Heated grips can really help when the temperature drops during the UK winter – eliminating windchill and preventing that dangerous lack of feeling in the fingers.
We’ve taken a look at the best products on the market and chosen the options that offer the best balance of value and performance for most riders.
OnTour Original
Premium Features At A Low Price
Boasts features (temperature control, LED warning light) of many of their more expensive competition – and offer a two-year warranty.
Hard to beat at the price.
Best Heated Motorcycle Grips
Let’s dive into our grip roundup.
R&G Heated Motorcycle Grips
R&G heated grips are the lowest priced set on our list.
They have five heat settings, and a bright LED to tell you if you have forgotten to turn them off.
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Though these and the other heated grips in our list are designed to fit a 22mm handlebar, some customers have reported difficulty with fitting.
Simple workarounds include using a soft mallet to tap them on if the fit is too tight or using some insulating tape to increase the diameter of the bar if too loose.
Other feedback suggests the grips take five to ten minutes to heat up, depending on the severity of the cold.
R&G grips are sold with connections to wire directly to your bike’s battery. A relay can be installed to wire the battery through the ignition.
It’s worth mentioning that your grips will heat up faster if your hands are on the bars.
Pros
Really low price point- Decent quality at this price
Really low price pointCons
- Some customers report difficulty with fitting
- Will drain your battery if you forget to turn them off
Some customers report difficulty with fittingOn Tour Original Hot Grips
On Tour Hot Grips are priced slightly above R&G’s offering.
A two-year warranty and slightly superior build quality may make them worth it, depending on your needs.
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Fitting these is simple on most bikes, and they can be cut down if necessary. Most customers reported them as easy to fit.
The moulded wiring setup feels durable and is easy to hide discreetly behind your fairing.
The grips come with a waterproof controller unit and mounting bracket with four heat settings. This controller can be placed on either the handlebars or fairing.
These grips are sold with connections to wire directly to your bike’s battery. A relay can be installed to wire the battery through the ignition.
Like most electronic gear connected directly to your bike’s battery, they must be turned off independently after switching off the ignition.
A convenient red LED is included to warn if you do forget to turn them off.
Pros
- Two-year warranty
- Easy to install
Cons
- Will drain your battery if left on
Oxford Heated Advanced Hot Grips – Sports
These are cut to fit most sports bikes and can be further trimmed if required.
The Sports Hot Grips have five heat settings, a battery saving mode and a rainproof switch.
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The wiring loom, mounting bracket and electronic control unit are easy to install discreetly and look right on a sports bike. Stealthy!
The electronic unit will register a drop in voltage when you turn off your ignition, automatically turning off the grips if you have forgotten to. This eliminates the need to wire in a relay switch and the possibility of a flat battery.
Like the other Oxford Premium gear featured in our list, these are covered by a two-year warranty.
Pros
- Minimal visual impact on your sports bike
- Two-year warranty
- Automatically switch off to avoid a flat battery
Cons
- Not the cheapest set on our list
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Oxford Heated Advanced Hot Grips – Touring
Oxford’s Advanced Touring grips are made for just that – motorcycle touring.
Nine heat settings mean you’ll be comfortable in even the most unpredictable of conditions. An intelligent memory function stores your previous setting and defaults to this when you start up your bike. It’s a nice touch.
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The device automatically switches off if you forget, avoiding a flat battery. This means it’s not necessary to buy and fit a relay.
These grips also feature a battery saving mode – useful on those longer tours.
The controller unit is made from weatherproof, welded plastic and feels like it’s made to last.
The threaded rubber grips feel comfortable and will dampen vibration and keep you in control.
These grips are at a premium price, but feel durable, are highly adjustable and are covered by a three-year warranty.
If budget isn’t an issue and you’re likely to do some touring, these are the grips you need.
Pros
- Intelligent memory stores the last heat setting on restarting
- Excellent build quality
- Three-year warranty
- Auto-shutdown function in case you forget
- Battery saving mode
Cons
- Expensive
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Oxford Heated Premium Hot Grips – Touring
Oxford’s Premium Touring grips are a more affordable version of their Advanced counterpart.
The Advanced Touring are supplied with a three-year warranty, while the Premium Touring are covered for twelve months.
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The Premium Grips have five heat settings compared to the Advanced Grip’s nine settings.
Like the Advanced, the Premium Grips have a battery saving mode.
Build quality feels excellent, though a slight downgrade from the Advanced version. Thick, threaded rubber on these grips will keep your hands comfortable on longer rides.
They can be hardwired to your ignition, eliminating the need to wire in a relay. Very convenient.
Pros
- Twelve-month warranty
- Can be hardwired to your ignition – no chance of a flat battery
- Battery saving mode
Cons
- There are cheaper options
Oxford Heated Hot Grips – Commuters
As the name suggests, the Commuter Grips are made for people making regular, medium-length trips in cold but predictable conditions.
To this end, the Commuter Grips have only two heat settings, don’t feature a battery saving mode and include a weatherproof controller which can be mounted on the handlebars or fairing.
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The build quality is as high as we would expect from Oxford and the rubber thread is comfortable, featuring raised buttons for easy use with gloved hands.
If you want these to shut off when you turn the ignition, you’ll have to wire in a relay.
Though these gloves trim back on some of the features, they might suit someone who has a beater just for commuting – or a daily road warrior doing thirty minutes each way to the office.
Recommended by several motorcycle couriers I know. This is usually a solid endorsement.
Pros
- High build quality
- Low price point
Cons
- Will drain your battery if left on
- Only two heat settings
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Oxford Heated Premium Hot Grips – Adventure
Oxford’s Premium Adventure grips are designed to fit adventure bikes.
The five heat settings can be controlled via a rainproof switch – easily mounted on your handlebar. This, the wiring loom and all components feel durable – as is fitting for an adventure bike.
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Like with all of Oxford’s range, the buttons are raised and simple to use with winter gloves on.
The rubber thread is a tough four-way pattern with a diamond pattern cut into the areas where most grip and control are required; This is a nice touch on a bike designed to ride over challenging terrain.
A two-year warranty covers these grips.
A serious contender if you are likely to ride across Continents and mountain ranges.
Pros
- Two-year warranty
- Comfortable and responsive feeling for long rides and uneven ground
- Battery saving mode
- Auto shutdown – no flat battery
Cons
- Cheaper options available
Buyer’s Guide
Considerations, connections and warmth
Fitting electronically heated grips may seem like a daunting business if you haven’t done it before.
Trust us, the manufacturers have done their very best to make it a simple procedure – just allow a little more than the quoted install time.
Installation And Removal
When changing out grips, I like to have a chopstick on hand to slip under the currently installed grip. This will make it a lot easier to slide off. Slide the stick under the grip and move around when the rubber catches to reduce friction.
Always use a twisting motion to remove grips. Pulling won’t do it!
Make sure to clean the handlebar with some rubbing alcohol before installing the new grip.
Some people use grease to help slide them on the bars. I’d recommend against this. The grease will be there forever, and your grips may slip around indefinitely. The previous owner of my streetbike had this bright idea!
Connections
When installing your battery loom, make sure you remove the negative terminal first and don’t touch anything metal.
This video is a comprehensive demonstration of how to install a set of Oxford heated grips.
If forgetting to switch off your grips is a legitimate concern, choose from the Oxford range – which will sense a drop in voltage when you switch off your ignition.
Or consider wiring in a relay by checking out this and many other instructional videos on YouTube.
Warmth and Comfort
It might sound obvious to some of you, but heated grips are designed to be used alongside your waterproof, windproof winter gloves.
You’ll need that insulation from the elements as well as the heat from the bars.
NOTE: If you’re starting out and working on a tight budget, a good pair of gloves come first.
A seasoned veteran looking to complete their ultimate setup might consider a set of heated grips used alongside a pair of heated gloves.
With both units turned to their lowest setting, you’ll be toasty in most conditions – and have lots of room to adjust when the temperature drops.
Power Draw
Heated grips typically have a draw of about 4A. Your bike’s battery has an output of approximately 28A.
12A is required to run the necessary electronic functions of a motorcycle (lights, indicators etc.)
This leaves a conservative 12A – 14A to run extras such as heated grips and clothing.
Conclusion
It’s hard to go against our budget pick of the On Tour Heated Grips here. The low price, decent build quality and tons of positive feedback makes them the pick of the bunch.
An honourable mention must go to Oxford’s Commuter set too. Couriers know how to pick their kit.
If budget is no issue, Oxford’s advanced series are well-made and have all the bells and whistles.
Further Reading
For more on heated clothing