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REI Performance Headliner

$19.50

(11)

Item # 801665

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A neck gaiter and a balaclava in one, the versatile REI performance headliner fits easily beneath any helmet to provide insulating coverage.

Polyester is blended with spandex for form-fitting stretch; fabric wicks moisture away from your body for quick evaporation
Smooth exterior is soft on the inside for comfort next to skin
Trim-fitting, split-face design provides convenient coverage options—keep your face covered or not; either way, the head cover stays in place

Imported.

Item 801665

with coupon code ANNV13
May 17-27 Details

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REI Performance Headliner Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

REI Performance Headliner

3.7

(based on 11 reviews)

64%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Breathable (9)
Dries easily (6)
Warm (6)
Good protection (5)
Good size/fit (4)

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry (6)
Cross country (4)
Skiing (3)

- Sizing:
- Feels full size too small
  
  Feels half size too small
  
  Feels true to size
  
  82%
  (9 reviews)
  Feels half size too big
  
  Feels full size too big

- Reviewer Profile:
- Intermediate (4), Expert (3)
- Gear Usage:
- Winter sports (5), Cold weather living (4)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (6)

Reviewed by 11 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-10

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Nov

2012

4.0

Less-is-more balaclava

By karmey57

from Portland, OR

About Me Intermediate

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Dries Easily
Economical
Good Protection
Lightweight
Not bulky
Versatile
Warm

Cons

Best Uses

Cycling

Comments about REI Performance Headliner:

Thin but warm balaclava/gaiter hybrid keeps my head and neck comfortable on those chilly morning commutes. Fits great under my helmet. Not so snug that I need to worry about my makeup rubbing off.

Comment on this review

Oct

2012

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Awesome piece of light-weight equipment!

By NERangeRoamer

from West Hartford, CT

About Me Expert

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Dries Easily
Good Fit
Good Protection
Warm

Cons

Retains Odor

Best Uses

Backcountry
Skiing

Comments about REI Performance Headliner:

Let me start by saying this, I have a military crew cut which results in my head and ears being really cold during the winter months.

This was my first light-weight baclava, and I must say, I love it! This performance baclava provides just enough insulation to protect your neck / face from scouring winds during the winter.

In the past, I would always wear an insulating hat and no baclava underneath.

The baclava and cap combination is wonderful. If I get too hot, I can take off the hat, without completely exposing the back of my head and neck to the fierce elements.

Other baclavas I've owned were thicker, with more insulation and consequently more moisture absorbing material. Those would often become waterlogged from perspiration and respiration. This performance baclava remains dry and breathes well!

Comment on this review

Jun

2012

(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Love this headliner

By Jetjohn

from Colorado Springs,CO

About Me Advanced

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Good Fit
Good Protection
Warm

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry

Comments about REI Performance Headliner:

Bought this in May to use while snowshoeing in winter and climbing 14,000 foot peaks the rest of the year. Tried it on June 1st while climbing two peaks, both above 14,000'. The outside air temperature was 30 degrees at the summit with about a 30-40 knot windchill. With only a Mountain Hardware hat my neck and face were still cold. After putting on the headliner I could tell instantly that this was the perfect piece of headgear.It blocked the wind and warmed my neck, head and face with out feeling confining. It breathed well and I had no fogging problems with my sunglasses. Despite sweating heavily I did not feel overly hot and it wicked beautifully. I didn't find any problems with slipping it down off my mouth, it still covered my ears.I would highly recommend this product not only for practicality but the price was much better than other products in the store.

Comment on this review

Jan

2012

(2 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

You need to know how to wear it...

By QiBeing

from All Over USA

About Me Expert

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Dries Easily
Good Fit
Good Protection
Stylish
Warm

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry
Cross Country

Comments about REI Performance Headliner:

I find that you can cover the ears without covering the mouth and also choose to have 2 layers or one layer over the ears. However, I have thin hair so I can see that some people with thick hair or a really fat head might have problems covering thier ears. So its all about the geometry. Get to the store and try one, it's a simple love hate relationship.

Comment on this review

Dec

2011

(1 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

One Size Does NOT Fit All

By skitty

from Brookfield, WI

About Me Intermediate

See all my reviews

Pros

Lightweight

Cons

Falls off nose
Poor Fit
Too large

Best Uses

Cross Country
running
Snowshoeing

Comments about REI Performance Headliner:

This one size fits all balaclava is too large and does not fit snuggly. When running or doing other outdoor sports, I need to pull it up to cover my nose and cheeks. This is annoying!

Comment on this review

Nov

2011

(1 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Bought a second one. Ears covered fine.

By JimmyFergus

from Boston, MA

About Me Expert

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Dries Easily

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry
Cross Country
Cycling
Freestyle
Skiing
Snowboarding

Comments about REI Performance Headliner:

Can't find my old one, so I bought another - if I find it, I'll have a spare, which is good.

It's just the right weight for active use. Its layout makes it possible to adjust your warmth quite a bit. It's thin and breathable but protects your skin from frigid wind.

I use it for my 11 mile cycle commute and it's plenty for me down to 10F for that purpose. I haven't tried it when it's colder. I do run a little hot compared to some people. I don't get on with covering my mouth but it sits nicely on my chin and protects all but my mouth, nose and cheekbones. When active they get blood flow within 5-10 minutes and are fine anyway, and on the coldest days I may cover my mouth/nose briefly until the blood flows. When I warm up too much I often pull it down under my chin which makes a surprisingly large difference.

Seeing other reviews complain about ear uncovering I was worried that it had changed since my last one. However, it covers my ears fine - not sure what my difference from other users is. My anatomy is normal but my head is large. I think for anyone finding this a problem it would be trivially easy to put in a few stitches to bring the meeting point forward.

Comment on this review

Jul

2011

(15 of 16 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

But what about my ears?

By Elkins

from Portland, OR

About Me Intermediate

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Compresses small
Lightweight
Stretchy

Cons

Poor design

Best Uses

Backcountry
Camping
hiking

Comments about REI Performance Headliner:

Nearly twenty-five years ago now, I picked up a light balaclava from REI on a whim. It quickly became my favorite piece of kit ever. It was so light and so small, yet so very useful! It added just that extra bit of warmth I sometimes needed at night or in the early mornings while camping or at higher altitudes, yet it was never too warm or too stuffy or too sweaty. It breathed wonderfully. It scrunched up small enough to shove into a pocket and barely feel the lump. It was thin enough to fit under the hood of my gore-tex in heavy rain, and somehow seemed to make the hood fit even better. It could be a cap, or a neck gaiter, or a ninja mask. I loved it.

Sadly, as always seems to happen with the things one loves, I somehow managed to lose it somewhere, and so I picked up this one as a replacement. It seemed like the same fabric and the same weight, and - I assumed - the same design.

Except...well, except that it isn't, quite. This balaclava has been designed with the "split-face," which is a funny little half-twist -- it's a Moebius balaclava! -- that I imagine is meant to make it even more flexible. The end result, however, is that if you try to wear it as a cap and neck gaiter while leaving your mouth and chin exposed, you can't cover both of your ears. One of them is always left exposed to the elements.

It took me a long time to realize that no manner of tugging or rearranging the thing would fix this problem. It's built into the design. Somehow, though, my subconscious refuses to accept this fact. This means that whenever I wear this thing in the cold now, I'm always tugging and twisting compulsively at it, trying to get it to fit "right." It's really extremely annoying, and I have no idea how the designers thought it a good idea. Was this never field tested? Was it only field tested by people with no ears?

Everything else about this balaclava is perfect. It's just the right fabric, just the right weight, just the right stretchiness, just the right size. It is just that one ridiculous design flaw which makes it so very unlovable that I've sadly reached the conclusion that I should probably give it up as a lost cause and go searching for another.

Sad now.

I miss my old one.

Comment on this review

Jan

2011

(1 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

My ears and cheeks are finally warm

By Tukaram

from Philippines

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Dries Easily
Good Fit

Cons

Best Uses

hiking

Comments about REI Performance Headliner:

I was nervous about a 'one size fits most' product. My head is not gigantic but it is difficult to find hats that fit well. This fits wonderfully! I bought it for hiking but use it at work all the time now. Been freezing for 20 years working outdoors and this is the best thing I've found. It is perfect for TX winters so if you are too far north it may be a bit light weight?

When I change it from full mask, to half face, or neck gaiter it stays where I put it. Doesn't get any better than that!

Comment on this review

Jan

2011

(5 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

Could use a re-design

By Nate

from CO

About Me Intermediate

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Good Protection
Warm

Cons

Best Uses

Cross Country Skiing
running

Comments about REI Performance Headliner:

I wore this at Winter Park today. With the bottom part up over my nose, my goggles fogged up. With it down under my nose, just covering my mouth, my ears were uncovered. However, it was warm and it kept the wind at bay - even at 12,000 feet. I'd recommend betting a balaclava without the silly slits on the side like this one has.

Comment on this review

Nov

2010

(1 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Light weight

By happening

from idaho

About Me Competitive Athlete

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Dries Easily
Warm

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry
Cross Country
Skiing

Comments about REI Performance Headliner:

Like the fit and the way it works as a neck gaiter also. Can slip off the top of your head after you warm up, like having a hat that you don't have to worry about taking off and stowing away when you've heated up. The material is thin so will fit under ski helmet easily. If you want most of your face tightly covered, this is not the one for you. This fit is loose and comfortable.