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Buff company description: Visor Buff® is a new concept for caps made to be used during the hottest months of the year. It consists of a 100% neoprene peak sewn to an Original Buff® headwear. Thanks to the Coolmax® Extreme fabric, it quickly wicks away perspiration while blocking UV rays* and offering excellent breathability. *Samples of fabrics have been tested for UV protection by AITEX and LEITAT – Textile Technology Institutes in accordance with the standard AS/NZS4399:1996 "Sun protective clothing – Evaluation and Classification", results ranged from 93.3% to 96.7%, averaging 95% UV protection. Coolmax® A special four-channel fibre forms a transport system that pulls moisture away from the skin to the outer layer of the fabric. It then dries that moisture faster than any other fabric and thermoregulate the body. Polygiene®: Now with Polygiene® technology, Buff® products are cleaner and won’t stink like a trooper after your workout. Sizes: Unisex. One size fits most adults. |
The weight of the Visor Buff is 60g as measured on our postal scales.
An article in TGO magazine on summer walking hats prompted us to reappraise our summer headwear, which was past its best to say the least and never was entirely satisfactory. In the midsummer months we had been using standard Nike baseball-style caps for the strongest sunshine around the solstice. They were satisfactory to cover our heads and they had good peaks to protect the upper part of our faces from direct sun, but they offered no protection for the ears or back of the neck, which seem to have become more susceptible to burning on recent trips despite our efforts with sun cream.
The caps had no chinstrap or other means of securing them properly either, which was not a problem most days but the manufacturers seem to think that blustery winds never occur in summer. Last year after a windy hot sunny day in the Cairngorms and nearly losing the cap, I resorted that evening to improvising a chinstrap in the tent, boring two rough holes in the cap and threading them with a length of Dyneema cord that I always carry.
Surveying the headgear options for a better solution was disheartening: I really don't like hats at all, the least disagreeable being the cap-style ones. All the caps I saw had good peaks and foreign-legion-style drapes to cover the ears and neck, but no means of securing them on the head (the Lowe Alpine Sahara cap had a cord and crocodile clip to prevent losing it in a wind but still nothing to keep it on the head). I hated the 'brim' style of hat even more than most and they were the only ones with a chinstrap.
I'd toyed with the idea of a buff years ago and I began to recall my original thoughts on the standard one: the appeal resurfaced but for protective summer use the advantage of a peak would be lost. Then I discovered the Visor Buff: a standard buff with a built-in neoprene peak.
The buff is very versatile headwear and can be adapted for a variety of situations. This picture shows the most common uses and ways of wearing it but there are more described in the instructional videos on the Buff website. Unlike most of the hats which offer little concession to sizing, one size is fine for most people.
For full summer protection when wearing only a base layer, we can use the Saharaine style. This protects the ears and shields the vulnerable back of the neck from direct sunlight, avoiding the horrible messy business of getting sun cream in the hair, at least in the central region. We'll still need to apply sun cream to the sides though, the coverage is not as enveloping as the drapes on the purpose-built desert-style caps.
Pirate (Bandana) is a more tightly controlled style that we can use to shield head and ears when the neck is protected by other clothing. It could also be used at any time for a bit of protection from slightly chilly winds when a winter cap would be overkill.
The seamless Buff material feels very light and airy on the head, fitting snugly yet without a feeling of significant pressure around the sides. The wicking Coolmax material is fast drying and helps deflect the sun cream-tainted sweat that otherwise might run down into the eyes, as it sometimes did with the baseball caps on calm climbs causing stinging.
The flexible neoprene peak is not stiff like a typical baseball cap but it retains its shape, and the Visor Buff squashes down to a very compact size, almost negligible in fact, stuffing nicely into the liittle wand pocket on the side of my pack for easy reach.
I used the Visor Buff on my mid August Northern Hirnants trip. The sunshine was strong enough in the afternoons for a general evaluation and it felt a lot better than the old cap, worn in simple Saharaine style for neck protection. It's hard to say whether it would be secure enough in this style on really blustery days due to the peak which might catch the wind, but for complete security I could always wear it in a modified 'dust storm' style where it fits over the head and neck with just the face showing - again its versatility offers a solution for all cases.
Temperature-wise it wasn't blistering hot but very warm in the sheltered valley sunshine, and my head didn't feel overly hot. The material can be 'pinched' upwards on top to form a loose air gap that prevents the sun overheating the top of the head directly.
So far this is an excellent replacement for the old caps.