Heat Holders ski socks; with one insole, and one of my normal ones; with two insoles. The Heat Holders ski socks feel thicker and cosier then technical ski socks, but once I had hit the slopes I didn’t really notice this difference. Today, I was planning a full days skiing, both feet started out warm, and with the temperature dropping to minus 20oC this would be quite a test.
Whilst skiing, both feet stayed warm, however when sitting on long chair lifts the Heat Holders kept my foot warm whereas the more technical socked foot got quite chilly. Skiing warmed both feet up again. So I would conclude that, in my test the Heat Holder ski socks do what they say – they ‘hold heat’ longer than more technical ski socks.
Key Features of Heat Holders Ski Socks
- Material: 91% Acrylic, 5% Nylon, 3% Polyester, 1% Elastane
- Left/Right Different: No
- Wicking/Breathability: Holds in warm air
- Durability: Man-made fibres tend to be long lasting
- Washing: Machine wash at 40oC; man-made fibres don’t need special care
- Drying: Can be tumble dried; often merino socks can’t be
- Best Thing: Warm feet
- Worst Thing: Too thick for wearing with close fitting boots
- Price/Value: Excellent, under £10 a pair
Conclusions from my Heat Holders Ski Sock Test
A quick search online and you’ll see that most pairs of ski socks incorporate merino wool and cost over £20 a pair: With Heat Holders ski socks available at less than half that, they certainly represent excellent value. If you are an occasional skier, a beginner or someone who doesn’t work ‘hard’ when skiing, especially if you wear hire boots, or suffer with particularly cold feet, I’d certainly recommend them.
Top tip: Wear your Heat Holders ski socks when you go to be fitted for your ski boots to ensure your toes have room to wiggle and you can fully benefit from the trapped warm air.
