It seems like every couple of years it’s a different manufacturer trying and eventually giving up on heated outerwear. The idea makes perfect sense, particularly for snowsports enthusiasts. Skiers and riders aren’t as sensitive to weight as backpackers and mountaineers are (making reasonaby sized batteries less of an issue), need more warmth during periods of inactivity (like on the chairlift), and aren’t typically away from an outlet for more than a full day at a time (charging it isn’t a problem).

So why hasn’t this caught on? The technology behind these jackets, gloves, and baselayers has improved dramatically in the last few years. Newer models are light, comfortable, and have wires that are barely (if at all) noticeable, with long lasting lightweight batteries that last a couple of days in some cases. Unfortunately, high prices and the lack of options have kept these out of the mainstream.

Take the North Face MET5 (pictured above) for example. This $599 garment had a good run, but it’s no longer – at such a high price point, it never really got the mainstream traction it needed to survive and was discontinued. While the North Face sold quite a few of these to guides and other outdoor professionals, the price was just too much to justify for the occasional user whose jackets have a shelf life of a few seasons.

Enter the next player in the heated outerwear market – in 09/10, Mountain Hardwear is taking a stab with the men’s Refugium (below, at right) and women’s Radiance jacket (below, at left.) Aside from only offering one very basic style, Mountain Hardwear was very much on the verge of doing this right – before they sort of blew it. The jackets (both $230 from select retailers only) require a separate battery pack and converter be purchased, which comes in around $195. Do the math – that’s $425 for the complete package, and out of the realm for most casual and semi-casual wearers.

So, how could this work, and just how did Mountain Hardwear fail to deliver? If the heating system was separate from the jacket and fully transferable from one garment to the other (it’s not) then I’d think that Mountain Hardwear was taking this seriously. The slight sacrifice in complexity and bulk would be made up for by the fact that when you are done with the jacket, the heat could come with you – keeping the cost of a new heated garment significantly lower once you’ve made the initial investment. Maybe next time.