DeWalt REALTREE XTRA Camouflage Heated Hoodie Sweatshirt (Complete Kit)

A week with a heated hoodie that actually earns its keep

I wore the DeWalt heated hoodie through a week of predawn jobsite starts and a damp Saturday in the woods. It’s the kind of piece you don’t appreciate until the wind picks up or the thermometer slips into the 30s. After a dozen hours on my back and a handful of battery swaps, I’ve got a clear sense of where this hoodie shines and where it stumbles.

Build and first impressions

The outer shell is a polyester/cotton blend with a quiet, matte camo finish. It’s wind‑resistant enough to take the edge off a gust, particularly with the ribbed cuffs and fitted waist doing their part to seal in heat. Inside, the torso and hood get a thermal waffle‑knit lining that’s immediately comfortable over a T‑shirt. The sleeves lack that lining, which keeps bulk down but also means your forearms won’t feel as insulated as your core.

Stitching on my sample was clean and even, with no loose threads. The zipper is mid‑weight and tracks smoothly; I didn’t experience jams or waves. This is not a heavy work jacket—it’s a hoodie—so temper expectations. It feels like a well‑made midlayer, closer to a substantial sweatshirt than a shell.

The camo pattern is the draw here for hunters and anyone who prefers to stay low‑profile in the woods. For jobsite use, the pattern is purely aesthetic, but the fabric’s quiet hand is a plus regardless.

Heat where it counts

Three carbon fiber heat zones—left chest, right chest, and back—target the core. That layout makes sense: your torso drives comfort, and warmer blood to your hands is an added benefit. There’s no heat in the sleeves, so if you’re working bare‑armed in a cold breeze you’ll rely more on the core warmth to carry you through.

The LED controller offers three power levels plus a pre‑heat function. From cold, pre‑heat brought the hoodie up to a comfortable baseline in about 3–4 minutes in 35–40°F conditions. On high, I could feel distinct warmth in under a minute. The controller is easy to find and toggle with gloved hands, and the color cues are bright enough to confirm settings at a glance.

Heat distribution is even across the panels. I didn’t feel hot spots or edges; the back panel in particular covers a generous area between the shoulder blades and mid‑back, which is helpful when you’re standing still on a windy deck or glassing from a stand.

Battery system and real‑world runtime

This hoodie runs on DeWalt’s 20V MAX XR battery system. If you’re already invested in that platform, this is plug‑and‑play, and the included 2.0 Ah battery gets you started. The dedicated battery pocket keeps the pack secure and out of the way, though you’ll still notice the weight compared to low‑voltage heated wearables.

DeWalt’s runtime claim with the 2.0 Ah pack reaches “up to 9 hours,” which you’ll only see on low with intermittent use in mild cold. My actual runtimes looked like this:

• Low: roughly 5–6 hours of continuous use in the high 30s to low 40s °F
• Medium: around 3–4 hours in the same conditions
• High: 1.5–2.5 hours, depending on wind and how frequently I opened the front zipper

For longer stints on high, a spare pack is a must. If you want to lighten the garment, a compact 1.5 Ah battery trims some weight, but expect proportionally shorter runtimes (about 5.5 hours on low is a reasonable best‑case figure in milder weather). The pocket accommodates full‑size 20V MAX XR batteries, but you’ll feel the heft with anything bigger than 2.0 Ah, especially when you’re seated or crouched.

Comfort, fit, and mobility

Fit is true to size with a touch of room for layering. I ran a thermal long sleeve underneath without binding. The waffle‑knit lining is soft and traps heat efficiently in the torso; the hood is similarly lined and offers good coverage without tunnel vision. The ribbed cuffs are tight enough to block drafts but not so snug that they snag on gloves.

Mobility is excellent. The hoodie flexes naturally, and the heating elements don’t crinkle or resist movement. The lack of sleeve heating is a trade‑off: arms stay more agile, but on truly cold mornings your forearms will feel it. I solved that by adding a thin base layer or a softshell over top when the wind kicked up.

Pockets and everyday usability

You get multiple pockets, including a dedicated battery pocket. The layout is practical: hand pockets for warmth and stash, plus interior space to route and stow the battery lead. Nothing about the pockets interfered with tool belts or harnesses. The battery pocket’s placement is decent for walking and standing; if you sit in a vehicle or on a stump for a while, you’ll become aware of the battery brick. That’s the nature of a 20V pack—powerful, but not invisible.

The controller’s location is easy to access without fishing around, and the LED indicator is readable in low light. I appreciated being able to tap down from high to medium as my activity level rose, rather than cycling through modes in a fixed loop.

Weather resistance and durability

Wind resistance is the headline, and it delivers. On a 15–20 mph day, the fitted waist and cuffs meaningfully cut drafts. This is not a rain jacket. In mist and brief drizzle the outer shell sheds a bit of moisture, but extended rain will soak it. Treat it as either a standalone layer in dry cold or a heated midlayer under a light windbreaker or shell when the weather turns wet.

After a week of wear with a tool belt and truck seats in the mix, no pilling or seam creep showed up. The camo print didn’t scuff prematurely. I can’t speak to season‑long durability yet, but the fundamentals look sound. The 1‑year limited warranty is standard for heated apparel and aligns with expectations for this category.

In the field and on the job

For static tasks—early‑morning site checks, equipment prep, waiting out a concrete pour—the hoodie shines. The pre‑heat function plus high setting takes the bite out of the cold quickly, and dropping to medium or low stretches the battery without feeling like you’ve switched it off. In the woods, the quiet fabric and camo pattern are genuinely helpful, and the heating zones keep your core comfortable when you’re sitting still. Layering it under a vest or light shell makes it a capable system down into the high 20s.

For high‑exertion work, I mostly ran it on low or off. The fabric breathes enough that I didn’t feel swampy, but like any heated garment, you need to manage the setting as your activity level changes.

Shortcomings and trade‑offs

• Battery bulk: A 20V pack is substantial. The weight and brick shape are noticeable, especially when seated.
• Sleeve insulation: With no heating and no waffle lining in the arms, your forearms can run cool in true cold unless you layer.
• Not a rain layer: Wind resistance is strong; water resistance is limited.
• Materials feel mid‑tier: It’s a solid hoodie, but don’t expect the plushness or refined finish of premium lifestyle pieces. This is built for work and field use, not the coffee shop.

Who it’s for

• Tradespeople already on the DeWalt 20V MAX system who want a heated midlayer they can power with existing batteries.
• Hunters and outdoor users who value a quiet camo hoodie with targeted core heat for long, still stretches.
• Anyone who prefers a hoodie form factor over a jacket, and plans to layer strategically in deeper cold.

Who might look elsewhere: If you need sleeve heat, a more water‑resistant outer, or the lightest possible battery footprint, you may be happier with a heated jacket with arm zones or a lower‑voltage, slim‑pack setup, understanding you’ll give up compatibility and runtime.

Recommendation

I recommend the DeWalt heated hoodie for users who want practical core warmth in a familiar, flexible layer and who either already own 20V MAX XR batteries or don’t mind the added bulk that comes with them. The heat performance is reliable, the controls are straightforward, and the wind‑blocking design elements work. It’s not a rain solution and it won’t toast your arms, but as a wind‑resistant, camo midlayer with three well‑placed heat zones, it earns a spot on the hook by the door. If you value quiet fabric, honest runtimes with a 2.0 Ah pack, and the simplicity of three heat settings plus pre‑heat, this hoodie makes cold mornings more manageable without getting in your way.