Many people suffer from cold feet while skiing. You can’t enjoy yourself that much if your feeling cold. Cold numb toes just aren’t fun. You’re in luck. Heated insoles can make a world of difference in your ski boots. If this sounds good then you are in the right place. We have found that the Hotronic S4+ Heated Insoles are the best heated insoles for ski boots available today. They are easy to install and can be used with custom insoles or use Hotronic insoles. They have many accessories for custom installations. They have been proven effective and durable through years of tough use on the mountain.
Our Pick
Hotronic S4+ Custom
The Best Heated Insoles for Ski Boots
Easy-to-install universal boot heaters that work with any boot and many available accessories. They work with regular or custom insoles
The Best Heated Insoles For Ski Boots
1 – 
Hotronic FootWarmer S4+ Custom
Hotronic FootWarmer S4+ Custom☆ Top Pick
- Four different heat settings for up to 21 hours of heated feet
- The Custom S4+ will install in al types of footwear and can be easily transferred between footwear
- For use while skiing, snowboarding, and other cold-temperature activities.
- Footbed required to use these heaters (either stock or custom)
- Redesigned power switch to minimize unintended outages
Summary
The Hotronic Universal S4 Custom kit can be installed in any ski boot. It comes in 2 versions. With and without insoles. The Custom kit includes 2 heating elements, 2 batteries, and a charger. It is very easy and quick to install. The directions are not great so look for this Youtube video to help with installation.
For those who use custom orthotics or other shaped insoles, this version doesn’t include insoles so you can use your own. The heating elements can be installed into any insole by either sticking it to the top of the insole or cutting a groove for it.
The heating element is effective and the batteries last long enough to make it through an entire day of skiing. They give you 19 hours of heat on low and 4 hours on high.
They sell a few accessories to go with this. One of the more useful ones is a bracket to attach to your ski boot that holes the batteries. Otherwise, they are floating around above your boot in your ski pants. Without the brackets it is very easy to break the battery connectors.
The wiring on this ski boot heater is not quite as durable as we would like. You need to be careful with the connectors. The good thing is that most parts of this system are available separately. You can improve the durability by taping the wiring and connectors with electrical tape.
Battery Life – 19 hours low, 6 hours medium, 2 hours high
What we liked
- Long battery duration
- Complete kit for installation in any ski boot
- Can be adapted for custom insoles
What we didn’t like
- Wiring durability is not great
- Instructions are poor
2 – Thermrup Smart Electric Heated Insoles
☆ Best Value
- APP controlled heated insoles with rubber heating element, large heating surface, even heat distribution.
- Battery operated with 3-stage heat regulator. Power: 7.4V, up to 8W / DC
- Thickness: 6mm, size: 35-48 (suitable size can be cut to size), cable length: 70 cm, washable (hand and machine)
- APP “Thermrup Smart Heat Duo”: Both heating elements are controlled at the same time. The current charge status of the batteries is displayed. Simply switch the heating product on of off with the APP.
Summary
The Thermrup Smart Electric Heated Insoles are a low cost solution to making heated ski boots. They are a set of heated insoles with an external battery that gets strapped around your leg above your boot.
They are good for 5 or more hours in medium or low setting which most people thought was warm enough for skiing. It takes about 2 hours to recharge. The battery gives enough life for most ski days. Some users complained about the batteries not lasting more than 1 ski season. Fortunately, extra batteries are readily available. The batteries are fairly large when you are strapping them to your legs above your boot. They took a little while getting used to.
This install by cutting the insole to your correct shoe size and then installing in your boots. These are very basic flat insoles a few mm thick similar to what most ski boots come with. If like me, you need more arch support and ski with shaped insoles these aren’t a solution for you. The insoles are fairly soft compared to the insoles that come in a pair of ski boots. They can bunch when you slide your foot into the ski boot.
These are an effective solution to keeping your feet warm at a much lower cost than other ski boot heating options.
Battery life – 5 hours on medium
What we liked
- Low cost
- 4 power levels
- Extra batteries available
What we didn’t like
- Battery feels bulky strapped around your leg
- Durability of battery
3 – Hotronic FootWarmer S4+ Universal
☆ Best Universal Boot Heater
- Powered by high capacity batteries developed by Hotronic
- Temperature and duration depends upon settings and climate. Range from 2.5 hours up to 21 hours of heat
- Ideal for any outdoor activities. Increase your comfort to enjoy the outdoors longer
- New, improved switch design with raised surface prevents turning off
Summary
The Hotronic S4 Universal kit is the same as the custom kit except it includes a set of insoles. The insoles are ready to install the heating elements. This is the Hotronic S4 option for you if you don’t use custom insoles in your ski boots.
4 – Thermic C-Pack Set 1700 BT
- Fitted with ultra-fine heating elements
- The insoles diffuse constant heat for immediate well-being and an optimal foot emperature
- The C-pack batteries provide up to 17 hrs of heat
- Some are also fitted with the Bluetooth function, enabling you to remote-manage your heating via smartphone
Summary
The Thermic C-Pack Set 1700 BT is the most expensive heated insole in our review by a healthy margin. It packs some of the most advanced features to go with that price. This version includes insoles but the heating elements can be installed on any insole. It can be used with custom insoles or other high arch support insoles.
It has much better wiring and connectors than the Hotronic S4 that aren’t as fragile. The batteries have a slot that goes through the top velcro power strap on your ski boot. There is no need to buy separate battery brackets just to keep your batteries from flying around.
The Bluetooth interface to control heat is excellent. It lets you control both ski boots independently. It also has features that will turn the heat higher when it detects less motion. You don’t have to have sweaty hot feet when you reach the bottom of the run or freezing feet on the chairlift.
Battery life is very good. You can get up to 19 hours on low or 7 hours on medium.
This is one of the most advanced boot heaters available and our top pick for best heated insole for ski boots.
Battery Life – 17 hours low, 7 hours medium, 4 hours high
What we liked
- Bluetooth phone app
- Long battery duration
- Batteries attach to ski boot velcro power straps
What we didn’t like
- Very high cost
- Doesn’t get that hot on high setting
Heated insoles for ski boots things to consider
There are a few things to consider when trying to find the best heated insoles for ski boots for you. How long do you typically ski? Do you wear custom orthotics or other thick or high arch insoles? How cold is it where you do most of your skiing? Let’s look at some of the most important things you should consider when shopping for heated ski boot insoles.
Battery duration
Battery duration for heated insoles can range from 2 hours to 15 hours. Typical high power settings run from 2 hours to 4 hours. If you ski somewhere cold, such as the Canadian Rockies, you will want to invest in heaters with large batteries. If you only need a little extra heat a cheaper option may be better for you.
Heating amount
Heating power on ski boot heaters can vary a lot. You can get single level on low cost units such as the Warmfits heated insoles. You can get 10 levels of power with high temperature hot with the Thermic heated insoles. You should think of where you normally ski and what your normal ski days look like. How cold do your feet get? Are they always cold or just cold on lift rides?
Custom orthotics and other thick insoles
Custom othotics and insoles are great. They give you a whole new level of comfort in your ski boots. The heated insole kits by Hotronic and Thermic can be installed into custom orthotics.
Some of the thinner insoles with built in heating elements are flexible enough to rest on top of a custom insole. Most of the insoles with built in heating elements are too thick or too rigid to work with other insoles.
For the units with batteries in the insole, they will not work with any other insoles.
How is the battery stored and how do you charge them
Most heated insoles for ski boots use batteries that attach to the outside of your ski boots or to your leg. The batteries are easy to access to charge.
Some insoles are now coming with the batteries built into the heel area of the insole. This is great for making a thicker heel with better arch support. I have several issues with batteries installed this way.
You have to remove the insole to charge the battery. You can’t access the battery connector with the insole in your ski boot. This is an added pain over external battery.
Having a lithium battery under your foot while your strapped into a ski boot isn’t a great idea. Google “Lithium battery fires” for a lot of examples of how this can go bad. Lithium batteries can get hot enough to melt through metal when shorted or overcharged. Do you trust low cost electronics to always charge that battery correctly?
If a battery has an issue, ski boots are not quick and easy to take off. They are way more involves than just untying shoe laces. What do you do if it happens out in the middle of a run or even worse the backcountry?
I personally would not use a ski boot heated insole where the battery was under my foot inside the boot. They are popular and other people don’t think it’s a risk.
Heated insoles for ski boots FAQ
Q: How do I install heated insoles into my ski boots.
Installation is easy and straight forward. The manufacturers of these systems do not always put the time and effort into making great easy to follow instructions. There are several good Youtube videos giving instructions and demonstrations on how to install them. See the video below.
Q: What is the best heated insoles?
The 3 best makers of heated insoles that can be used in ski boots are Thermic, Hotronic, and Sidas. These companies make really solid kits for adding heaters to your ski boots. They have good battery duration and innovative features such as Bluetooth control. You can’t go wrong with any of them.
Q: How long do heated insoles last?
The battery life for heated insoles can last long enough to make it through one ski day on a single charge. Most heated insoles meant for ski boots have several power levels. Low power level can last anywhere from 19 hours to 6 hours. High power usually lasts from 2 to 5 hours depending on the insole and battery. Longer duration heat usually comes on higher priced ski boot heaters.
Q: How do you warm up ski boots?
There are several ways to warm up ski boots. For some people, your natural body heat is enough. There are chemical heaters you can stick to your socks that can give you a day worth of extra heat. You can get electronically heated socks. There are heated insoles and heated liners for making your ski boots heated. My personal favorites are heated liners and insoles. See our guide to ski boot toe warmers for reviews of other ski boot warming options.
Q: Are heated insoles any good?
Yes, heated insoles can work very good. They can add a lot of heat to your foot. They warm the surface between your feet and the snow. This prevents your feet from losing heat down through the bottom of your ski boots. They can provide heat for an entire day of skiing. If you are someone who gets cold feet a lot they are really worth checking out.
Q: What is better, heated insoles or heated socks?
My preference would be heated insoles. The biggest reason being that most heated ski socks are not machine washable. Throwing them in the washer will damage the heating element. I don’t know about you but my feet get smelly when sweating in my boot. My ski socks are not pleasant after a day of skiing. Do I want to handwash my ski socks after every day of skiing? NO!!!!
If you tend to get cold while skiing, check out our Venustas heated vest review. It gives you some extra core heat to go along with heated gloves.
You might also like:
- The Best Heated Ski Gloves Helpful Guide
- The Best Toe Warmers For Skiing In Winter
- What To Wear Skiing? Helpful Layering Guide For Winter
Kate Ryan
Co-Founder & Editor
Kate is from Taiwan and came to the US after meeting her husband Doug. She has degrees in Fashion Design and Marketing. She enjoys skiing almost as much as he does. (maybe a bit more but don’t tell him that). She frequently beats him to the bottom of the run. She loves the joy of skiing long perfectly groomed runs and occasionally ventures off into the alpine.
kate@mountainskigear.com
