If you're heading to a late-season game in the Northeast, check what you're wearing before you leave home. MetLife Stadium, home of the Giants and the Jets, lists battery-operated clothing (socks, jackets, etc.) among the items it doesn't allow in. Battery-heated gloves are generally treated the same way, and other NFL stadiums have similar rules. The league's own guide to prohibited items includes battery-operated clothing too.
That leaves a lot of fans with a problem. A December game in New Jersey can mean three or four hours sitting still in freezing wind, and the heated gear that would usually help is the gear that gets turned away at the gate.
Why stadiums ban battery-heated clothing
Stadiums don't publish detailed reasons, but heated clothing carries lithium batteries, wires and power packs, which security has to inspect, and those are the kinds of items stadiums keep out. The simplest rule for them is no battery-operated clothing at all.
How to stay warm at a cold game without batteries
- Layer from the skin out. A thin base layer, a warm mid layer and a windproof outer shell keep you warmer than one heavy coat.
- Look after your hands and feet first. They're the first places to go cold when you're sitting still, and the hardest to warm back up in the stands.
- Cover your head and neck. A knit hat and a neck warmer stop the wind getting in at the collar.
- Keep moving. Stand up, stretch at the breaks and walk the concourse at halftime to keep your circulation going.
- Bring it on your body, not in a bag. MetLife has a clear bag policy, so wear your warm layers rather than packing spares.
Warmth with nothing to switch on
FibreHeat® is knitted with a patented fiber that captures your body's own heat and returns it to your skin. There's no battery, no wiring and nothing to charge, so it isn't battery-operated clothing. It's knitwear that keeps you warm.
- Twist Ultra Liners: thin enough to wear under any gloves, with touchscreen fingertips for your tickets and photos.
- Merino Wool Gloves: warm, soft gloves on their own.
- Heavy Winter Socks: for cold concrete under your feet for three hours.
- Knit Hat and Neck Warmer: to close the gaps the wind finds.
Or get the set: our bundles pair gloves with a hat and neck warmer for less than buying them separately.
Stadium policies change and security has the final say. Check your stadium's current prohibited items list before game day.
