The ActionHeat Base Layer Shirt is a heated shirt designed to stay close to your body keeping your core body temperature warm in below freezing temperatures. It uses a 6000mAh power bank which plugs into the USB cable inside a zippered pocket. It’s comfortable, keeps you warm, and perfect for military personnel conducting Winter Warfare training, hunters in the cold Autumn months, or those who like to behold the great outdoors.
I vividly remember those cold days on the gun range. Snow on the ground, a cold breeze, and standing still for hours. When you thought wearing a fleece and a winter coat were enough, soon the wind cuts through and the shivering begins. Gone is your warmth, as well as your morale.
Are heated shirts worth it?
Yes, heated shirts are definitely worth it! They’re affordable and offer a great amount of warmth and comfort in cold weather. If I had an ActionHeat Base Layer Shirt during my previous military training exercises, I could have easily pressed the power button and omit some warmth to my body, which would have retained my body heat (and my morale).
Table of Contents
Specs
Sizes: S – 3XL (Men) and XS – 2XL (Women)
Colour: Black
Battery Voltage: 5-Volt
Power Bank: 6000mAh
Power System: 2 Amp
Material: 92% polyester and 8% Elastic Polyurethane
Settings: Low, Medium, High
Pros
Comfortable
Very lightweight
Quality materials
Good battery life
Excellent year-round
Easy to clean
Stealth Mode
Cons
No lower torso heat
USB micro instead of USB-C
Power bank can feel bulky
Made in China
Cost of the ActionHeat Base Layer Shirt
At the time of this article, the ActionHeat base layer shirt costs $159 and includes a 5V Power Bank (6000mAh) with charging cable.
ActionHeat apparel is definitely worth the price. It may be a bit higher than some like to see, but you get what you pay for. I have a friend who just purchased more cost-effective heated clothing on Amazon, and it stopped working within a day. If you want reliability, especially when you need it in the freezing cold, then don’t buy the cheapest thing, because it’ll fail or break when you need it.
Check ActionHeat for the latest pricing!
ActionHeat also provides free shipping on orders over $50, which is pretty much anything on their site!
First Impression
The ActionHeat Base Layer Shirt fits very well. No concern about it being too small, if anything it fit a bit loose. But it was still very smooth and comfortable. On the left side of the shirt is the zippered pocket for the battery pack to be plugged in. The zipper feels a bit delicate, but if they went with anything more heavy-duty then it might feel uncomfortable under all the layers. It’s held up though and I’ve had no issues with it.
The battery pack included with the ActionHeat Base Layer Shirt is sleek and compact, although at first when I initially used the ActionHeat Base Layer Shirt, it felt awkward having something there, because the base layer shirt is so lightweight. But after a few moments I never thought of it.
I had a fleece jacket and an outer jacket overtop of the ActionHeat Base Layer Shirt when I went out hunting in below freezing temperatures, but having that active heat on my body while laying still on the cold frozen rocks for over an hour kept my morale up! If only I had brought my heated insoles, I would have been even happier.
Functionality
I used the ActionHeat Base Layer Shirt while out hunting deer in below freezing temperatures. There was frost forming on my scope! On the walk in I had the ActionHeat Base Layer Shirt temperature set to Low, which worked really well, allowing me to stay warm and conserve the battery power. Because I had layers overtop of the ActionHeat base layer shirt, none of the heat was being wasted, and it all stayed in.
Once I was set into position without moving for over an hour, I set the power to Medium because the cold was beginning to take over. My feet were freezing, and I wish I brought my ActionHeat Insoles, but I didn’t have them charged. My body temperature was good the entire time I was on the cold rocky ground.
I was only planning on going out for a couple of hours, but if I was planning on being out for an extended period of time, I would have packed another ActionHeat 6000mAh battery pack. One was plenty enough though for this trip.
Even during military training, in the summer months at night, it gets pretty cold out there. Having the heated base layer shirt would allow you to quickly apply some needed warmth to the body once the temperature drops.
Heating Elements
The heating elements on the ActionHeat Base Layer Shirt are located on the front chest and upper back. They offer a good amount of heat, even on the Low setting. I was really impressed with how much heat it put out when I was outside in below freezing temperatures for nearly 2 hours!
The Low heat setting is great if the temperature is cooler, around 5 to 10 degrees Celsius, and you have a light jacket overtop.
The warmth given to the body, even if it’s not needed, adds so much comfort to the body. When you feel the cool breeze blowing, and you can see your breath in the air, having that heat on your torso is so satisfying.
I’m not sure if it were possible, or whether it was cost effective to the company to add without increasing the price point too much, but having heat elements to the lower portion of the torso would be a nice addition to have.
Ghost Mode Button
This is a feature that is excellent for hunters or tactical operators who don’t wish to be seen. On the side of the main power/setting button is a tab button called Ghost Mode which will turn off and on the LED light omitted.
I’ve worn Night Vision Goggles during my career in the Armed Forces, and the tiniest light will give away a position. The light itself doesn’t have to be visible, but it will create a glow effect on everything around that light. So having the ability to turn the light off completely while still keeping the power on is an excellent feature to have.
Power Bank / Battery Pack
The ActionHeat base layer shirt includes a 6000mAh battery pack with a charging cable. There are 2 USB ports so that you can heat the ActionHeat base layer shirt and charge a device, like your cell phone, at the same time. Keep in mind that doing so will deplete the battery faster.
There are 4 LED lights on the power bank to indicate how much life is remaining in the battery. The battery will last for around 5 hours on Low setting, 3 hours on Medium setting, and 2 hours on High setting. I’ve found this to be accurate while using the ActionHeat base layer shirt, but I’m usually switching the power setting while using it, depending on if I’m moving, standing still, laying on the cold ground, or if I’m in the sun or shade.
The battery pack is stored in a zippered pocket on the left side, which at first feels awkward because the ActionHeat base layer shirt is so lightweight and flowy, but I didn’t notice it after a few moments. I thought maybe it would have been better to have it stored on the lower back, but that could be difficult to gain access to if you’re wearing the shirt, and may feel uncomfortable if you’re sitting in a car or something.
One of the things I would have changed with the battery pack is to have one with a USB-C charging port, which is more durable than the USB-micro. Not a huge deal, but I have another power bank that has the USB-C charging port and it’s a lot nicer than the micro. A minor detail though, which has no negative impact on the functionality and quality of the shirt.
Drawbacks
Before I begin, I do want to state that I am very pleased with my ActionHeat Base Layer Shirt. It provides a lot of comfort on those chilly days, it’s incredibly comfortable, made well, and easy to clean. That being said, there are a few things about the base layer shirt that I wish were different.
Even though the heating elements provide a good amount of heat for a prolonged period of time, I wish they covered more surface area on the body. ActionHeat has an accessory for heating the lower torso, but this is only for jackets.
Another thing I wish were different has to do with the power bank included. This is nit-picking to be honest, but it’s something I think would only make this package better.
The 6000mAh power bank is charged using a USB-micro charging cable. I have another Power Bank that utilizes the USB-C charging cable, and it is far more durable and robust. Half the time I plug in a USB-micro cable I’m nervous I’m going to snap the thing off. A USB-C cable though is very solid and I never have that fear with it.
Again, these things are very minor, because the Base Layer Shirt is very comfortable, and it gave off a lot of heat on a freezing morning.
Conclusion
With nearly a hundred reviews on ActionHeat’s website, the base layer shirt has a rating of 4.7 out of 5. And I’m not surprised by this.
The 6000mAh battery pack included with the shirt is compact and has plenty of battery life for your outdoor adventures or cool autumn walks.
Whether you’re a tactical operator, a hunter, or a dog-walker, the ActionHeat Base Layer Shirt will work for you and will be a constant go-to shirt when you need that added warmth to maintain your core body temperature.
For more tips on staying warm in cold weather environments, check out my article post How To Spend A Night In The Freezing Outdoors.
I hope this article has been helpful to you! Thanks for reading.