As a gear reviewer and an outdoor educator in Boulder, Colorado, I spend a lot of time outside in whatever weather the foothills have to offer. Whether I’m teaching young children in my school’s outdoor classroom during the week or hitting the slopes or trails with my partner and our dog on weekends, staying warm and comfortable is key to continuing my adventures. However, I’ve always struggled with cold toes, even in milder conditions. I’ve tried insulated winter snow boots, waterproof and insulated winter hiking boots and even bulky neoprene toe covers to put over my socks when I’m snowboarding. None of these solutions have worked, so I figured it was time to try out something a bit more powerful, like the Wasoto Heated Socks.
I wore these socks for a few weeks to put them to the test in both brutally cold and mild winter temperatures. I used them in my snowboard boots and regular winter boots, and I even wore them around the house. After trying out the Wasotos in all sorts of cold conditions, I’ve found they’re a true game changer for certain activities like hiking and outdoor work. Are they the best snowboard socks? No. But they’re amazing for less technical adventures in cold weather.?Read on for what impressed me about these socks, certain areas where they didn’t quite meet expectations and whether or not they’re right for you.
The Wasoto Heated Socks are very soft, very stretchy and very, very warm. Equipped with a long-lasting battery and conveniently controllable via an app on your phone, you can get precise heat adjustment without the hassle of fumbling with your snow pants.
What we liked about them
When it comes to winter pursuits I’ve only ever really worn socks specific to snowboarding or hiking. My Stance snowboard socks are my go-to, as are my Darn Toughs for hiking, so the idea of donning a different sock gave me some hesitation. However, the Wasoto Heated Socks had some key qualities that stood out.
Fast heating elements
The most impressive part of these socks was their ability to heat up — and fast. As soon as I turned on one or both of the socks with the app, I could instantly feel the heat start to spread over my toes. The socks use heating sheets on both the top and bottom of the forefoot, which I appreciated when I was standing in cold, wet snow for a few hours with my students. Having heating elements on both the top and bottom provided comprehensive warmth, which also meant that I only had to turn the heat on to its lowest setting to keep my toes warm. The socks have three different power settings — low, medium and high — that range between 86 and 158 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on which level you set the socks at, the battery can last more than six and a half hours.
When testing these out, I didn’t have any days where I used up the entire battery, even when I wore them for a few hours at a time. This was mostly because I usually kept the heat on low, as anything higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit just felt too hot. With the app, I could set how long the socks would be on (up to 120 minutes) as well as dial in the specific degree I wanted them at.
As fast as the socks heated up, they also cooled down quickly, which was nice if I accidentally set them to a heat setting that was too high and needed them to turn off swiftly.
Extremely soft and comfortable
As I took these socks out of the packaging, I was extremely surprised by just how soft they were. Honestly, they felt softer than some of my merino wool socks from bestselling brands. The Wasotos are made from a blend of fleece, yarn and spandex, which means not only are they soft but super stretchy. The top of the socks have wider cuffs, much like ski socks, that come up all the way over your calves and sit below your knees. While the stretch means they’re super comfortable, the toe area is double-lined (that’s where the heating elements are), which created an annoying seam near the arch of my foot that took some getting used to, especially if I had tighter boots on.
On the outside of each sock near the top cuff, there is a small pocket with a wire to connect the battery, which is about 2 by 3 inches. While it creates bulges that I could see through my hiking pants, I didn’t really feel the batteries in my socks at all and didn’t experience any bulkiness or discomfort.
User-friendly app
The other standout feature of the Wasoto Heated Socks is that they can be controlled by an app, which is extremely user-friendly. The app connects to the socks via Bluetooth, which then gives you the power to turn each sock on individually or both at the same time. From there, you can toggle the temperature by the degree with a sliding button as well as set a timer for how long the socks stay on, anywhere up to 120 minutes. You can also do a quick burst of heat for two minutes or five minutes, as well as view the battery level in the app (you can also view the charge level on the battery itself via the push of a small button).
If you don’t want to pull out your phone, there is a button on the outside of the battery pocket which also controls the heat settings. This button was easy to press, even through snow pants, but it only allows for three settings, not the precision of degrees like on the app.
What we didn’t like about them
Unfortunately, there were some notable drawbacks with these socks, at least when it came to using them for technical activities.
Not moisture wicking
When I took my boots off during breaks while snowboarding, I realized my socks were quite damp. My feet were warm and presumably sweating, but the material doesn’t have any moisture-wicking capabilities, so my feet ended up quite sweaty. I didn’t notice this inside my boots while riding, but it’s always uncomfortable taking off damp socks at the end of the day.
Not great for skiing or snowboarding
The thickness of the double-lined toes wasn’t an issue, but the material was very slippery, which meant getting a secure fit in snowboard boots was difficult. I could feel my feet slipping back and forth with each turn and the socks moving around in the boots too. I had to grip my feet much more on every turn, which caused a lot of foot fatigue. The socks also started to slide down throughout the day and bunch up around the calves and ankles; I had to fix them at every break I took. Because of this, I would recommend these socks for use in basically any other winter activity — hiking, outdoor work, hunting, camping — but I only plan on wearing these while snowboarding when I know it’s going to be extremely cold. As for skiing, the socks are too thick to be worn in properly fitted ski boots.
How they compare
The Wasotos are definitely on the lower end of the pricing spectrum when it comes to heated socks since others can cost nearly $500. Two top-selling, ski-specific heated socks are those by Hotronics and Lenz. Hotronics makes heated socks that are ideal for skiing and snowboarding, like the Hotronic XLP PFI 50 (just the socks start at $104; the battery pack is $300) that have a bit of compression and heating elements that surround the toes. Hotronics also makes heated insoles with their Hotronic Foot Warmer XLP ($349).
The Lenz Heat Socks 6.1, which go for $475 a pair, have a heating element in the toe cap and are designed as tight-fitting compression socks, like those worn in ski racing boots. They are made with merino wool, which is moisture-wicking. Other iterations from Lenz include the 5.1 regular fit, which is also made with merino wool and can be worn with ski boots. If you don’t need heated socks on the slope and just want them for other outdoor activities, we think these options are overkill and you’ll be more than happy with the Wasotos.
Bottom line
If you spend a lot of time outdoors in the winter while working, hiking or hunting, the Wasoto Heated Socks are a must-have. They heat up extremely fast, you can easily control the temperatures and the timing of the heat via the app on your phone and they are very soft and cozy. While your feet will stay warm in these socks, they aren’t ideal for skiing or snowboarding, as the socks lack that compressive fit that is necessary for all-day laps on the mountain. But for any other cold-weather activity, these are a must for people with cold toes.
