REI Co-op  Polartec Fleece Beanie

I've been wearing this beanie through last winter and it's still like new as this winter gets nasty. The hat is super comfortable, soft and cozy It folds up into a very pocketable compact item, smaller that a single winter glove. It is so comfortable that I have slept in it on very cold nights when my comforter kept my body warm but left my head out in the cold - 200 gm Polartec to the rescue! Yes, this is the read deal, serious gear, bet your life on it, genuine Polartec, not some cheap generic unspecified "fleece" bought to cut costs. I rely on REI and Polartec due to long satisfied experience with both brands. It's nice to know some brands still stand for quality and performance.

This feels almost like a 300 weight fleece because of the folded-over headband (which is double 200 weight), nice and toasty. For comparison, I also have some Mountain Hardware Micro Dome hats that are 100 weight fleece, which are really nice when you're working hard but not quite as warm as the REI Polartec, so the thicker Polartec is definitely better for colder conditions, but you might be taking it off hiking or snowshoeing up a mountain. I really like pile fleece like this over woven/knit fabrics because it wicks better and doesn't have such big holes for cold air to get in. Also for size comparison, while the Micro Dome exposes the bottom of my earlobes, the REI Polartec covers my earlobes completely.

I love this beanie! I was never a hat person before but I bought one of these during chemotherapy when I started losing my hair and found knit beanies too itchy and I loved it so much that I've continued to wear one in cold weather even after my hair grew back in, and bought a second one and one for my dad. They do a really good job at warming up and helping keep warm. I have a smallish head and it fits me well when I fold the rim up. With it down it covers my eyes which I've found great for napping. I only wish they would bring back the teal colored one.

This beanie is warm and provides good protection from the wind, however, I don’t have a large head (whatever other people may say) and this hat doesn’t fully cover my ears. With a little exercise it tends to ride up so I keep adjusting it and pulling it down. So “one size fits all” doesn’t seem accurate. If you like full coverage or have a large head I would suggest trying something else.

Thank you, REI, for bringing back a classic, well fitting fleece hat, ideal for backpacking, climbing or skiing. There are too many hats made of fabrics not suitable for outdoor use; fleece was made for the outdoors. If you want a reasonably priced fleece hat, in a style many of the larger outdoor manufacturers have abandoned, you've got it here.

Fits my 23 inch head snugly but not tightly. So light I forget I have it on. So comfortable I wear it in my basement office in the morning before the house warms up. So soft I sleep with it when hammock camping in cool weather - 30 to 60F. When temps get below 30 I pair it with a down hat for head warming perfection. Just wish they had more vibrant colors like orange or neon green.

This little beanie is my go to for hiking when I need to have something in my pack or daypack that takes up virtually no space and is light and warm at the same time. It is one of the few beanies that will fit my head without squeezing it and riding up, though it does need the occasional tug down over my ears. I bought it for about $20, so for the price it was perfect.

I Just returned from multi day backpacking trip in Smokies in early February. It was windy with temps ranging from 38 down to 17 at night. This fleece beanie was the perfect weight and fit for the colder/ windy parts of the trip. It was comfortable with no windy gaps. Good coverage of ears and brow. It is lighter than many other beanies and appealed to my minimal pack weight goal. Loved it.

This is a simple, warm, and comfortable hat. I slept in this hat ina shelter that got down to around 40 overnight. It kept me warm. I'm not a huge fan of the color. There was also a nice blue one that I liked more but my wife informed me that it was purple. I'm super colorblind. Great hat though.

I bought this beanie to wear when volunteering at the FWBG on chilly mornings, and it's warm and cozy while lightweight. (Not a hat fan, so that is important to me.) It does slide forward at times but is easy to pull down over my ears again.