Best lens heaters 2024: Why every astrophotographer should have one

Owning one of the best lens heaters is a must if you're a frequent astrophotographer. They are amongst the cheapest of all camera equipment, but just as crucial as anything else. Pick one up this Black Friday, and you may get an even better deal than ever: for example, you can currently get 10% off the Svbony SV192 heater on Amazon.

Lens heaters are very simple in design, consisting of a padded strip that needs to be wrapped around your lens and plugged into the relevant power source. Whether you're hoping to capture the perfect image of a meteor or wanting to photograph the International Space Station, using one will help you out on the coldest nights. They not only keep your lens warm and operating correctly, but they prevent your glass from steaming up via condensation and moisture.

If you're looking to upgrade more of your camera accessories, check out our guides to the best lenses for astrophotography and the best camera backpacks.

The quick list

The best lens heaters we recommend in 2024

The best lens heater overall

Packing in smart technology and excellent functionality, we think the MOVE SHOOT MOVE lens warmer is the best on the market.

This lens warmer works all the way down to temperatures of -25 degrees Celsius, so you know you're covered even on the coldest of nights. There are multiple heat settings on the MOVE SHOOT MOVE lens warmer too, letting you adjust how much heat it kicks out depending on how cold it is. It's perfect for maintaining the ideal temperature.

The lens warmer itself is made of neoprene, which thanks to its waterproof properties is great for keeping the lens dry. It's also excellent at preventing heat loss, ensuring all heat from the warmer stays with the lens.

The MOVE SHOOT MOVE lens warmer uses a USB-A cable to charge. It's a little outdated now, but many of the lens heaters featured on this list haven't yet updated to USB-C. It's not a deal-breaker though — just make sure you pick up the correct cable when packing your gear!

Best for shorter lenses

The COOWOO lens heater is made of a simple Neoprene band that sits around your lens. It's a little narrower than other lens heaters we've featured on this list, however, so we think it's better suited to shorter lenses rather than your longest zoom lenses.

It will fit on any lens with a circumference of 41cm and below, however, and the band holds itself in place with velcro, making it very easy to fit in place on a lens. There's a temperature regulator on the power cable that lets you adjust between three settings (low, medium and high) to adjust how much heat reaches your lens.

The COOWOO lens heater is charged via a USB power cable, and you can also run it continuously by using a rechargeable power pack. We'd definitely recommend packing a mobile power source with you if you plan to be shooting all night as it means you don't have to worry about losing heat.

Best for versatility

If you want a lens heater that can fit just about any lens, look no further than the SVBONY SV192 lens heater. With its 72cm-long strap, it's one of the longest lens heaters on this list, making it suited for wrapping around even the largest lenses. We've found it works with telescopes, too.

Rather than charging via USB, the SVBONY SV192 draws its power from a power tank, which outputs 1.6 to 1.8A. It means it lasts a long time, but there's a bit of extra bulk involved, so bear that in mind.

Like other lens heaters, this one can be adjusted to suit the temperature you need at any given moment. There's a low, medium and a high setting which can be changed easily via a switch on the power cable.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the SVBONY SV192 is how quickly and evenly it heats up: It has aluminum heating elements inside, which will heat up in a matter of seconds.

It's worth noting that a cheaper version of this lens heater is available, but it's shorter, meaning it won't fit around every lens. We think it's worth paying a little extra for that versatility.

Best all-rounder

The Haida 4635 lens heater and anti-fog belt is a great choice for most astrophotographers. We think it looks great, and it's easy to fit on just about any lens thanks to its simple velcro fastening. The only downside is it's a little on the short side: It can fit any lens that has a diameter of 110mm or less, so if your lenses are larger you'll be best looking elsewhere.

The Haida 4635 lens heater is made from graphene, which Haida says helps the belt to heat up quickly. That's ideal, because when you're out in the cold you don't want to be waiting around too long for the heat to kick in.

There's one very big downside to the Haida 4635, however. It has a LED indicator light on the side, which indicates the heater is working. While it's useful to know everything's in working order, it's likely to interfere with your night vision. Thankfully, it's easily blocked or shielded — and you shouldn't let that put you off too much, because otherwise this is a very decent lens heater.

Best multi-purpose heater

We don't really have anything bad to say about the NEEWER USB lens heater. It's inexpensive, easy to fit to a lens and can be fully adjusted to use on a whole range of lens sizes. What more could you want?

This lens heater fits on any lens (or even telescopes) up to 400 millimeters in circumference, which makes it very versatile indeed. And since it's fully adjustable, it's great to use on smaller lenses, too.

What's perhaps most versatile, though, is that you don't have to stick to using the NEEWER USB lens heater on your lens. NEEWER itself highlights that it can be used to heat up coffee cups, or even warm up your arms and legs in the cold. Nifty!

As most competitors, this lens heaters has three temperature modes (high mode: 55-65 degrees Celsius, middle mode: 45-55 degrees Celsius, low mode: 35-45 degrees Celsius). It's rechargeable thanks to a USB cable, so you can charge it on the go with a power bank or plug it into a power source.

Best for slim lenses

The KIWIFOTOS USB lens warmer is particularly impressive in that it can operate in temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius. If you're planning on shooting the stars out in the Arctic, then, this is the lens heater to take with you.

There are three temperature modes on this lens heater, allowing you to quickly and easily change between high, medium and low heat output.

We particularly like that the KIWIFOTOS USB lens warmer comes with its own storage pouch, which makes it very easy to travel with. Like most lens warmers, it can be charged via a USB power source, and it's best used with something like a portable battery pack so you can ensure you've got constant power, particularly if you're in extremely cold conditions.

There is one downside to the KIWIFOTOS lens warmer, though. It's a little on the short side, so we only recommend using it with thinner lenses. It will fit a lens up to 3.15 inches in diameter, so if you want something to fit a larger lens, you'll have to look elsewhere.

What to look for in a lens heater

There is a wide choice of lens heaters available out there, so it can be hard to make sense of all the features. We've rounded up the most important things to look out for when choosing a lens heater below.

First off, you'll want to think about how cold the environments you shoot in are; some lens heaters are better at coping with extreme temperatures, some as low as -40 degrees Celsius. Most lens warmers come with more than one temperature setting so you can adjust it according to your shooting location, too.

Another important factor to consider is the charging method. Most lens heaters are chargeable with a USB-A cable, which can either be plugged into a portable battery or into a plug head and into the mains.

Obviously, you'll want to keep your budget in mind. Lens heaters come at a variety of price points, from some more premium ones with a few bells and whistles to slightly more budget-friendly ones which will still do the job reliably. Some more expensive lens heaters are made from premium materials such as neoprene, which helps traps heat and keeps your lens warmer.

Lens heaters also come in a variety of sizes, so depending on how large your lens is, you'll want to look at the specifications to see how the heaters fit.