It's a Cap! It's a Headband! It's a Balaclava! It's... It's a Buff!

Buff UV Protection Headband

Me and my buff

A gazillion years ago when I worked in surgery, one of the OR techs made himself a new "hat" every day from a length of orthopedic stocking. Never figured out how he did that - until I got a Buff UV Headband in the colorful Osaka print.

"What's a Buff?" you ask. Well maybe a better question would be, "What isn't a Buff?" It looks like a simple cloth tube maybe twenty inches long and five inches in diameter; but it's so much more. The lightweight Coolmax® Extreme fabric with its wild print can be twisted and scrunched into a headband, neckerchief, cap, foulard, do rag, pirate hat, hat liner, face mask, balaclava, hood... a version of just about any kind of soft headgear you've ever seen or heard of. And since it's made with Coolmax, it wicks away moisture to keep your head cool in hot weather and dry in damp weather. The knit on the UV Buff is tight enough to block 95% of UV rays, yet it's so stretchy it fits almost any head in almost any orientation. It's also treated with Polygiene® active odor control if you don't like your headgear getting stinky.

The tubular Buff is knitted the same way as hosiery, so it has no seams at all. The only hint of a seam is the line where the print wraps around on itself. It's super-stretchy in all directions, so you can pull the open end over your head like a cap or around your face like a hoodie. Buff says there are at least twelve different ways to wear it, and fans keep coming up with new ways. Like other technical fabrics, Coolmax can be washed by hand or machine-washed in warm water with mild soap. Also like other petroleum-based synthetic fabrics  (it's a special polyester yarn), you shouldn't use fabric softener, as the solutions tend to dissolve synthetic fabrics, especially stretchy stuff. We always use Woolite® and cold water for exercise gear.

Buff makes their multifunction headwear in numerous styles, including kid's sizes and a winter-weight "polar" version. Some styles have as many as 100 different patterns! There are some specialty Buffs, too, including a cyclist's version with reflective stripes along the length and a half-length version for headbands. There's even a doggie Buff so your hiking companion doesn't get burned. The idea originated in Spain, and the products are still made in that country.

Mine's light enough to fit under a helmet or a hat (as a do rag) but plenty warm enough to wear outside on blustery days as a cap. I've configured it as a balaclava, too, but it's not cold enough here to ever need that, I suspect. Whatever your headgear needs except maybe a hard hat, a Buff can take care of them. You can even wear one as a liner under a hard hat, come to think of it. Buff rocks!

Summary

PLUS: so simple and yet so versatile
MINUS: no instructions except for a couple of basic configurations
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: A Buff just might be the most useful piece of fabric you've ever taken on a hike or a ride.

copyright © 2018 scmrak