Schampa Lightweight Skull Balaclava (Traditional)

Living in Central Texas means that we get little rain, and little cold, but for 6-8 weeks out of the year it can be "chilly". Let's say 40F in the December mornings, 30F in January, and maybe we might see some 20's in late January or early February. But that's about it. It's not what I'd call cold, per se, but at speed the wind in your neck can be almost painful so I opt to commute my 23 miles each way with this.I own a neck gaiter and it's a good product too, but the advantage of this is that it doesn't pull down and expose the upper neck like the gaiter has a tendency to do.Minor complaints include thinness of material, but again, in Texas that's not a big deal (and my helmet still fits comfortably so that's a plus). Another thing that keeps it from being 5 stars is that it's just not quite long enough. The pictures are accurate - don't get me wrong. Just keep in mind that if you have a short collar jacket then the two may not pair up and when the wind kicks up this balaclava may just lift up a bit.The worst case is when you're sitting at a light and a strong tail wind hits you and raises it up just an inch, and you get this icy knife sensation along the neckline.But these are only minor complaints. Bottom line, a solid 4 stars and I would most absolutely recommend this and would buy it again. It's a daily wear for me as a 50+ mile a day commuter.

I bought this balaclava for the cold morning commutes to work on my Harley Road Glide, I wear a half helmet and riding glasses leaving the rest of my face exposed over the short windshield. I tried ear muffs and neck covers but they never felt comfortable and realized a quality balaclava is the way to go. There were a lot of choices on Amazon so I cross referenced some of the big online motor cycle parts stores to see what brands they stocked and noticed the Schampa brand on all of them. These stores only stock the best brands so I focused on the Schampa and mainly went on reviews from there. This particular model works perfectly for me. It covers all of my exposed skin and keeps my face nice and warm. My glasses fogged very little and completely cleared up once I got moving so no problems there like other reviewers experienced. I have ridden in temperatures from the mid 30's on up and never had any issues with my face getting cold. It feels very comfortable and tucks down nicely under my jacket collar. No problems in fitting my helmet over the top although it does feel more snug obviously but still comfortable. If you're looking for a balaclava that is warm and comfortable I cannot recommend this particular brand and model highly enough.

I'll be honest: when I first saw the skull design I knew I wanted it; whether it was warm or comfortable enough was second to me at that point, but I was happy to read some of the favorable reviews regarding its warmth and practicality. It is a little snug, but I actually wanted it to be tight so it doesn't bunch up at the top or back and I wanted something to hug my face so air doesn't get in; I'm happy with the snug fit. As for warmth, I probably wouldn't wear this as a primary head and face warmer in a snow storm, but it is warm enough that I wore it for an evening run the other night (@ 25 degrees) and was comfortable in it. Yeah, I probably looked strange running around wearing this with my black and red tights but who cares.....I have asthma so the slightest obstruction would probably make me have a reaction but I didn't find the printed design to be that much of an interference or hindrance to my breathing. Overall this is a very cool balaclava for all the reasons the people are saying in their reviews. I plan on taking this camping and will most likely wear it under a hooded jacket to keep my neck and face warm at night. If nothing else, this would make a pretty cool addition to a Halloween costume, too!

(Note: I wear a full-faced helmet with the balaclava)As a part-time job, I deliver newspapers on my scooter. This means that I'm out and about at around three in the morning in the freezing cold (yes, I deliver in the winter too!)Originally, I had purchased this at the beginning of the year to survive my trip back and forth from my house to my university for morning classes, and it served this purpose well (about a 15-minute commute). This will probably serve most people's needs, but I have my own personal complaints about the balaclava.For starters, just as other reviewers have said, this balaclava is really small. I wear a medium-sized helmet (if that gives you any sense of scale, my head isn't huge) and this thing is a TIGHT FIT on my head. Almost uncomfortable, even, but bearable for the sake of surviving the cold.For my newspaper route, however, I'm on the scooter for a good hour until I reach my first stop, and I'm running at a constant 50 mph the entire time. For this (even with a scarf) my neck starts to get cold from the wind, and the most noticeable thing is the pressure that I feel on my head under my helmet. My helmet is well-fitting and I don't notice it at all without the balaclava, but for some reason this balaclava squeezes my head because of its size, which causes headaches.So, all in all, this balaclava is perfectly fine for short commutes, and I still use it for grocery trips and the before-mentioned scoot to school, but definitely not for long-distance runs at speed. So, it will probably serve its purpose for most people in that sense, but just wasn't for me. I've since started using a different brand.

It was exactly what my husband wanted. He tried it on, and it was perfect.

Excellent.

Great!!