Odlo and Clim8: the battery-powered, app-heated clothing to keep you cosy

The goal that manufacturers Odlo and Clim8 had with their new I-Thermic X-Warm 2.0 collection was to keep customers cosy and warm without the need to put on or take off extra layers. Their app-controlled clothing with battery and sensors was awarded a prize at the international sports trade fair ISPO.

If you’ve got déjà vu right now, you’re getting warmer. A few years ago, Odlo already had a line of heated clothing. So what’s different about this collection? «Until now, the brain, i.e. the control system, was in the battery. Now it’s been woven into the clothing itself,» explains Dan Pattison, Senior Product Manager at Odlo, who I meet at ISPO. What’s more, the base layer is more slim-fitting and the battery life has been improved.

Obviously, I wanted to know how the clothes would perform in practice. So Odlo kindly provided me with the base layer and jacket from the I-Thermic X-Warm 2.0 range to put through their paces. Incidentally, the jacket is one of the new products they’ve just launched.

Soft and comfortable

The long-sleeved top hugs the body and is soft and comfortable to wear. I’m usually a size S, and it fits perfectly. The heating elements are woven into the fabric so I can’t feel them. The same goes for the jacket, which is padded on the torso. The athletic cut fits well – I like it.

As soon as you put the base layer on, a blue light on the front right indicates it’s heating up. Meanwhile, a yellow flashing light warns you when the battery is low. You can also find manual controls on the battery. By double tapping, you increase the temperature or switch off the heating function.

Set your comfort zone with the Clim8 app

The app lets you set the activity while wearing the base layer or jacket – from cycling and hiking to hunting, mountaineering and skiing. I also enter how many layers I’m wearing over or under it. Then I select my desired temperature. 31 degrees sounds good.

You can also set different temperatures for front and back. Once personalised, the base layer or jacket can be worn without you needing your smartphone every time. That’s assuming you’re doing the same sport and wearing an equal amount of layers.

The app shows you how much battery there is. The charger’s also supposed to indicate via a red or green light whether the battery is ready. It doesn’t do this every time, but it lights up in an optimistic green just one minute after being plugged in, although the app shows two per cent charge. It takes a while for the display to change back to red. The lesson here is don’t rely on the light on the charger and instead check the app. Otherwise you might be in for a chilly surprise once you get outside.

Lovely warmth when hiking and stopping for a break

It wasn’t long after I put the clothes on that a pleasant warmth spread across my stomach and back. Not like a hot flush – more comforting, like after a hot cup of tea. This doesn’t change when I put on a jacket and go outside. In sub-zero temperatures, I wouldn’t normally have headed off in just a base layer under my jacket, but I can now thanks to the integrated heating.

As I want to take a few photos in the snowy winter landscape, I alternate between walking and standing still, with my body temperature remaining constant. A test I carried out later on my bike demonstrates that the base layer also stops you getting too cold when cycling.

In terms of the jacket, I don’t feel the warmth from it quite as quickly as I do with the base layer. But it still does the job. The temperature stays constant, even when the sun disappears behind the clouds.

Odlo maintains the Clim8 battery should last four hours. However, this is only if it has to deliver full power all the time. «The intelligent system only heats the clothing when it has to, which helps extend the battery life,» says Product Manager Dan Pattison. I can confirm this. After a three-hour hike, the app still shows the battery is 45 per cent charged.

Back at home, the app asks me if I was too hot, too cold or if it was uncomfortable in any other way. This lets it get to know my preferences and adjust the heating appropriately.

«Integrating cables into knitwear was a challenge,» reveals Senior Product Developer Rachelle Quince when I talk to her. Moreover, it was difficult to strike the balance between comfort and performance once the battery and heating module were in the right place. However, she insinuates that they’re not quite out of the development woods just yet. «We’re working on further innovations to expand our range of wearable technologies and are carrying out lots of tests in the cold lab,» she explains.

Also handy off-label

Obviously, the base layer and jacket were developed for sports in low temperatures. Skiers of all ilks, including tourers and cross country fans will really appreciate these clothes. But they’re also good for wearing on a daily basis. For instance, when I arrived at our unheated holiday flat. With two taps on the control unit, I put the base layer into Boost mode and had my own little heater on my body.

As for the jacket, it’s nice to wear after you’ve been exercising. I really appreciate it when I hang about to chat with my running group after training. I quickly put on my jacket, pat the heating button twice and am thrilled to see the red light come on and stay warm.

A nice extra for anyone who gets cold easily

During the test phase, I wore the Odlo I-Thermic X-Warm 2.0 clothing more often than expected, be it on hikes and walks, after exercise or at home when I was shivering because I had a virus. For context, I’m not someone who considers themselves particularly cold. In fact, I sometimes like feeling the elements and the cold wind whistling around my ears. All I can say is cosy layers like this could even tempt a penguin.

Overall, I was impressed by the jacket and base layer. Especially as I usually didn’t feel the heating in Automatic mode when it was keeping me at my desired temperature in the background. The fact that the battery can be removed (for washing, for example) and replaced is another plus point.

That being said, I wouldn’t rely solely on the heated garments for longer trips or hikes. Even though the warmth and battery performance have been really good so far, I prefer to put my faith in tried and tested layers of wool and synthetic insulation materials when I’m in harsh conditions. Of course, this depends on how risk conscious you are. For me, these heated clothes are a welcome extra to avoid shivering. And they do that really well.