I wanted to give this balaclava some thorough use before I wrote a review. I work with aircraft which means lots of heat, exhaust, fuel and sweat. I put it through what I'd consider heavy use. I wore it for about 10 hours a day for 9 days in a row under a cranial and ear protections. And about two weeks of casual use.
Pros:
• Great fit, most balaclavas put uncomfortable pressure on the tip of my nose but this one wraps over and stays on my nose perfectly.
• Light weight and breathable.
• Easy to wash without ruining
• The protection and extra length in the neck region are great for mobility.
• The "hood" flap allows the balaclava to transition to a neck gaiter without stretching out the eye sockets which is great!
• Did a great job at keeping heat and sun off of my face and neck
Cons:
• A personal con that may not apply to you, but with the end hood stitches over lap with the tip of my ear and the cup on my ear pros which creates a pressure point which can become very uncomfortable. Normally a slight adjustment will fix this issue but if I'm not conscious about it when I put my head gear on it will return.
Minor concerns to watch over time.:
• I did notice a few loose threads pop up that you can see in the photo. The stitching seems very high quality to me so I'm assuming it's just the balaclava stretching and adjusting to my large melon.
It would be great to see a model with better support for ear pros though I do think that might require sacrificing the hood…
