ANDRE BEGIN

Living in eastern Ontario, Canada, we have more than our fair share of swings in temperature.

When it comes to the car, the extreme heat and humidity in summer make air conditioning a must. The frigid cold temperatures in winter make the heater absolutely indispensable.

Certain other accessories like the sound system and cruise control make for a more pleasurable experience as a driver or a passenger but there is one feature that has actually improved my quality of life immeasurably.

It’s the heated steering wheel.

With a body temperature that hovers a little lower than average, I tend to gravitate to outfits involving layering and bundling up, not only to make a fashion statement, but also out of necessity to feel comfortable.

That being the case, when the car has been outside in arctic temperatures for any length of time, the steering wheel itself becomes a challenge to handle when it feels like a block of ice, even when wearing a pair of well insulated gloves.

The first time I had the pleasure of experiencing the heated steering wheel was during the winter of 2013, shortly after picking up my first vehicle in which it was offered as part of the trim package I selected. I had no idea how this accessory would become my best friend.

The very first time I turned it on, the inhospitably frigid steering wheel went from hard to handle to “where have you been all my life” in a matter of minutes.

The wheel felt like a gentle and soothing hot water bottle. My little fingers were warmed to the point of not actually needing the gloves anymore. What a revelation!

The heated steering wheel soon became a permanent fixture in my daily commutes from December to March. Some days, the drudgery of bumper-to-bumper traffic in harsh weather barely registered a blip on my radar as long as I had the warm sensation of the steering wheel on my frosty fingers.

It was over time that I realized that the heated steering wheel not only had its place in the coldest days of winter but it had other benefits as well.

In the middle of summer, on the hottest most humid days, when I had the air conditioning and fan going full blast, my body was comfortable but my suspected amphibian body temperature left my extremities on the cold side.

That was the great contradiction of summer was to run the air conditioning at its highest setting but also choosing to have my heated steering wheel on at the same time to keep my fingers warm.

… Anyone else or was that just me?

The other benefit occurred to me a few years later when arthritis started paying my fingers a visit from time to time. It didn’t really matter what time of year it was, but the warming power of the steering wheel became the heating pad I didn’t know I needed or wanted to help bring soothing warmth to my digits and offset the pain and stiffness of my advancing age.

And then you have those days when the temperature doesn’t really need supplementation from the heater or the air conditioner, but humid conditions sometimes leave everything in a generally clammy state.

The heated steering wheel is a gift from the heavens in helping draw out the excessive moisture and allow my hands to feel warm and dry, not only for the car ride, but for a while after I left the car. Pure joy!

For these three reasons, I couldn’t imagine a car without a heated steering wheel.

I know other people who have rarely used theirs, but mine gets used so regularly I’m starting to wonder if it may become an item subject to wearing out and might need to get replaced at some point in time.

If it ever does, it will be more than worth it, keeping not only my fingers, but mind, body and spirit, happy and comfortable on the road of life!

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Sincere thanks for reading!
Have a great day,
André