Summertime: a time for shorts, sandals, sunglasses, and Warmmi's USB Heating Slippers. Yes, thanks to the modern marvel of air conditioning, our work and home environments are either excruciatingly hot or bloody cold. With our luck, it's usually the latter. Read on to see how this fuzzy footwear fares in our latest in-depth review.
Review Verdict
Warmmi's USB Heating slippers work so well, they're the first oddball USB gadget we've reviewed that are actually worth every penny.
The Good & Bad
Comfortable
Fits feet up to 13" long
Warms quickly
Only requires one USB port
Short cord
No controls
Essential Specs & Stats
What is it? USB heating slippers
Platform support: PC, Mac, X360, PS2, PS3
Pad size: 34 x 33cm
Weight: 265g
USB cable length: 265g
Power source: Totally bus-powered
Released date: Around 2006
Package Content
USB Heating Slippers
Design With the obvious exception of the USB tail protruding from the rear, the first thing difference you'll notice between the USB Heating Slippers and that pair of bunny slippers you received last winter is that both feet are in a single pad rather than two separate pieces of footwear as seen in Thanko's new dual USB Warmer Slippers. This isn't any matter for discontent however, since you won't be walking with these on while you're tethered to your computer, Xbox or Playstation.
The slippers do a great job of trapping heat even without the USB insert, using two flaps to cover both your foot and ankle. Inside, the insole is lined with the same faux fur (cotton?) material as the outside, providing a comfortably soft and fuzzy feel to the slippers. The upper portion of the slipper has a quilted interior with a thin layer of insulation between the quilted sheet and the fuzzy cotton mesh above; although I find that the material exemplifies the temperature difference between the top and bottom of the slipper. Thankfully as the interior heats up over time, this becomes less noticeable.
At the back of the slippers underneath the insole is a zipper compartment, providing convenient access to the foam padding and USB heating inserts. The sole of the slippers is well constructed, with a felt interior and Leatherette bottom to give a more authentic feel. Feet up to 13" (33cm) in length can be accommodated by the slippers, and are effectively separated using a stitch line that runs down the center of the slippers.
USB Heating
To use the heating slippers, just plug the heating insert into a USB port. Unlike the dual USB Warmer Slippers, only one USB port is required but there aren't any controls for the insert either, providing a single heat setting with no off switch. In other words if your computer doesn't have front mounted USB ports, be prepared to crawl behind your computer every time you wish to power the slippers off. It also helps to have your computer on the floor, as the cord is only 120cm long. Laptops on a coffee table will work, but there will be little slack in the cord to move your feet around, so plan on getting a USB extension cable.
The heating insert itself has a very simple design, which should help its long-term durability. Here you can see the unsheathed workings of the insert with the silver fabric removed. Two tracks of copper strips run in an inverted-U shape attached to positive and negative leads, with carbon fiber heating elements that cross the copper strips. Five elements are placed in-line for each foot: three towards the toes, one for the heel, and one for the arch.
The elements themselves are able to reach between 55-70°C (131-158°F) according to my handy infrared thermometer, which are more or less the average temperatures produced by those air-activated Grabber Warmers frequently sold in ski shops. When spread out over the materials and faux fur mesh that lie between your feet and the warmers, they can raise the temperature of the slippers from 24°C (75.2°F) to a stunning 38.6°C (101.5°F) in a room with an ambient temperature of 22° (71.6°F).
Combined with the additional heat output of your own own body, it's no surprise that the USB Warming Slippers can get toasty fairly quickly. That is to say, my iced feet are finally defrosted once and for all, not to mention my anti-sock campaign can continue. Hooray!
Recap and Availability
Comfortably soft and ever fuzzy, the USB Heating Slippers did a good job of defrosting my feet in a frigid room, and rather quickly at that. The simple heating element is built so that durability shouldn't be an issue, although the 120cm cable is rather short and could also benefit from a power switch so I don't have to dive behind the computer all the time.
While not available in any brick and mortar retail outlets that we know of, Warmmi's USB Heating Sippers can still be had at a number of outlets online including USBGeek.com, Vavolo.com, PerpetualKid.com, and USB.Brando.com.hk, who were kind enough to sponsor this review along with our review of the USB Minifridge. Pricing ranges from $20-30 plus shipping, which is money well spent in my opinion. The USB Warming Slippers are highly recommended to anyone who suffers from icy feet.
The heating insert itself has a very simple design, which should help its long-term durability. Here you can see the unsheathed workings of the insert with the silver fabric removed. Two tracks of copper strips run in an inverted-U shape attached to positive and negative leads, with carbon fiber heating elements that cross the copper strips. Five elements are placed in-line for each foot: three towards the toes, one for the heel, and one for the arch.
The elements themselves are able to reach between 55-70°C (131-158°F) according to my handy infrared thermometer, which are more or less the average temperatures produced by those air-activated Grabber Warmers frequently sold in ski shops. When spread out over the materials and faux fur mesh that lie between your feet and the warmers, they can raise the temperature of the slippers from 24°C (75.2°F) to a stunning 38.6°C (101.5°F) in a room with an ambient temperature of 22° (71.6°F).
Combined with the additional heat output of your own own body, it's no surprise that the USB Warming Slippers can get toasty fairly quickly. That is to say, my iced feet are finally defrosted once and for all, not to mention my anti-sock campaign can continue. Hooray!
Recap and Availability
