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- Zippo Hand Warmers provide as many as 12 hours of continuous warming.
- At less than $ 15, these things are great stocking stuffers, groomsman gifts, or just a little something to which you treat yourself.
- But don’t let that small price tag fool you: Zippo hand warmers have been keeping people cozy for years, and they’re built to last for a lifetime.
I’ll admit that the first time I slipped my Zippo Hand Warmer into my pocket, I was a bit uneasy. After all, I had just filled the thing with lighter fluid, put a flame to its burner, and then tucked the slender stainless steel unit into a pouch. In general, as I recalled, one was supposed to avoid putting things that were on fire into cloth pouches, and one was certainly advised against putting things that were on fire into pants pockets, right?
Well, yes, that is right. But here’s the thing: Though it uses the exact same lighter fluid as you pour into a regular Zippo lighter (aka light petroleum distillate, if we’re being specific) and lights with a source of fire, the Zippo hand warmer is not actually on fire. Not in the traditional sense, anyway.
The unit uses a catalytic burner that creates heat without an actual flame. And thanks to the open space around the burner and the ventilation holes that perforate the upper half of the warmer, it can draw enough oxygen to keep on burning even when tucked into its pouch and then cupped in your hands or slipped into a pocket.
In fact, a Zippo hand warmer can burn steadily for anywhere between six and twelve hours, providing you with a long-lasting source of warmth perfect for cradling in your hands to keep your fingers warm and dexterous or in a pocket, helping to keep your core a bit more toasty.
How warm does it get? Well, if you have ever used one of those disposable hand warmer packets — the ones that heat up when exposed to air — it gets a bit more than twice as warm as they do. The metal won’t be hot enough to scorch you, but it can be a bit less than comfortable when it touches bare skin. That’s why you use the pouch. Through that layer of cloth, you could hold a Zippo hand warmer for hours on end without issue.
At less than $ 15, these things are great stocking stuffers, groomsman gifts, or just a little something to which you treat yourself.
But don’t let that small price tag fool you: Zippo hand warmers have been keeping people cozy for years, and yours may well serve your grandkids as well as it does you.
Buy a Zippo Hand Warmer on Amazon for about $ 14
