Beanie – merino vs fleece?

[Dihnekis]

Which do you prefer? I've got a polartec microfleece beanie, a smartwool beanie, and a turtle fur merino beanie with a polyester liner. I haven't decided which one I like the most. What does everyoe prefer when it comes to beanies?

[todd]

"What does everyone prefer when it comes to beanies?"

Well I actually prefer my cheapo, double-layer acrylic beanie to any other I've used. I rely on unfolding the ear band to cover my nose when I sleep because – you guessed it – I get a cold nose.

With my merino beanies my nose stays colder than with the acrylic – I think it's the "looseness" of the weave vs my acrylic. It seems to allow better moisture transfer (from my breath) than wool or fleece too, so that helps with warmth.

If I had to pick wool or fleece though, it would be fleece. I hate to say it since I love merino, but that's what works best for me.

[Matt V]

I use a double-layer acrylic beanie most of the time. I think it was $10 at Target. But I'm looking for something warmer and maybe lighter.

Outdoor Research makes a down beanie, but it seems like the nylon fabric might trap moisture? There are also down hoods made by a few companies, but those are overkill outside of winter, unless it's a part of your sleep system.

[Owen McMurrey]

Merino for sleeping in, but it's not good for active use here. Maybe in colder and drier climates. I like to turn a Smartwool training beanie around so it covers my eyes, and even use it at home since I sleep during the day.
For active wear, I like the UA Artic Beanie II, but frankly my acrylic beanies from Patagonia and Carharrt move moisture as well as anything, and are warm. They're bulkier, though, so tend to be relegated to casual wear and for under a hardhat at work, respectively.
Regardless, it has to be pretty cold, like highs in the teens, for me to wear anything more than a regular Buff while actually hiking.

[Kate Magill]

"turtle fur merino beanie with a polyester liner" — pretty sure Turtle Fur is acrylic fleece, actually.

Wool and acrylic seem less static-y to me than polyester fleece, wool considerably less and acrylic just a little, but I have no science to back that up.

I personally couldn't get used to wearing a down beanie–the swooshy sound of nylon right next to my ears impeded sleep. Much worse than with a hood for whatever reason.

For extreme cold I like those double-layer wool military surplus toques–with the brim rolled it's 4 layers of thick wool covering your ears. But in warmer temps those hats are itch-factories.

[Tom D.]

While hiking, I prefer Merino (Smartwool Training Beanie or Icebreaker Chase). To keep my head warm in colder temps, I have a Microfleece Beanie that covers the ears (picked it up a thrift store). Its a warmer beanie than the other two.

[Jennifer Mitol]

honestly, as a lifelong chicagoan I have used A LOT of hats in a lot of situations. I have to say that the Black Rock Gear hadron s (or the original as well) is the best darned beanie I've ever used.

Granted, I prefer this turtle fur monstrosity that is awesomely cute and obnoxious for non-weight important situations, but for bike commuting in the winter (yes – worked GREAT under my helmet!), standing at bus or train stops in the chicago chill, and even shoulder season hiking/sleeping it is my absolute go-to.

[George F]

My goto is an Eddie Bauer Windcutter Fleece my wife got me years ago. I always have a cap for hiking in when it is warmer and a down hoodie for sleeping or camp and this is the perfect in between.

[Nick Gatel]

My fleece beanie is warmer and more wind wind resistant than my merino wool beanies. It is also heavier. I take the one that best matches the conditions I expect on a specific trip.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Cap4 for light weight, compact stowing, wicking and breathabilty.

I don't cold camp much and I think that is the question. If you're doing high altitude and winter stuff, a heavier but warmer beanie is justified.

[Inaki Diaz de Etura]

Whatever the insulation, make sure it's windproof. Neither Merino nor fleece cut much wind

[James holden]

If theres any chance of it being a wet environment

Merino takes forever to dry if its constantly damp

As to windproof … Windproof beanies take longer to dry than straight fleece ..

;)

[Tom D.]

I've found that fleece cuts wind well enough and keeps the head warm, especially if there's ear coverage. What I like about the thin Merino beanies (especially the Icebreaker Chase)is that its breathable enough to wear it on hot days for sun protection and sweat control, and under most any hat to add warmth.

[Mike M]

for general 3 season hiking I like merino (Ibex Indie), weighs 0.8 oz, fits well and is warm- for more active pursuits I like my Cap 4 beanie, also fits well and breathes better/dries faster, but not quite as warm as the merino

for cold weather I have a Black Rock down beanie

[sebastien h]

Hi Owen

Is that the ” smartwool training beanie ” you were speaking about?

http://www.smartwool.com/shop/women-accessories-trainingbeanies/nts-mid-250-cuffed-beanie-sw0sw956?variationId=001

Do you know its weight?

 

Thanks

[Marc-André Hernandez]

I usually backpack with a hooded vest of some sort with me. Houdini, alpine lite, etc. And when I cold camp, I bring a EE hood for sleeping. With that said, I prefer to wear a light merino beanie and just layer what is needed. Light, ok in hotter weather, breathe well. Works for me.

[jh]

I use a thin merino beanie for day hiking, but take a zpacks microfleece beanie for any multi- or overnight backpacking. To me it seems to offer better performance warmth/weight and quick drying. It lets wind through, which is great for cold/rainy hiking. For sleeping, I put another layer of 100 weight fleece over it (melanzana hoody) and if it’s approaching 20 F, I put a stuffsack on my head underneath the two layers of fleece. I tried this out on a night when the temp dipped well below what I was expecting, and it worked so well that It’s just become my standard practice.

[Jack]

Slightly OT, but which Polartec fabric does Patagonia Cap 4 most resemble? I see that Cap 4 is made by Polartec, so assume that I could buy a similar fabric from them for MYOG.

[chris smead]

Cap4 is one of the polartec Powerdry HE variants.

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