Outdoor Research WindPro Peruvian Hat Review

The Peruvian Hat from Outdoor Research is a great way to keep your head and your ears warm.  It's made from the Windstopper fleece fabric, which is a fleece fabric that blocks the wind, but allows moisture from yours sweat to escape while you are wearing the hat, which keeps your head warm, but dry.

Like all fleece, this fabric is comfortable to wear against your head and provides fairly complete wind protection for your head, while still remaining breathable enough that you won't sweat like crazy while you are wearing the hat. You still will sweat, especially the more you exert yourself, but the hat lets that moisture escape while still blocking the wind.

The Windstopper fabric of the hat works well.  Unlike some other windproof fleece hats that fit closely to your head, the Peruvian Hat isn't quite as clammy or tight fitting. The hat is tailored so that it is slightly fitted - and is trimmed out with lycra so that it pulls up slightly against your head for a snug fit. The two full size ear flaps fit over your ears and there is a chin strap that can hold these flaps snugly over your ears so they don't move in the wind.

Since the hat fits less snugly on your head then some of the other windproof shells, it doesn't make quite the liner that others do. In a pinch though it will work as a liner underneath a helmet, but it does tend to move about a bit.

My Thoughts

I like the Peruvian Hat that I have from Outdoor Research.  I've found it to be a great cold weather hat that I can wear while skiing, hiking and even around the yard on cold and windy days.  It does a great job at keeping my head and ears warm and protecting them both from the wind.