Reusable Hand Warmers Versus Disposable Hand Warmers: Choosing The Right Type

Portable hand warmers provide comfort for those facing inclement weather. There are two main categories of portable hand warmers, disposable and reusable, and deciding on a category involves a cost / benefit analysis. This article does just that.

The Google search engine was used to find the price range for disposable and reusable hand warmers. Many experts believe that people typically only browse the first three pages of a search engine, so only the first three pages were analyzed. The keyword phrase “portable hand warmers” was used to search for disposables, and the phrase “battery operated hand warmers” was used for reusable ones. The price range of disposable products fell between $ 0.26 and $ 0.59 per unit. The reusable price range fell between $ 39.50 and $ 59.99.

Now suppose a consumer bought two portable hand warmers, one disposable and one reusable, and got the cheapest price for both. Suppose also that the consumer uses both products 500 times, since that is the number of times a reusable can be used without showing signs of diminishing effect (according to a manufacturer’s user manual). Over the course of 500 uses, the consumer will spend an additional $ 130 on disposable products. Of course, this excludes the cost associated with repeat visits to a retailer for the purchase of disposables. Reusable ones have a clear cost advantage over disposables when used frequently. However, for the infrequent user, disposables make the most sense (just as the disposable camera is for people who rarely use cameras).

That covers the cost portion of the analysis, and now is the time to discuss the benefits. Reusable ones last up to 10 hours, while disposables last up to 18 hours. In other words, disposables can last for every hour that a person is awake. Reusable ones require a more selective use. Reusable ones also require a power source to recharge. Reusable ones are only practical for day trips and not for week-long camping trips without a power source. In short, reusable hand warmers are more cost-effective if used frequently, but disposable ones have more flexibility of use.