Winter Hats

Featured review by Rob0brown.

If you like a separate hat/ jacket combo this hat's pretty awesome. I've edited my original review because I'm becoming a hoody convert (flip on/off climate control and loss prevention).

Over ten years with still little of signs of wear. Worn midwinter on watch in the Sea of Japan also near Korea, in bitter Upstate NY winters, early spring on the Puget Sound for training ops, and in New England for mountain and urban use in winter. For a modular hat system found nothing better for the price, weight, warmth, coverage, and wind stoppage. Worn with a neoprene face mask provided the best coverage that stayed put without becoming annoying this combo was better than the OR Gorilla Balaclava and compared the setups on two sub-zero windy days.

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Featured review by Ben Rivers

This beanie is super soft and really warm. I have owned it for two years and absolutely love it. It is lightweight and can stuff into a pocket on your jacket or bag very easily!

I have had this hat for two years now and it is one of my favorite pieces of gear. It fits well and is super comfortable! If it's chilly weather, it would be a safe assumption that I will have this hat with me.  I love this particular hat because it's so lightweight and can stuff down into just about any pocket. If it's not on my head on a cooler day, it's normally in my back pocket. The good thing about it is that I don't even notice that it's in my pocket when it's in there (and I'm one of those guys that doesn't like a lot of stuff in my pockets).  This is very warm (though its not windproof) and will keep your head nice and comfortable on cold days or nights.

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Reviewed by Sheila Bergin Goss

What a great winter hat! Being from New England, I was unfamiliar with the historical legacy of this Midwestern hat company, and had seen the hat only on photos posted on social media by fellow winter adventurers. Well, this hat is amazing...high quality, great comfort, specific sizing, and very warm. I have used it for winter hiking, snowshoeing, and just being outside in wet, miserable weather. Highly recommended!

I love my Stormy Kromer. Disclosure...when I first heard I had won this hat, I was a bit concerned. I had seen a few photos of this cap, and wondered if I might look like "Floyd R. Turbo, American" while wearing it. (That reference may give away my age, but google it!) But when I went to choose one of the caps, I was delighted to see that I had many choices of patterns, fabrics,and styles. I chose the classic cap, in Adirondack Plaid, since I love the Adirondack area. I had been told that the caps are sized to fit snugly, so "it won't blow off if you stick your head out of a moving train." I was advised to select one size up from my measured size.

Read more: Stormy Kromer The Original Cap review (1)

Reviewed by Uriah Hon

A great 3-season, any-weather hat.

The Outdoor Research Flurry Beanie was my go-to hat on a trip literally around the entire country. 6,500 driving and hiking miles later this is still my go-to. I rarely take it off unless I am in the office or it's summer time.  This hat is moisture wicking, so it can be used in warmer weather and is great while being active. The "Flatlock Seam Construction" is great because you can't see the seams, they don't protrude off your head, and the inner fleece liner does not separate or move from the outer shell.

Read more: Outdoor Research Flurry Beanie review (1)

Reviewed by T.J.

An extremely well made beanie that excels in cold conditions.

If you live in the mountains, or walk in the mountains, there's about a 104% chance you've got a substantial stash of beanies. Some are probably for function and others might be for style. For me, the Renzing (and most Sherpa beanies) hits on both. I have an older version and I believe they come with just one band now. I like the look. More 'working' than "relaxing." And while I'm not big into logos I like this one. Subtle. SAG beanies are made of 100% lambswool with an extra wide Polertec band that curtails itch and soaks up the sweat.

Read more: Sherpa Adventure Gear Renzing Hat review (1)

Reviewed by Oliver Brotherton

A great looking hat made from natural fibre that is just that little bit thinner for when you need to warm your head without cooking it. Provides just the right amount of warmth and wicks well to keep you from feeling too clammy

I have worn my Fjallraven Byron Thin at various times when the temperature has dropped but I am still active and working up a sweat. I run really hot so some hats are actually too warm and I soon feel hot and bothered. Not so with this hat. I can walk comfortably, attend to jobs around camp, or sit with friends by the fire without having my head cooked by a thicker hat. It looks great too and comes in a variety of colours. I went for brown as I spend a lot of time in the forest.  It is made from 100% lambswool, which is comfortable enough but not as comfortable as merino wool.

Read more: Fjallraven Byron Hat Thin review (1)

Reviewed by Andrew F.

A super smooth all wool double layer beanie. The quality of the merino wool here is outstanding — you won't find a smoother and more comfortably finished wool fabric. The hat is double layered 250 weight merino, so it is fairly warm. Very stretchy, so fit will not be an issue. The double layered design means that it takes a fair bit longer to dry than single layer hats, and rolling the cuff up occasionally makes the inner and outer layers bumpy relative to each other

I have been wearing this beanie for about a year. It is in great shape and has been one of my favorites. In that this is a Smartwool product, it is of course made out of merino wool. The hat is a double layer of Smartwool's mid-weight "250" fabric. The bottom can be cuffed so you have better ear coverage.  What I like a lot about this hat is the fabric. The inner and outer layers are identical and are extremely soft and stretchy. It just feels good wearing this one, and it fits great.  The only caveat is that occasionally, if this is stuffed in a pocket or pack, the two layers can become confusingly jumbled.

Read more: Smartwool Cuffed Beanie review (1)

Featured review by Paula Johanson

This light knitted hat is thin and close-fitting. It's small enough to keep in a pocket. It's light enough to wear in cool weather, but it's not warm enough for -40°C weather.

This knitted hat (or toque, as we in Canada call it) is very comfortable to wear. It's made from a double layer of t-shirt fabric, of merino wool. This kind of wool isn't scratchy at all, so many people allergic to wool will not get a reaction from this cloth. I've worn this hat during four winters. It's nice to have a hat small enough to keep in my coat pocket or my purse. It's very comfortable to wear and it keeps me moderately warm. Most of the time I wear it in the city when I'm coming home on the bus at night, or when the weather turns rainy or cold.

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Featured review by TPAT

Nice hat for the outdoors, not so much for around town.

I've been using this hat for about a year now and am quite satisfied with its quality, construction and comfort. It blocks wind perfectly and is warm and comfortable. It's not the kind of hat I would wear around town, but in the outdoors it is the go-to cover for my "dome". If you'd like a hat that's warm, comfortable and windproof then I'd recommend this one. As a disclaimer, I am affiliated with Gore for product testing of Gore-tex products for the purpose of product review and recommendation. I do receive items from Gore for these purposes, though this item I purchased on my own.

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Featured review by Twig

The Black Rock Gear Original is a simple, functional, quality down beanie, deserving a place on everyone’s head. It gets my highest honors by being a part of my ultralight equipment for multiple thru-hikes/section-hikes this year.

Testing Conditions: When I first received my Trailspace 2016 Top Reviewer beanie, I marveled at what a nice garment it is but also wondered when I would first have a chance to use it (being that I live in Florida). Turns out, I have worn it over 40 nights this past year and now can’t imagine life on the trail without it. I completed 270 miles of the AT this summer and fall, where overnight temps dropped into the 30’s a couple nights. But primarily, it was a mainstay of my equipment list for a thru-hike of the Colorado Trail (roughly 500 miles), July-August.

Read more: Black Rock Gear The Original reviews (19)