As frigid winds sweep across the Northern Hemisphere, the combination of volatile energy prices and geopolitical factors has triggered explosive growth in winter heating demand. Chinese-made cold-weather products, leveraging their cost-performance advantages and functional designs, are creating a warm wave in overseas markets.
Soaring Interest in Heating Solutions: Global Market Demand
Google Trends data reveals that searches for "heating" have maintained high levels over the past 90 days, indicating widespread global concern about staying warm. Specific topics like "British Gas November heating warning" saw a 2300% surge in searches, reflecting public anxiety about rising energy costs and supply issues. Concurrently, rising search volumes for "heating face mask," "blanket," and "intelligent thermostat" suggest growing consumer demand for personalized, smart heating solutions.
Chinese Winter Gear: Case Studies of Overseas Success
A traditional Chinese cold-weather face mask has become a viral sensation on social commerce platforms like TikTok. Priced at approximately $11, the product sold over 17,700 units in just two weeks, generating $194,500 in total sales. Notably, weekly sales exceeded 7,300 orders, demonstrating robust market demand.
Comparatively, similar products on domestic Chinese e-commerce platforms typically retail between $0.55 to $1.40, representing a 7.7 to 20-fold price increase in international markets. This premium reflects both cross-border logistics costs and international consumers' recognition of high-quality, functional winter products.
The ski mask features windproof insulation with a dual-layer construction of short-pile outer fabric and soft inner fleece, providing full face and neck coverage. This practical design has proven particularly popular in colder regions of Europe and North America.
On Amazon, similar integrated thermal hats range from $8.09 to $18.91. The $8.09 breathable variant sold over 2,000 units last month, while the $17.99 fleece-lined version proved more popular with 4,000 monthly sales, further confirming strong international demand for warming products.
Global Heating Market: Projections and Growth Drivers
According to Fortune Business Insights, the global heating equipment market reached $110.84 billion in 2024, with a projected 5.82% compound annual growth rate that could expand the market to $171.75 billion by 2032. This forecast highlights the sector's significant potential.
Customs data shows China's heat pump exports to Europe surged 42.3% year-over-year in October 2025. With Germany's natural gas reserves under pressure, heat pump adoption is accelerating, driving substantial demand in European and North American markets. This shift reflects how energy transitions and environmental awareness are reshaping the heating equipment landscape.
Beyond complete systems, core components like compressors, controllers, and high-efficiency heat exchangers also maintain strong demand, presenting additional opportunities for Chinese manufacturers beyond finished goods exports.
Portable Heating Devices: Emerging Markets and Opportunities
The growth of outdoor dining and recreational activities has increased demand for patio, garden, and multi-scenario heating solutions, driving winter sales of portable products like heated gloves, USB warming pads, and compact heaters. These space-efficient, easily transportable devices meet consumers' personalized heating needs across various settings.
For Chinese exporters, portable winter heating products present significant opportunities. China's mature manufacturing ecosystem enables cost-effective production of high-quality portable heaters, while accumulated e-commerce and cross-border logistics expertise facilitates effective international market expansion.