I am in the market for a balaclava and want to know which one out there is the best. I am partial to Klim, but I am open to anything that will get the job done. I ride year round so I see all types of weather. I work nights and have rode in single digit weather. I have all the heated gear, klim shells, gaerne oiled boots, etc. So thats the last cold/wet spot on my body on my rides. Any and all insite will be greatly appreciated! Keep the rubber side down.
https://www.buyabuff.com/original I prefer these over a balaclava. Have 2 of them that Ill wear when its real cold. Theyre long enough so that you can pull them up to your ears and they still extend below the jacket collar. I have one standard one and one windproof. They work well even down into the single digits, for me at least.
UnderArmour Cold Gear Hood @ $20. The neck on it is a tad short, but it keeps me warm even with the vents open on my EXO-700. Every morning I ride in ~40ยบ temps and I'm toasty.
Schampa Warmskin Pharaoh Deluxe II Balaclava Very long and covers my whole neck. Nose is also mesh so it won't fog up glasses like some- 20 bucks on amazon:) I also have a smartwool buff from REI. More versatile actually..use it much more honestly. Guess depends on personal preference...
>"I am partial to Klim" I've tried a Klim, but that model was too bloody short in the neck. Standard for me is Turtlefur. They make one called a 'shellclava' Thin on top to go under helmet and then protect face. Also rolls down to just make a neck warmer. http://www.turtlefur.com/s?defaultSearchTextValue=Search&searchKeywords=Shellaclavas&Action=submit
The Cycle Gear version is my favorite because it's cheap and warm. Currently on sale for $9.99 right now. I might just buy another one just in case I lose one.
Wowzers! I'm glad I asked you guys. I had no idea what was really out there. I googled it a few times but missed most of these recommendations. Still a little torn on which to get! Thanks for the input. Keep it coming! Kg6bws, you mentioned that one was windproof. Which model is it? I was checking out the site. Also does it do a good job at keeping your face decently warm when pulled up? I have a modular helmet which let's quite a bit of air (and water) in. More than my old full faced helmet.
I think it was one of their Polar Buffs. Ive had it a few years and their website looks slightly different than the last time I looked at it so Im not dead sure which one it was. I also wear a flip up, HJC IsMaxBT, the buffs work pretty well IMO. The buffs aren't 100% windproof but they keep out about 90% and they keep my neck warmer. One thing Ive been trying out also is using a shemaugh http://www.blackhawk.com/product/Shemaugh,33,12.htm wrapped around my neck too. It works pretty well at filling in the space between jacket and helmet.
For not-too-cold everyday commuting, I liked the Turtle Fur. For colder, longer, wet conditions, the Aerostich Wind Triangle (Gore-Tex) worked well for me.
I prefer silk. Most of the time I use a Thermasilk brand balaclava. A quick wash with cold water and dish soap followed by a rinse, wring it out and its dry in a couple of hours.
The short answer is whichever one blocks enough air while letting your skin breathe enough while being thin enough to fit under your helmet without compressing the pads so much it no longer fits in the summer time. Your face, your dime. I can't see you finding balaclava nirvana without ordering several and trying them out. That said, I've liked one from Alpinestars probably the best (the one with the gore windblocker around the neck skirt thingy). I had a few generic cheap coolmax ones but they gave me seam marks so bad I looked like Frankenstein's monster with a patchwork face (which also hurt after 30 minutes or so). I have a nice one from Klim also that is a bit smaller/thinner in feel. It isn't really all that warm, though. Any balaclava without windblcoking properties runs the risk of creating channels for air that give you the sensation of ice cold air running completely around your head under your helmet. Brr. I can't imagine buying anything that I can't toss in the washing machine once a week or so like I would a summer helmet liner. For me, a wind blocking buff neckwarmer gets a lot more use, but I don't have to screw with the helmet and helmet liner pairing and I can scrunch it down or remove it when the temps warm up, though in both cases either the neck warmer or balaclava feels weird when the neck strap is cinched down.
I use the Buff Cyclone. It has thin lycra for the over the head part, and windproof fleece for the neck part. It's long enough to wear it like a balaclava, but if the weather warms up as the day goes on, you can reconfigure it. The head part is thin enough to wear with my normal helmet. The neck part is long enough to cover the collar region of the jacket, so no wind gets down the chest. I wear a really thin buff in the warm months for noise and it helps keep the ear buds in place. If you plug in wind stopper buff in the amazon search box, there are plenty of colors and patterns. Pretty reasonable at 30-40 bucks.
Can't find the aerostichy gore-tex triangle(may not make anymore. BUt if you want wanterproof protection this might be worth looking at... http://www.bluefinwatersports.com/rooster-aquafleece-neck-gaiter.html People in the UK were raving about it..might have to think about myself...water drip down the neck is an issue on my stich cause I have a pencil neck
Me likey the blue fin a lot. We were issued polypro tops and bottoms in the army. Kept you nice and toasty when you were standing around on guard duty. Lord help you when you have to actually do work with that one. You get cooked alive! I may just order that one. I'm going to keep doing my homework before I pull the trigger. And I know that like anything out there, it all comes down to personal preference, fit, and use of the application.
try this... http://www.aerostich.com/clothing/clothing/scarves-and-masks/aerostich-fleece-wind-triangle.html