Raymond’s Review: Rogue RHW-100 Electric Hand Warmer

Consistency. It’s the name of our game. From putting, to approaches, to driving, we want to be repeatable. Now, this came as a conundrum to me when the weather started changing in my neck of the woods. Cold, wet, and windy weather is to be expected almost daily in “the dark times” of the year. I noticed that as I handled the conditions more, my pre-shot routine was changing. Going from a calm, collected, and deliberate process, I realized I began to add compulsive hand exercises of sorts. Flexing my fingers in and out, rapidly tapping each fingertip to my thumb, rolling my wrist back and forth, just anything to keep my hand from feeling like it has a “colder release.”

I found myself obsessing about keeping my hand warm just as much as keeping it dry. My adjustments were working, but not the best, and I didn’t like the frantic feeling of trying to constantly keep my hand active. At one point, I was looking at a hand warmer, the type quarterbacks use, thinking, “that would be perfect for keeping my hands warm waiting for the next shot.” I could see it: the rest of my card rubbing their hands together, breathing on them, keeping them under their arms… and then me. Looking like I’m ready to call an audible before I tee off, but with the warmest hands of the bunch. For those who don’t know, Rogue Discs is apparently telepathic because they had to have heard my thoughts and said, “yes, but we’ll do it better.” 

Behold, the Rogue Discs Electric Hand Warmer. Exactly the “quarterback” style I was thinking, but with a rechargeable battery, this went way past my imagination. With an adjustable belt, three power options, and the battery being a portable power bank, it feels like Rogue thought of everything. When they sent this out to me, I was ecstatic to test it out and see how well it solved my cold hands throwing off my game. After testing it out for the past month, here are my thoughts on the functionality, design, and durability. 

Functionality

Simply put, it does exactly what it’s supposed to and it does so extremely well. The coldest temperatures I had it in so far were around freezing and my hands wouldn’t have known the difference from an oven. They were nearly sweating on the highest power setting. To me, that difference was night and day when it came to throws. Drives got the snap back because I could actually grip the disc again. Putts released so much cleaner. It was exactly what I needed for this vulnerability in my game.

Beyond simply doing its job, it’s also nice that the battery can double as a phone charger. I wouldn’t promise an extended battery life if you’re warming your hands and charging your phone, but I know the battery lasted through at least two rounds when I was running the heat on its highest setting. It likely could have gone on longer but I charged it up before I realized it still had more juice in it. One thing to note, however: If it’s near or below freezing, I would recommend keeping the whole system turned on and warm, otherwise you might actually lose battery more quickly if it gets sapped by the cold. I left it in my car one night with about half charge left, and when I went to use it again it was dead. Lesson learned: batteries don’t like cold. 

Design

As I said, the design of the “quarterback” system with a “foil” of sorts in the lining, hooked up to a battery for an electric warmer is genius to me. Capitalizing on the idea, Rogue came to play and paid attention to all the details I could find when it comes to design. Both ends of the warmer have elastic cuffs to minimize the cold airflow. It has a fully adjustable belt and buckle for quick on/off as the weather changes through the day. Rubber buttons (one on the outside as well one on the inside) are sewn into the outer fabric so no corners of the buttons should lift and pull. Having three different power settings is really nice; I use the hottest to get hands from cold to warm quickly, and the two lower settings to maintain a comfortable temperature. Aside from the functionality of the design, I also enjoy the Rogue logo which is actually sewn into the fabric. They could have settled for just a cheap iron-on but they didn’t.

Durability

Rogue didn’t cut corners, plain and simple. The hand warmer is built with quality materials and really feels like it’s made to last. My two biggest (honestly my only) concerns were its resistance to water and the sewing on the loop for the belt strap. As far as water goes, it’s about as water-resistant as I would ever need it to be. Out of the box, I wouldn’t recommend it in a downpour. To wash, Rogue instructs to remove the power source and shut all the zippers. This told me it had some level of impermeability, but I was worried about how wet it could get with the power source in. To curb my worries, I actually put it through a wash cycle with one of those “tech wash” deals which are supposed to increase water resistance on jackets and the like. Afterward, the water did start to bead up more on the outer fabric, but I still wouldn’t call it waterproof. Take caution in the heaviest of rains.

My second concern was only one part of the stitching. On the loop that lets the belt run through and actually attaches the hand warmer to you, the stitching could possibly use an upgrade. I’d say it’s absolutely satisfactory, I just worry that with the force of throws, it’d be the first bit to go. I’ve put quite a few rounds in already and there are no signs of weakness on this stitching. I’d be more than happy to be wrong, it was just the only piece manufacturing that gives me pause. Beyond these two truly small details that only have the potential to be a problem, the construction of this hand warmer is rock solid. I’m generally the type of consumer that hates to buy things twice and hopes to make purchases that will last. Reviewing this as such a consumer, I have no qualms about the quality of this hand warmer. 

Rogue had an incredible idea in this electric hand warmer, but more importantly, they executed. From full functionality to minding the details, Rogue Discs has come up with a piece of equipment I see as mandatory in my bag for the colder months of the year. It’s an absolute game-changer and the strokes saved really speak for themselves. Bravo Rogue. Way to deliver, as always.