Adventure Nomad

Adventure Nomad

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Halo Sweatband Review

The Halo sweatband technology is basically a yellow rubber seal under the fabric which forms a ‘gutter’ that channels sweat away from your eyes and down the sides of your face. The fit is important, and you need to have a snug fit with the gutter just above your eyebrows. They come in several forms: 2 types of headbands, a visor and a cap.

In equatorial Singapore, the climate can be described as hot and humid and I sweat rivers of stinging, eye-burning sweat. Outdoor Venture, my gear sponsor, gave me a couple of Halo Sweatbands to try out last year. I liked them so much, I went back and bought 2 more for myself. I consider them indispensable for training in our tropical climate.

Halo Headbands

Price: US$12.95
These come in a Tie Version (Halo I Headband) and a Pullover version (Halo II Headband). I have both and I prefer the tie version. The pullover version was designed to go under a helmet, but I’ve no problem getting my tie version under my helmet. Plus it feels more secure and I can get a better fit. The Pullover version gets looser over time and there’s no way to get a tighter fit if you have a small head. It has become mandatory gear when I bike and I’d say it is 95% effective at channeling sweat away from my eyes on the bike. My favorite color: Black.

Halo Sport Visor
Price: US$21.95I use these when I run. These tend to be a little more finicky to fit. The sweatband component is separated from the visor and you need to place the sweatband gutter just above your eyebrows. When compared to the sweatband on the bike, these are slightly less effective on the run, probably because of the head position or head movement. I’d say they are 80-90% effective on the run. If I’m running 30 minutes or less, I prefer to use a plain terry cloth cap or visor. This is because the dryline fabric of the Halo Visor doesn’t absorb much sweat, and after about 20 minutes, I’ll have a little sweat coming down my face. More than 30 minutes though, and the plain terry cloth fabric is soaked through: Rivers of sweat will be pouring down my face and into my eyes while the Halo Visor has it much more under control. My favorite color: Red.

Halo Sport Hat

Price: US$23.95
I don’t have one because I felt these fit a bit too large on me, probably because of the requirements to fit the gutter close to the eyebrows. I wish they came in sizes because I would love to have a Halo cap. If you can, try them at a store before buying it, otherwise make sure the store you are buying them at has a return policy.

Halo sweatbands, caps and visors are available in Singapore at The Running Lab, Bike Haus, or direct from Halo Headband.

5 comments:

Horseman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Horseman said...

Wish I'd come across your review before i bought my Halo sweat band. I had it in my bag in Timor Leste but didn't use it, because of all the communal living and "bags must be in the trucks by 7 am" rush. I got by with a $0.75 headband instead. Anyway if my expensive headband gets loose over time, I'm gonna sew elastic into the back and see if it works :P

Unknown said...

The Halo sweatbands are great. I used one for the entire Tour de Timor. I hope you had a great race!

Ken

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