This really feels like a well made beanie - as you’d expect from Montane. I have a small head and it fits snugly/perfectly over the ears, stopping all cold/wind from coming underneath but not too tight to be uncomfortable. The colour, eucalyptus, is superb. It’s very close to freezing conditions as I write this review but my head is the perfect temperature…warm but definitely not too hot.
For me, however, it easily loses two stars on this review (I realise this is personal preference), because the internal gore tex liner that goes over your ears greatly affects the ability to hear clearly. As you’ve got two layers, the blended knit outer layer and the internal gore tex layer, it basically creates space to amplify the sound of any friction meaning you can’t hear other things as easily. The silence of an early morning deserted forest is no more! When you take it off it feels like you’ve taken ear plugs out. If you don’t mind this sensation then you will love this beanie. But if you do lots of walks/hikes where you need to listen out for your dog/other dogs/bikes/traffic etc then you may find this beanie frustrating.
