Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

You will be impressed! And you will more than likely want two of them! This is an amazing product, but only when it is lit properly. First, follow the typical instructions for lighting. I found them online since it didn't come with any. But the instructions will only get you so far because the warmer will only get... well... warm. You want it hot? Here's the trick... Let the warmer sit outside of the pouch to give it plenty of oxygen while it heats up. If you don't do this, it will only get a little warm (which could be what you want if it's not all that cold out). By letting it breathe, it will get hot enough to seriously burn you without its pouch. The more air, the hotter it gets. The down side is that more air uses more fuel, although even in open air this thing goes and goes. I let mine sit outside the pouch for a good 10 to 15 minutes while I'm getting other things taken care of. By the time I pick it up to put it in the pouch, OUCH! Ya, it's very hot. In comparison to the chemical warmers, here are some pro's and con's: Pro's: MUCH cheaper than the cost of the chemical warmers, even when considering the cost of fuel (which is very little). MUCH hotter than the chemical warmers. Better dispersion of the heat... it may be a picky thing, but the manner in which it heats feels considerably different than the chemical warmers. Lasts longer than the chemical types. For those environmentally conscious, it's re-usable... you aren't throwing something in the trash. The chrome finish is very nice, and when the unit is only warm, it has a nice smooth feel out of the pouch. The metal is plenty strong and lightweight. Funny that something so hot could also look so cool. Con's: You have to light it. If you have no lighter or matches, this could be a problem. Side Note - the chemical types need to be shaken to get air in them in order for the chemical reaction to take place and make them reach their potential heat. Once you are used to lighting this, you'll find the lighting process to be a whole lot faster than the chemical shaking process. Another small con is that every once in a while, you will smell a slight scent of fuel (this doesn't happen very often). I love this thing, and if you're cold, you will too! My Personal Use: I am a professional pianist/keyboardist. Often, my hands are cold, and performing with cold fingers can really be a challenge. This warmer completely fixes that. Many years ago, I remembered seeing a school friend bring one of these with him to school. That's how I even knew these existed. Years later, I found the warmers that use a liquid pouch and can be boiled to reset them for another use. After those wore out, I began using the chemical warmers. I wasn't fully satisfied with either of those two methods, so I bought this. Other than to use the chemical warmers in my winter boots, this warmer is all I need and it exceeds my demanding expectations.