Keis - Three finger (electric) ‘Lobster’ gloves

I first got to know the ‘Lobster’ gloves when Hein Gericke (I think it was) first released them, many years ago.

I have now bought myself a pair of the Keis heated variety, from Sportsbikeshop in Harlow, Essex. Bar the electrics, they seem all but identical to the ‘Lobster’ gloves available from other manufacturers.

They can be battery powered, the batteries (available separately) living in zipped pockets on the gloves’ cuffs, regulated by a three-stage ‘switch’ on the back of each glove. I plan not to use the batteries but to run mine by connecting the gloves to my Rapid Fire electric jacket liner and regulating the gloves’ heat via the jacket’s twin remote heat controller. To connect the gloves to the jacket, I bought a Keis female-to-female converter, also from Sportsbikeshop.

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/mo...EHBpLoBjAsA8sSXGeYQebzDddrag5-IBoCZ5QQAvD_BwE

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/mo...EHBpLoBjAsA8sSXGeYQebzDddrag5-IBoCZ5QQAvD_BwE

Not cheap but it’s not worth having cold, wet, hands in the 21st century.

PS Good range of kit in Sportsbikeshop, Harlow and helpful staff, too.

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/

I realise now that this was very probably one of the dullest reviews on record, beaten only replies of: “But I have never had call to use them, so I don’t know” in response to questions over which recovery company is best.

As and when I use the gloves, I’ll make amends.

Always had some of these three finger gloves for cold weather riding when the gloves were not heated. However, when looking at Keis heated gloves I thought that these were better:

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/515564

each finger heated separately and can touch the phone/satnav too.

Have you tried controlling the gloves with the remote controller?

I have a Warm n Safe dual controller which works with my WnS shirt and Gerbing gloves. I was looking at replacing the gloves but all the manufacturers seem to have started putting the controls on the gloves themselves, which various dealers have told me means that the remote controllers no longer work.

I also put my gloves inside my jacket, which immediately rules out some makes of gloves as the controls would be inaccessible on the move.

I did think about heated liners under normal gloves, but the Keis plug is rather large and in and awkward position. The plugs on my current Gerbing gloves are at the end of a short lead, giving flexibility on where you place them to plug into the tails from the shirt sleeves.

My Gerbing gloves really need replacing, but all the replacements I’ve looked at seem to have taken a step backward in flexibility and usability.

I’ve still got a pair of the Hein Gericke Pathan ‘lobster’ gloves and they’re not a patch on the Rukka version though if you wear the Rukka ones over the sleeves of your jacket they can soak up water if you’re riding in the rain for a couple of hours or more.

If I’d got a big winter trip in the offing I’d try the Keiss ones because I’ve got a Keiss heated jacket that has short leads in each sleeve but the Rukka ones would be in my tankbag as back up. The other thing I’ve found (no surprises here) is that prevention is better than cure so the Rukka ones plus merino inners work better than using them with heated grips because Goretex gloves don’t like heated grips.

Thanks for the replies.

A. Re the gloves. I have Rapid Fire electric liners, which I can and do wear under some oversized Rukka 3-season gloves. I wanted to try the electric ‘Lobster’ claws as an alternative.

B. I haven’t tried regulating the heat of the gloves via the remote controller yet. My hope (and it is no more than that) is that if I set the glove’s three-stage controller on the cuff to say maximum, I’ll be able to turn it down by reducing the level on the remote controller. We will see, as they say. I might go into the garage to experiment this evening.

I too wear my gloves inside the sleeves of my jacket, to stop the water running in. This doesn’t matter on the Keis ‘Lobsters’ as the three-stage controller is on the top of the body of the glove, not on the cuff. They thought about that at least.

The socket on my Rapid Fire liners is placed OK. Or at least I got on with it where it is.

C. I have the conventional Rukka ‘Lobster’ gloves, too. They are indeed, too notch. Again, I can wear them with the Rapid Fire electric glove liners, as above. I just wanted to try the convenience of putting on a pair of electric ‘Lobsters’ without having to put on the liners separately. It’s no big deal when you start the day that way. But, often I find that I am putting the lot on on the side of the road, after dark and it’s peeing down…. As it was when I did it on Sunday, late afternoon.

If it turns out that B doesn’t work, I’ll probably just buy the batteries for the ‘Lobster’ gloves and use them on my Himalayan, as I am not sure its puny alternator can cope with much above lighting the rear bulb.

daesimps said:

Have you tried controlling the gloves with the remote controller?

I have a Warm n Safe dual controller which works with my WnS shirt and Gerbing gloves. I was looking at replacing the gloves but all the manufacturers seem to have started putting the controls on the gloves themselves, which various dealers have told me means that the remote controllers no longer work.

Click to expand...

In the interests of bikermate enquiry and service, I have been into the garage in the rain and cold, to answer your question and, not least, answer it for myself.

The answer is: Yes and no.

I have the Rapid Fire dual controller, who sort of came before Warm’n’Safe but which is, in essence at least, the same thing. As with your Warm’n’Safe jacket, my controller will regulate both my electric jacket liner and my electric inner gloves, both independently of each other.

When it comes to the Keis electric ‘Lobsters’ it’s a bit different.

1. I have to turn the wick on the dual controller up to maximum, in other words to Spinal Tap’s 11 on the dial. It’s the yellow knob in this picture:




2. Then and only then can I turn the heated ‘Lobster’ glove on (red / maximum) and cycle it through its two other stages of yellow (medium) and green (off).





3. I can also turn the ‘Lobster’ fully off, by holding the triangle down and turn it back on again, by holding it down again.

4. What I can’t do is regulate the heat via the controller, only via the ‘Lobster’ glove itself.

Comment / conclusions

A. I only tested with one ‘Lobster’ glove, I assume the result will be the same with two.

B. I assume that the ‘Lobster’ glove requires the full umph from the controller in order to activate its circuitry. This surprised me a bit, as I had guessed (wrongly as it turned out) thst it would be the same as my jacket liner and my inner gloves.

C. The test was done without the ignition on and the bike running. It might be different if the bike was running and supplying a bit more umph into the proceedings. We shall have to wait on that one.

D. I assume that running one of the remote controller’s two channels on maximum is not doing any harm to the receiver box in my jacket. Time will tell. I don’t really want to burn it out, though I do have a spare kicking around.

E. Assuming it works with two ‘Lobster’ gloves and does no significant harm to the receiver’s circuitry to run on maximum, the ‘Lobsters’ can be run (ie powered by the bike) this way. It’s a pity the variable control doesn’t work (it has to be on maximum) and that the regulation has to be done via the button on the top of each glove.

F. In reality, it’s no great hardship controlling the ‘Lobsters’ this way and it’s a bit better than relying on the glove’s independent batteries, perhaps?

G. I am though surprised that it has to be maximum 11 on the dial…. If your Gerbing gloves can be fully regulated via the remote controller.

Following on from post #7, I looked at the Warm’n’Safe US site. They offer an electric glove that is (I assume) fully controllable via the remote dual controller.

https://www.warmnsafe.com/products/ultimate-touring-heated-gloves-with-i-touch

Its figures show:

Our 12V Heat Glove numbers per Glove, not pair:
1.31 Amps
10.5 Ohms
18.14 Watts at 13.8V

The comparative figures for the Keis are:

Voltage: 12V
Approx. Current: 1.6A
Typical Power: 19.2W

In other words, broadly similar.

Am I missing something obvious?

Thanks for the confirmation of what the various retailers/manufacturers said would be the case.

The gloves don’t think they have enough juice to turn on with the remote controller set to anything other than full power.

My current (old) Gerbing gloves have no controller in them, so the WnS just reduces the voltage down to turn down the heat level. I believe the newer Gerbing/Keis (and most other manufacturers’) gloves have built in controllers that require the full 12v (ish) to be supplied so their inbuilt controllers can do the voltage reduction.

It’s a shame that they’ve all gone down this route as I feel it makes them far less practical and user friendly (one make I saw in the local Sportsbike Shop actually controlled them via Bluetooth using a phone app). It also seems that some gloves require you to change each glove independently, making adjusting the left hand glove require you to take your right hand off the throttle.

At least Keis put the control near the knuckle, as many have the control above the wrist line, meaning hidden under your jacket if you don’t wear your gloves on the outside (which in itself can make connecting the wire to the tail wire in the sleeves awkward)

Appreciate the time you spent to check and reply.

I forgot to mention, my WnS controller actually looks identical to yours.

The pain would be that every time the receiver in the jacket is initially connected it comes on at 30%, for both gloves and jacket, as a way of guaranteeing you could get some heat even if the controller battery was dead. This means that I couldn’t just leave the dial at full and use the gloves’ controllers, but rather I’d have to “adjust” the remote controller down and back to full every time I connect up the lead in order to get the supply to the gloves up to full so I could use their built in controls.

Wapping said:

Following on from post #7, I looked at the Warm’n’Safe US site. They offer an electric glove that is (I assume) fully controllable via the remote dual controller.

https://www.warmnsafe.com/products/ultimate-touring-heated-gloves-with-i-touch

Am I missing something obvious?

Click to expand...

Not really. I looked at them last year when investigating replacing the Gerbing ones, but they didn’t seem to be available in the U.K. and I didn’t want the pain of the sizing lottery and return shipping etc.

daesimps said:

I forgot to mention, my WnS controller actually looks identical to yours.

The pain would be that every time the receiver in the jacket is initially connected it comes on at 30%, for both gloves and jacket, as a way of guaranteeing you could get some heat even if the controller battery was dead. This means that I couldn’t just leave the dial at full and use the gloves’ controllers, but rather I’d have to “adjust” the remote controller down and back to full every time I connect up the lead in order to get the supply to the gloves up to full so I could use their built in controls.

Click to expand...

Yes, I think the controllers are the same. Or rather I should say, they are the same as I have a separate Warm’n’Safe branded dual-controller, to regulate my trouser liner and socks.

I take on board your comment about flattening the remote controller’s internal battery. Whilst the batteries in the controllers last a long time, I have always had the bike powered controllers, so that problem is negated, for me at least.

daesimps said:

Not really. I looked at them last year when investigating replacing the Gerbing ones, but they didn’t seem to be available in the U.K. and I didn’t want the pain of the sizing lottery and return shipping etc.

Click to expand...

I have bought direct from Warm’n’Safe USA, without too much trouble. Indeed, they were better to deal with than the very grumpy bod who used to represent them in the UK.

I agree ‘remote’ buying of gloves is always tricky, more so perhaps than other clothes. It’s a point made in the Warm’n’Safe website. If though their gloves are fully controllable via the remote controller, then they might be worth a punt. I’ll drop the fellow a mail (they usually reply by return) and maybe order two sizes on a sale and return basis. It’s a bit of a to-and-fro but I can manage and be worth it if it works fully.

Wapping said:

I take on board your comment about flattening the remote controller’s internal battery. Whilst the batteries in the controllers last a long time, I have always had the bike powered controllers, so that problem is negated, for me at least.

Click to expand...

My receiver (in the jacket) takes power from the bike, but the controller (on the clutch reservoir) has a battery in it. I think mine lasts about 2 years from experience.

What happens is every time my receiver in the jacket is connected to the bike it goes on at 30% for both outputs (jacket and gloves) regardless of the position of the dials. If I want the gloves or jacket at any other setting I have to adjust them after connecting to the bike power lead.

Therefore using gloves with inbuilt controls would mean I’d have to turn the controller down and back to 11 every time I plugged in, otherwise the gloves would only be getting 30% regardless of what position the controller was left in and as you’ve seen that wouldn’t be able to be turned on at such a low voltage supply.

daesimps said:

Thanks for the confirmation of what the various retailers/manufacturers said would be the case.

The gloves don’t think they have enough juice to turn on with the remote controller set to anything other than full power.

My current (old) Gerbing gloves have no controller in them, so the WnS just reduces the voltage down to turn down the heat level. I believe the newer Gerbing/Keis (and most other manufacturers’) gloves have built in controllers that require the full 12v (ish) to be supplied so their inbuilt controllers can do the voltage reduction.

It’s a shame that they’ve all gone down this route as I feel it makes them far less practical and user friendly (one make I saw in the local Sportsbike Shop actually controlled them via Bluetooth using a phone app). It also seems that some gloves require you to change each glove independently, making adjusting the left hand glove require you to take your right hand off the throttle.

At least Keis put the control near the knuckle, as many have the control above the wrist line, meaning hidden under your jacket if you don’t wear your gloves on the outside (which in itself can make connecting the wire to the tail wire in the sleeves awkward)

Appreciate the time you spent to check and reply.

Click to expand...

No problem.

Yes, the Keis would require you to use your right hand to control the left clove. Which is not ideal but that is what the cruise control is for

I think you are right, it requires full umph to activate the circuitry. I did sometimes get it to flash / flicker red (on) very briefly, with the power at about 7 on the dial. But never enough to establish the glove as ‘on’.

I have a Puffa jacket thing, with a Bluetooth regulator. It’s OK but would be a nuisance (a no no) on a motorcycle.

daesimps said:

My receiver (in the jacket) takes power from the bike, but the controller (on the clutch reservoir) has a battery in it. I think mine lasts about 2 years from experience.

What happens is every time my receiver in the jacket is connected to the bike it goes on at 30% for both outputs (jacket and gloves) regardless of the position of the dials. If I want the gloves or jacket at any other setting I have to adjust them after connecting to the bike power lead.

Therefore using gloves with inbuilt controls would mean I’d have to turn the controller down and back to 11 every time I plugged in, otherwise the gloves would only be getting 30% regardless of what position the controller was left in and as you’ve seen that wouldn’t be able to be turned on at such a low voltage supply.

Click to expand...

My dual controller, like yours, is mounted on my bike’s clutch reservoir with Velcro. It is powered by the bike. Despite the internal battery option lasting years, I just somehow prefer bike power, where possible.

The receiver in the jacket, is similarly powered by the bike.

Mine works the same as yours, supplying 30% power, should the dual controller fail for some reason.

Whilst they are not three-fingered, these are the Warm’n’Safe gloves I was looking at:

https://www.warmnsafe.com/collectio...s/ultimate-touring-heated-gloves-with-i-touch

They have no button on the glove itself, so the gloves must be fully controllable via the remote controller. Indeed, the website says as much:

All Our 12V Heated Gear need to be used with a Heat Controller (it does not come with one). We recommend our Remote Heat-troller.

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This makes sense as the remote controller is a part of their raison d'etre.

Had they offered a ‘Lobster’ it would be perfect but hey-ho. I’m going to take a punt on it.

I have found the Warm n Safe liner gloves to be very efficient at keeping my hands warm in the coldest of conditions. I normally wear a pair of Rukka Virium over the top of them to provide a waterproof and breathable outer, but clearly these are traditional 5 finger design and therefore may not be as warm as the lobster style option.

Just wondered why you actually need a heated glove at all, wouldn’t your Warm n Safe liner gloves underneath a standard lobster style provide the ultimate in both comfort and controllability?

Toddmeister said:

I have found the Warm n Safe liner gloves to be very efficient at keeping my hands warm in the coldest of conditions. I normally wear a pair of Rukka Virium over the top of them to provide a waterproof and breathable outer, but clearly these are traditional 5 finger design and therefore may not be as warm as the lobster style option.

Just wondered why you actually need a heated glove at all, wouldn’t your Warm n Safe liner gloves underneath a standard lobster style provide the ultimate in both comfort and controllability?

Click to expand...

I do the same, using my electric inner gloves inside either an oversized pair of Rukka Nivala or Rukka GTX 3.

Good question. More than anything, I usually find that I am swapping from regular gloves, into the heated inner / oversized outer gloves on the roadside, often in the rain. What I want is the convenience of not having four items (x2 inners and x2 outlets) but instead just to have one single pair of heated gloves. I thought that the Keis heated ‘Lobster’ gloves would do it. However, there is a glitch, in that they are not controllable by the remote controller. They won’t be wasted, as I’ll buy the batteries for them and use them on my Himalayan.