Re-Useable Flameless Catalytic Hand Warmer with Protective Fleece Bag

IntroIn this review I will give a brief intro into what it think of the warmer. I have then categorised what I believe to be the most important aspects when writing a product review.Let me start by saying this is by far the BEST hand warmer that I have ever used. When this thing gets going it is HOT. At full temperature the case is very almost too hot to touch so the pouch is essential to keep the heat down and stop it being too uncomfortably hot. Please note that the case is not hot enough to burn or scald but if you pick it up without the pouch and hold it for a few seconds you’ll want to keep changing hands.Build QualityI was expecting the stainless steel to be slightly thicker. Its about the thickness of 1/3rd of a penny so its not that thick (see pic). That said, it feels sturdy enough and youd have to try pretty hard to bend it or dent it. Dropping it will not be a problem. An advantage of this is that it is super light. I have worn the heater in its pouch around my neck so its warming my chest up. This works flawlessly at worming my core body temperature. The catalyst housing is solidly constructed and fits tightly onto the main body. Unlike the Zippos that have a lose cap, the whitby fits snuggly and theres no chance of it falling off so there’s no need to worry about that hot catalyst encountering anything.Pouch: this is synthetic. The stitching is good, no loose threads and the bead that Is used to restrict the opening works well. It does what it is supposed to do effectively.Getting startedI have seen in other reviews that people are removing the rubber bung to refill the warmer. Even more strangely, whitbys’ instructions say to remove the rubber bung. I have inspected this and there is a small slit at the bottom which enables you to put the nozzle of the refill bottle into the bung and if its in far enough the fuel will quite happily flow into the container. No need to remove the bung!First time lighting this thing up can seem a bit of a challenge at first as its not so easy to see If the catalyst is burning in daylight. I find that holding the lighter under the main body to warm the fuel up helps with evaporation. Once you can smell the fuel evaporating through the catalyst, put 2 to 3 drops of fuel on the catalyst. Light it up, let it burn for about 5 seconds and blow out. The catalyst will take about 10 mins to get up to temp. During this time, try to keep it out of the wind.The instructions (if you read them) will say that the first couple of lights may only last around 3-4 hours. I found this to be true. The wadding must be nicely soaked and this is achieved after several uses. I filled the refill bottle half way at first and this lasted me about 3 hours. To get a good 6 hours on the first try id recommend filling the bottle at least 75% full.The warmer works by the evaporation of the fuel through the catalyst. The catalyst maintains an ember like glow and will remain like this until the fuel has either run out or is too cold to evaporate. In damp, cold air try to keep the warmer out of the cold wind as this can put out the catalyst especially on the first few light ups when the burner is still getting used to burning.The pouch: You are probably aware that this pouch will have an affect on how much oxygen gets to the burner and therefore how hot it will get. I find that the heat is ideal with the burner sitting in the pouch with the opening left open. This will quite happily sit around my neck at an ideal temperature.TipsWarm the burner up before lightingHave spare fuel and a lighter in case it goes out (only in a cold damp wind)Put it round your neck! Its like a little furnace that will heat your entire bodyDon’t disappoint if it doesn’t last the full 6 or 12 hrs first try, it will after the 3rd or 4th go.Fill slightly more than you want on the first couple burnsDon’t remove the rubber bung, it’s a one way fuel valve!Use a lighter, not a match, this builds up carbon on the catalyst and decreases the working life.DrawbacksSmell: please don’t worry too much about this. This is a minor detail that some of you may notice. If you are in a small enclosed space like in the car and it is around your neck, you will get a slight smell of fuel every now and then. This being said, it is directly under your nose so what do you expect! If it is sitting next to you in still air in the car, you will not smell it. This thing is almost odourless.ConclusionThis is the best money I have spent in a long time. You will be surprised at how hot this warmer gets. As well as this, once it gets soaked after several uses, expect it to deliver undiminished warmth for more than the rated burn hours. Whether you’re sitting or walking outside in the cold, the whitby warmer will be sure to deliver a smug little smile to your face. Being toasty and warm whilst everyone around you is missing out. You will not be disappointed.

I own two hand warmers, this and a Peacock’s. Having used the Peacock’s for a couple of years, I decided to buy a second hand warmer but opted for a Whitby this time. I find the Whitby does definitely generate more heat, which is great, but I find it much more tricky to light. It takes much more effort than the Peacock which never fails to light first time. On one occasion I had to give up as I ran out of time and just took the Peacock with me (I like to take two so I can warm both hands at the same time). So, in summary, I think I prefer the Peacock warmer over the Whitby for 100% reliability even though it does not get quite as warm.

These petrol handwarmers are all very similar. This one is well made and has a rubber stopper which you remove to fill it, rather than removing the burner as on others.One thing I've discovered is that you can't fill them in advance. If you fill it the evening before you go fishing, it won't light the following morning. I know this from experience.

Having used charcoal stick type warmers in the past, I updated to one of the Whitby fluid warmers following reviews. Great nice size device. Warms very quickly and lasts a long time. Only recommendation would be to advise on the first use, remove the catalyst to put a few drops of fuel on the material . Highly recommend.

According to the instruction leaflet the Whitby Hand Warmer should provide 12 hours of heat per fill and 90 burns. In my experience the burner lasted approximately 20 full burns before becoming unusable. I found the warmer produced a very impressive heat. I have to say that I'm disappointed with what otherwise I would consider to be a fine product.

Handy product that works well.

This is the best handwarmer on the marketIt is the best to fuel up .I started up and popped it in the breast pocket of my shirt and went to watch rugby this was about 10,30 am, it was still giving out a nice warm heat at 11pm that night

A great product. I bought it a year ago and the catalyst is still functional. Also, a side fuel filler cap is a good idea. It is worth spending a little more penny for its quality and functionality. I would recommend. 👍