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Review on πŸ”₯ Zippo 12-Hour Hand Warmer: A Stylish Solution for Warmth on the Go by Cindy Payne

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Works great - why am I just now finding out about this?

I received this heating pad along with a Zippo lighter for my birthday. And what a gift they are! I have never heard/seen them before and would have loved to have met them many years ago. I live in Florida, that might explain it. My body often struggles to keep warm, so this heating pad is a real boon. Coincidentally, I was out of town this weekend, the first real cold front of the year, my friends decided to take me to a restaurant with outdoor tables and I didn't pack enough warm clothes. Zippo hand warmers to the rescue! I only filled it with Zippo liquids for 6 hours but it ended up working for 12 hours. Even though I only had one, it kept me warm. A few notes: 1) Don't rush to fill it up as it's easy to fill it up too quickly and it will spill. Wipe off excess and wait a minute for excess to evaporate. 2) The instructions say you should use 2 times the amount of fuel the first time you use the device. See #1. I tried to load the fuel too quickly and ended up spilling some fuel which ignited as I tried to preheat the burner. No big deal - just blow it out. However, it was a bit of a thrill for a few seconds. 3) The heating pad eliminated the noticeable smell of burning charcoal lighter liquid at the first burning. Subsequent burns did not lead to this. 4) The best way to warm up the device is to leave it VERTICALLY out of the case for 5-10 minutes until it's too hot to touch, then place it in the case. . From now on it stays nice and warm. Sometimes I would light it up and then put it on the ground and find that it went out by itself. Eventually I realized that if you lay it on its side, the liquid gets into the catalytic converter and puts it out. The catalytic converter runs on vapor, not liquid. 5) After refueling, wait at least one minute after attaching the burner before attempting to ignite it. The catalytic converter works by oxidizing fuel vapors. Giving the fumes time to penetrate the burner makes ignition much easier and faster. 6) In the initial stages (after filling, after ignition) I find it useful to keep the burner vertical to allow fuel vapors to rise into the catalytic converter. 7) If the burner and/or lid are not tight, you can use your hands/fingers to pinch the edges tighter. I didn't have any problems with the burner popping out like other reviewers, but I tightened mine just in case. I'm planning on buying a second unit so I can have one in every pocket.*** Updated 11/19/2013 ***Ok, I've since bought a second one and have been able to use it about 10 times already. They definitely get easier to ignite after the first 1-2 hits. According to the small Zippo gas tank, I still get 12 hours out of "6 hours" of fuel. I've also thrown them to bed several times on cold nights when I didn't feel like turning on the central heating. I also notice that they hardly smell when they're on unless you bring them right up to your face. I'm really surprised at how well they keep me warm and I catch colds very easily. At a time when I normally need a jacket, I feel comfortable enough without one. I also have to say that they are very warm. Not sure how/why people don't get a lot of heat from them - I get a lot, enough that the heating pad isn't comfortable to hold in my hand without being in a felt pouch.

Pros
  • New
Cons
  • Slightly torn