ZANheadgear Urban Nylon Balaclava (Camouflage)

I bought this balaclava to replace one I lost towards the end of winter. I use it primarily on winter bike rides to protect my ears, face neck, and (on really cold days or long rides) nose. My previous balaclava was a C9 by Champion one from Target, which I liked much better because it was thicker (thus warmer) and more comfortable, but apparently stores don't feel like selling winter clothing in February anymore, so I had to look elsewhere. That's where this one came in.When I first got it, I was immediately surprised by how thin it is. I don't think I could use this in the middle of winter; I'd need something thicker and warmer. However, for short rides or warmer temperatures (say, 20s or 30s) I've found it acceptable. It is very tight, so I could see people with larger heads having problems with this. There is some stitching down the middle that other people noticed and I thought might concern me. If I wear it only around the perimeter of my face, it's fine, but if I pull it up over my mouth or nose, is is noticeable (not quite irritating in my opinion). The "neck" portion is also very long, which I find nice on this one because I thought it was actually too short on my old one. Like my old one, it's also fairly "adjustable" in that I can wear it to cover just my neck, my chin, my mouth, or my nose and whole face except the eyes.On the bright side, it's cheap. It's not horribly constructed from the looks of things, but within weeks a thread from the middle stitching came loose. Nothing else has happened since cutting that off, and I don't even notice much if any damage from this. I just wish it was a bit warmer, but for this price I can hardly complain. I do know that I'll go back to my old brand next winter when they are hopefully in stores again, but I'll definitely keep this one around, perhaps a second under-layer to use on particularly cold days.UPDATE: Lasted through the rest of that winter and the first part of this one with no problems. I did replace it with my thicker one once stores started selling them again. Unfortunately, I lost it but really want a second layer (this) under my thicker balaclava for the sub-zero days we've been having lately, so I think I'll order one of these again. Again, it's thin, and maybe a tad tight, which is the primary reason for my rating, but it's cheap enough that I'm not sure you can expect much more.

This worked well in my ski helmet, not too heavy and allowed enough air flow to keep me from overheating. I found the balaclava snug, but not too tight, and I have a hat size 7 3/8 (almost XL). At the top of Storm Peak at Steamboat, the wind was howling (25 mph+) and temperature was 10-15°F. This balaclava was just adequate, but something heavier was in order (you actually had to be fairly hard core or stupid to be there). If I were going to use this in serious cold (-15°F or less) I would probably have to have a second hat on, or definitely a hood up. If you're in cold and windy situations, then this is probably not the covering you want, it leaks a bit much for that. For skiing, where the balaclava covers your face and the helmet provides additional covering for your head, I found it worked well. I didn't freeze, but I didn't overheat either. This may be a good option for those who find most balaclava's to hot and constricting.An update: I was throwing away the merchandising card that was attached to the balaclava and looked at it one more time. Interestingly, it proposed use of this balaclava for exactly what I used it for... a helmet liner.

This balaclava is great for the price. It works good at keeping the wind from freezing my face on cold runs. The only thing that keeps me from rating it a 5 star is the fact that the mask doesn't really fit well over my nose. I would say that I have a fairly normal sized nose, but the mask kind of slips down after a little while. It would also be nice if it stretched down below my chin a little easier when I start to warm up, but I guess that would just depend on the size of your head (This really isn't a negative to me, just a preference). I'll continue to use this mask as long as it still holds up. I might end up getting a little thicker one for the REALLY cold runs that is designed to go over the nose with some kind of extra fabric there, and maybe vented at the mouth for easier breathing and talking when I'm with my running group. But this mask will be great, for me, for any runs around or just below freezing temps.I've gone on 2 REALLY cold runs with this mask that averaged in the single digit temperatures with wind chills at or below 0*F (for a reference on my experience with this product).

Good price, decent reviews. Arrived quickly.I'm not big nor do I have a large head. My hat size is 7-1/8" at the max. But this product was SMALL!- Does it fit underneath a helmet/hat/etc? Yes, nicely I might add.- Is it lightweight and extremely compactable? Yes.- Too small? no "too small" not for me but darn close. It is uncomfortable.- Will it shrink? goodness I hope not!- Would I buy it again? No, I would look into a different product that may fit better.- Would I recommend it to a friend? No.In all fairness it is only uncomfortably tight over the nose, everywhere else is snug which I expect from something like this. But there was inadequate anatomical consideration when designing this pattern: there is as much circumferential space for the forehead as the nose. In other words it is a straight cut instead of a larger and anatomical shaped area for the nose. The result is similar to mens compression shorts/tights which do not have a pouch for the... man... if you catch my drift. Another good comparison is jeans that have adequate space for the... trunk. Why wasn't this designed the same way to fit an actual human body? This question led me to the ZANheadgear website where I realized some of the higher end balaclavas were designed with this in mind. Thus the cheapest balaclava they sell (this one) does not have nose space. If the price point was the main thing drawing you to this product I would look into comparable products that have the nose space design at similar, although slightly higher, prices.

This was a great product but if you are using it for lower then -10 then it dose not do anything

Nice and snug, good stretch and good thickness to the nylon. Should be good for October/November hunt in Ontario.

I would disregard the size issue mentioned by other reviewers, I have a big head and it fits fine.The thing that breaks it for me is the seams right down the middle. If you wear it over your mouth it gets super annoying, they are kinda thick too.I use it as a helmet liner for snowboarding, and it does the job for now.

OK

Nice, it's tight but it should be like that. Good buy.