Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2009

Photo courtesy of Sanyo

Skiers and snowboarders no longer have any excuse for freezing their asses off on the slopes this winter. Forget about those old-fashioned scarves and mufflers. The future is bright and toasty: the future is the Eneloop Neck Warmer. This one-size-fits-all garment looks snug enough as it is, but that’s before you consider the handy-dandy heating device that’s concealed inside. The rechargeable battery pack can be juiced up by plugging it into the mains or your computer’s USB port (which is, er, useful if you go snowboarding with a laptop). It comes in two colors: charcoal gray and white gray. Whatever happened to just “gray”?

Eneloop Neck Warmer, ¥6,980. Available from major electronics stores and Amazon Japan.