Heater Body Suit Body Suit Reviews

Most body suit reviews come down to one question: does it keep you in the woods longer? Are you tired of being cold while out hunting? Cold of any kind takes the fun out of hunting. The damp chill that sets in after a couple of hours in the mid 30°s has the same result as a below 0° day.

Body suit reviews: how the Heater Body Suit keeps you warm

You go home too early, or you stay and are so uncomfortable that you are not at the top of your game or a good hunter. Shivering costs you focus, steadiness and patience, and those are exactly the things a long sit depends on.

The Heater Body Suit does not use batteries, wires or heat packs. It simply traps all of your body heat inside, creating an envelope of warm air around you. That is passive insulation, and the principle is simple. Still air is a poor conductor of heat, so a garment that holds a layer of air against your body and stops wind from stripping it away slows the rate at which you lose warmth. The insulation does not make heat; your body does. The suit's job is to keep that heat from leaking out.

This matters most when you are sitting still. Moving generates heat, which is why a walking hunter can get away with lighter clothing. A hunter on a stand produces little extra warmth and loses it steadily to the air, so the clothing has to do nearly all of the work. A passive design also has nothing to fail in the cold. No battery can die at the wrong moment, and no wire can snag on a tree-stand rail.

The Jim Shockey endorsement

We now have Jim Shockey endorsing the Heater Body Suit. Twenty one suits were shipped to his Saskatchewan, Canada, camps in 2007 for him to use, abuse, and test. Now the Heater Body Suit is a Jim Shockey Signature Series.

You can pay all the big names for endorsing, but how many make their living hunting cold, harsh Saskatchewan, Canada? Only one: Jim Shockey. If Jim Shockey and all of the regular hunters out there do not convince you, try it yourself.

A fair way to read an endorsement is to ask whether the person actually works in the conditions the product is built for. Cold-weather hunting is a good example, because the gear either holds up on a long sit or it does not. I'd argue that a long field test by someone who hunts in harsh cold for a living tells you more than any lab number on a tag. It still doesn't replace your own trial, which is why the refund offer below matters.

Cold temperatures, the guarantee and what it is made of

The best hunting clothing for cold temperatures is the Heater Body Suit. It allows you to remain on your feet longer, increasing your chance of catching that big buck that you have been after. The ultimate cold-weather hunting suit, the Heater Body Suit allows you to remain on your stand for longer. The longer you spend in the woods the greater your chance of capturing that prized buck. The logic behind our product is to build something that's second to none and will help hunters endure the cold.

The Heater Body Suit is a great alternative to buying multiple layers of clothing. It will last for years and save you money in the end. Our customers and we both believe in the suit. You probably know someone who has a Heater body suit. Ask your friends about their Heater Body Suits. You Stay Warm, or We Refund Your Money! If you're not satisfied for any reason with the Heater Bodysuit within 90 days of purchase, then we will refund your money.

What is it made of? The listed construction is polyester tricot camo cloth (super quiet), a wind barrier by DuPont (Windproof), and 300 grams of 3M Thinsulate Ultra insulation. It is treated with Durable Water Repellent (DWR), is water resistant, and works as a noise suppressor.

Each part has a job. The quiet outer cloth keeps fabric rustle down. The wind barrier stops moving air from pushing through the garment, which is where much of the felt cold comes from. The Thinsulate layer is synthetic insulation, and synthetics keep more of their warmth when damp than many natural fills do. DWR is a surface finish that makes light moisture bead and roll off. It is not a waterproof membrane, and it wears down with use, so water resistant is the honest description for it.

Wind is worth taking seriously on a stand. The National Weather Service explains how wind speeds up heat loss from exposed skin on its cold safety pages, and that is the reason a windproof shell counts for as much as the insulation under it.

Sizing and technical details

Sizing runs by height and weight, so check both before ordering. The ranges below are the ones listed for the suit.

• Small 5′-5’4″Under 200lbs
• Medium 5’4″-5’8″Under 200lbs
• Large 5’8″-6′Under 200lbs
• Large Wide 5’8″-6′Over 200lbs
• Tall 6′-6’4″Under 220lbs
• Tall Wide 6′-6’4″Over 220lbs
• X-Tall Wide 6’4″-6’8″Over 220lbs

A common mistake is choosing on height alone. If you are tall but heavier than the weight band, the wide cut is the one meant for you. Leave room for a base layer underneath, but not so much that you create big dead-air pockets the body cannot warm.

Technical details

Treat the item dimensions and item weight in a table like this with some caution, since the package figures give the more realistic picture of how bulky the suit is. The sizes are repeated here for quick reference.

• Small 5′-5’4″Under 200lbs
• Medium 5’4″-5’8″Under 200lbs
• Large 5’8″-6′Under 200lbs
• Large Wide 5’8″-6′Over 200lbs
• Tall 6′-6’4″Under 220lbs
• Tall Wide 6′-6’4″Over 220lbs
• X-Tall Wide 6’4″-6’8″Over 220lbs

Accessories that match the Heater Body Suit

There are many accessories available for Heater Body Suit (some different brands). They let you adapt one suit to different seasons, seasons' rules and hunting setups.

Coveralls

Camouflage-printed material allows hunters to switch patterns instantly! You can easily zip them onto your Heater body suit to switch patterns according to the season. The Heater Body Suit comes with an additional set of zippers that run alongside the main zipper. These smaller zippers allow you to attach the coveralls. Note that coveralls are not designed to be worn by themselves and do not provide additional insulation for the Heater Body Suit.

Hoods

It is easy to slip the hood over your head and provide full coverage on cold, windy weather days. Our design also allows for easy tightening or loosening of the coverage, while providing a warm, soft neck and mouth cover that can easily be tucked underneath the chin when it is not required.

Overlays

You can cover the body suit to let hunters wear Blaze Orange during gun season, or Black for hunting from ground blinds. The Heater Body Suit features an additional set of zippers that run along the main zipper. These zippers are used to enter and exit the suit.

Boots waterproof

These are great to protect the heater body suit in water or standing water. They can also be used in cornfields and duck skiffs.

Heater Body Suit pros and cons

Why hunters keep coming back to it

• Warmth rating below -20°F. Ground-blind and tree-stand hunters stay comfortable in conditions that would end most hunts within 30 minutes of arrival.
• Insulation without bulk where it counts. Shoulders and arms stay free for drawing a bow or mounting a rifle. Legs and core carry the insulation.
• Muffles rustle. Soft fleece interior and quiet outer shell mean less scare-off from fabric noise. Big deal when whitetail are within 30 yards.
• Full-body protection. Unlike jackets + pants + blankets, the suit zips into one continuous sealed envelope. No cold air path around the waist.
• Reusable for years. Properly dried and stored, a Heater Body Suit lasts 10+ seasons.

The one-piece idea is the real selling point. Gaps at the waist, wrists and neck are where separate layers let heat out, and a single sealed garment closes most of them.

Honest trade-offs

• Price. Premium hunting gear pricing. You're paying for a specialty tool.
• Bulky to transport. Needs its own bag; takes up significant space in the truck or pack.
• Not for spot-and-stalk. You can't actually walk long distances in it. Purpose-built for sitting still.
• Seasonal use. Takes up closet space 8 months of the year.
• Can get too warm. In 20–40°F weather you'll overheat. Best for true cold (below 20°F) use.

Overheating is the trade-off people underrate. Sweat is moisture, and moisture inside insulation robs it of warmth later, so a suit that is too much for the day can leave you colder than lighter gear would.

When the Heater Body Suit is the right call

• Late-season whitetail from a ground blind or tree stand. The use case it was literally designed for.
• All-day sits in brutal cold. December hunts in the Upper Midwest, Alberta, Manitoba.
• Cold-weather waterfowl blinds. Especially over-water blinds where wind chill dominates.
• Predator hunting at night. Sitting still for hours in sub-20°F temperatures.
• Ice fishing shelters. Non-hunting use that it handles well, with hours of inactivity in extreme cold.

When to reach for something else

• Spot-and-stalk or still-hunting. You'll be moving. Regular insulated hunting pants + layered top work better.
• Early-season archery. Temperatures are warmer, and you need more mobility to draw.
• Back-country walk-in hunts. Too bulky to hike in with. You're backpacking, not hauling.
• Budget-conscious hunters who only sit a few cold days per year. Layered merino + down + shell can get 80% of the way for a fraction of the price.

Alternatives and getting the most from the suit

Alternatives worth comparing

• IWOM Outerwear Thermonator Extreme. Similar concept, slightly lighter, often price-competitive. Legitimate alternative for tree-stand use.
• Arctic Shield Body Insulator. Less expensive, less insulation. Good for marginal cold but not true extreme.
• Layered insulation (down jacket + insulated bibs + hand muff). Requires more layers but more versatile across temperatures.
• Heated gear (Gerbing, Ravean). Battery-powered heated vests and socks. Lighter, can't match passive insulation for all-day sits when batteries die.
• Sleeping bag in the blind. Surprisingly common among ice anglers. An old mummy bag over the legs plus an insulated jacket handles most cold.

If you lean toward layers, our guide on how to layer clothing explains how base, mid and shell layers work together. For a broader look at staying warm when you stop moving, see keeping warm in winter, since the same heat-loss rules apply in a tent and on a stand.

Getting the most from a Heater Body Suit

• Put it on before you walk in. If you put it on after sweating, you'll be cold for hours. Cold-dress and carry to the stand.
• Layer merino underneath. Base layer long underwear manages the moisture the suit's insulation can't.
• Use a hood cover. Heat loss from the head is substantial. The suit's hood isn't enough by itself, so add a fleece beanie or balaclava.
• Hand heat and foot warmers. The suit handles core and legs. Extremities still need active heat from disposable warmers or electric socks.
• Hang to dry, not store. Any moisture left in the suit after a hunt degrades the insulation. Air it out every time.

Body suit reviews: frequently asked questions

Is the Heater Body Suit worth the price?

For hunters who sit multiple all-day hunts in sub-20°F weather every season, yes. The hunt time gained justifies it. For casual cold-weather hunters, layered gear is more economical.

How do you walk into a stand with it?

You don't. Carry it in a bag, then put it on at the stand. Walking any distance in it is impractical and also sweaty.

Can you shoot a bow while wearing it?

Yes, the arm zippers let you draw and release. Practice the unzip-draw-release sequence at home before hunting with it.

Will it fit in a tree stand?

Yes, it's specifically designed for tree-stand use. Tree-stand straps accommodate the bulk.

Is there a women's version?

Heater Body Suit offers unisex sizing; the smallest sizes typically fit most women. A few women hunters recommend sizing down from the chart for a tighter, warmer fit.

If your cold-weather plans go beyond the stand, our guide to building a winter sleep system covers the same insulation thinking for the night.