Buff Lightweight Merino Wool Balaclava

I’ve had other balaclavas like the smartwool and under armpit ones and this one is useless. It’s thin and cheap, which is surprising since the Buff thick wool neck gaiter is decent in weight and warmth. My recommendation until I find something better is the Smartwool balaclava. The under armory balaclava is probably a good choice for men and women with long hair that want to pull them out of the balaclava instead of having the hair bunched up inside.

I have a few different face masks for whatever conditions the gods decide to bring that day, and this is my warm day mask. I prefer to always have a face mask on when I’m riding, and my thicker masks are just too much for those sunny blue birds. This one is very thin so if you’re like me, you will not want to be using this when it is snowing or just cold temperatures. I initially thought I would like having the precut hole for breathing, but this is one thing I do not like about it. When I’m riding the hole moves side to side as I turn my head and kind of defeats the purpose. If you have a helmet that is just a shell without padding inside, you will also want to wear a beanie for a little extra pad between your dome and the helmet. If you are looking for something light to keep some sun or a wind chill off of you, this is overall a good option to consider.