Craft's cold weather, high output activity hats are an endurance athlete's best friend in the winter. Despite a plethora of options, some with old school wool designs, and others with super high tech names and features, the designers decided to call this beauty the Craft Winter Hat. Simple, right? Well, not so much. The shape and cut of this hat make it ideal for under-helmet use, making it great for cyclists and climbers, but it isn't so pronounced that you won't see runners on frozen trails rocking it as well. We like versatility in hats, and like most cyclists we prefer to look less like we are wearing a condom when ordering the pre-ride espresso. The Craft Winter Hat has you covered.

Protection comes from a front panel made of a wind blocking and highly water resistant panel made of a stretchy fabric called VentAir X Wind. It is highly effective, looks largely like the main body fabric, and the aforementioned stretch means you don't compromise fit for wind blocking capabilities. The rest of the hat features a polyester-elastane blend, stitched together in well-thought out panels. The outside has a typical finished appearance that is durable, and feels smooth under a helmet, but has a brushed inner surface, which not only feels soft and comfortable on your head and ears, but also serves to guide moisture away from light movement, easing it out through the fabric and releasing it. This helps to keep you as dry as possible, and the process also releases excess heat. The material has some light loft to it, so it does insulate, and the front panel serves to keep the direct flow of on-rushing cold air from penetrating the hat structure, meaning you have the right balance of protection, warmth and moisture management for assertive training rides in cold weather.

Give that every person is different and produces and sheds heat differently at different rates of exercise, Craft doesn't offer a true temperature range for the Craft Winter Hat but for most riders 30-45°F is a useful target. If you are riding slower, on more of a recovery ride, you might wear it up to 50. Some folks will wear it down to 20. We really like the cut, which gives you more ear and neck protection than many under-helmet designs. Combine the cut with the fact that it comes in two sizes, and more cyclists can enjoy this great piece. When you factor in the terrific fabric and wind blocking panel, along with the excellent attention to finish and detail that Craft exemplifies, and the Craft Winter Hat deserves to be stored in your helmet, ready for your every winter ride.

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