The Best Stuff to Keep You Warm This Winter, According to the Coziest CNET Staff

This Suburbs Electric Fireplace is a space heater that looks like a fireplace. Sure it sounds cheesy, but this product makes for an extremely cozy and inviting experience. It easily keeps my poorly heated basement warm and, since it looks like a fireplace, it’s calming to look at. Obviously t’s not a real fire, but my brain just says, “Ooooh, survival,” and blisses out when I sit near the heater. Simply put, it’s a big step up from a regular space heater in terms of ambiance.
There are some caveats, though. It can’t oscillate and only has one intensity level, unlike many clunkier-looking space heaters. That said, I love that it has a thermostat, a timer and is remote control-operated. The fake flames are also a key safety feature that will remind you to turn it off, since they’ll keep flickering, otherwise. I recommend sitting by it while wearing fleece-lined jeans, my other favorite purchase of this season, while holding a mug of something warm. 

I’m not usually a “you’ve gotta buy this brand” person, but: You’ve gotta buy this brand. Smartwool’s base layer tops, bottoms, hats, gloves and socks are made from merino wool, which promises to regulate body temperature and vaporize sweat. And in my experience, it works. Smartwool products have become my go-to and make a big difference when I know I’m going to have to be outdoors in the cold. 

They’re pricey, but an investment — these pieces are durable and hold up over time. I’ve had some base layer shirts for years now. Not for nothing, they also offer plus-sized clothes and have a number of environmentally friendly practices in place.

— Alison DeNisco Rayome

I regularly rely on hand warmers, but I don’t like single-use products, so I went looking for something I could rely on and landed on this. It’s basically a big battery and a heating element, with a USB-C charging port. There are three levels of heat output, the top level being seriously warm, and I find one full charge usually lasts me about two hours when it’s cold enough to need it.

I live in South Carolina, so most of the time the weather is pretty reasonable and you don’t need to have a lot of cold-weather gear around. Because of this, I only need a sweatshirt at most to get the day started, then by the afternoon I’m in shorts and a T-shirt. I don’t like to spend a lot of money on clothes (never have), so this Hanes sweatshirt is perfect.
It’s soft, keeps me warm enough and has a hood with a front pocket for my hands. It fits true to size and has held up great after many washes. It comes in a huge variety of colors, so you can stock up on a few of them without breaking the bank.

Sure, I could crank up the heat throughout my entire home or huddle dangerously close to the heating vents. But when the shivers take hold, I’m much more likely to reach for my heating pad. Luscious, localized heat warms me up in minutes while making a smaller dent in my energy bill. Best yet, a heating pad is eminently portable, which means I can wrap it around my feet on the couch, drape it over my lap at my desk or radiate heat down my back while reading in bed.

Yes, it’s nice to plan for chilly weather, but what happens when you’re traveling and dramatically underestimate how low the temps will plunge? You don’t want to buy a whole new wardrobe — just something to get you through a few days so your business trip or vacation isn’t ruined. Enter Uniqlo, a fast-fashion brand with its HeatTech product line of affordable innerwear (or long underwear if you’re traditional).
For less than $20, you can pick up a pair of tights that will make your life a lot easier. As a former New Yorker, I can tell you protecting the legs is the most cost-effective way to get through a chilly spell. That said, Uniqlo also has tops, gloves and hats to complete your budget winter survival outfit. Uniqlo stores aren’t everywhere in the country, but you can zip over to one in Chicago, New York City, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco and the Washington, DC area (as well as Los Angeles and Orlando, though you probably won’t need HeatTech there!). Everyone else can order online and get their affordable winter protections in a few days — or see if there’s an H&M in town with its own line of thermal long johns.