hand warmers
hand warmers
Reusable hand warmers – perfect for outdoor events and sports, ideal for in-house gift shops and retail.
In 1982, a local Dorset man ingeniously worked out how to fill and seal an empty vinyl pouch with suspended sodium acetate solution. In doing so, the hand warmer was born. Since those early days, Thermopacks have manufactured millions of custom-printed hand warmers.
Thermopacks remains the only UK manufacturer of branded hand warmers and proudly make our products from scratch in our Dorset factory. Often copied but never bettered, the use of high-quality raw materials and the printing of flat sheets are the reasons why we can offer you and your customers a superior hand warmer, with a wide range of customisation options.
Key features and Benefits
Composition
| 400mic Phthalate-free vinyl | Able to be recharged and reused hundreds of times |
| Pharmaceutical grade Sodium Acetate | Providing 52˚ degrees of heat lasting between 25-45 minutes depending on size and ambient temperature |
Branding & Personalisation
| White and frosted-clear material options | Choose the best material option for your brand |
| Clear or coloured solution | Contrast or match logo colours |
| Screen-print or digital print process | Single and full-colour reproduction of logos |
| 12 standard shapes | Choose the shape that best suits your branding |
| Carton and Blister Pack options | Retail ready packaging for your shop |
Supply
| Manufactured in UK | Direct from our site to your door |
| Efficient lead times | 2-3 week lead time on all orders up to 5000 units |
| Full order confirmation | Written confirmation confirming order details |
| PDF artwork proofs | Production starts once artwork is approved |
| Terms | 30 day credit available after initial order |
| Planned campaigns and drawdown | Bespoke products put in stock for regular drawdown over an agreed time frame, typically October – March |
How do reusable hand warmers work?
It may come as a surprise, but salt is the active ingredient in our branded hand warmers. To be more precise, we use Sodium Acetate – and add it to warm water. When added to warm water, the two parts of the salt crystal, sodium and acetate, break apart. What’s left is a solution, filled with suspended broken particles, just itching to get back together.
Whenever a chemical reaction occurs, (like breaking apart the salt particles in a promotional hand warmer) energy is involved. We need to use heat energy to break the particles apart, and it doesn’t just disappear! Now it’s time for the metal activator disc to kick start a process known as an exothermic reaction.
The snap of the activator disc causes a spark of energy to hit the solution. That spark causes the two particles, sodium and acetate, to collide back together. You’ll see the solution change as all the salt particles re-crystalise, and as that process takes place, it generates that beautiful heat. It’s not rocket science, just science.
How do you activate hand warmers?
Our reusable hand warmers are activated using a metal disc. The metal disc is floating within the solution. By firmly flexing the disc, a small spark is created, and it’s that spark which causes the pack to crystalise and in doing so, causes the hand warmer to heat up.
The solution within the hand warmer is relatively sensitive. If you drop the hand warmer or even give it a vigorous shake, that can sometimes be enough to set-off the reaction.
Are hand warmers dangerous?
No, not in the slightest. Our promotional hand warmers and retail hand warmers are manufactured here in our Dorset factory using fully compliant materials. The vinyl is Phthalate-free, and as detailed above, the solution is simply a combination of salt and water. 100% non-toxic product guaranteed.
The hand warmers heat up to a maximum of 53-degree centigrade, and immediately start to cool over a 20-30 minute period. First degree burns (such as sunburn for example) occur at approx—65-degree centigrade, with plenty of pain warning before that. So, whilst not for babies and toddlers, hand warmers are perfectly safe for everyone else.
How do you make hand warmers work again?
Our branded hand warmers are easy to re-charge. It is much like cooking pasta or boiling an egg. Fill a pan with enough water to cover the hand warmer, 2 pints / 1ltr is plenty. Bring that water to the boil and turn down to a simmer, and then place the hand warmer into the water for 10-12 minutes.
You’ll know when it’s ready to take out because the crystallised and hard hand warmer will have turned back into the clear liquid. Carefully remove the hand warmers from the water, and allow the hand warmer to completely cool before using again. This process can be repeated hundreds of times, with no decline in the hand warmers performance.
Products
Cold Packs
