Knitted Winter Bomber Balaclava Hat — Visor & Ear Cover, One Size

On a cold morning the parts of the head that suffer first are the ears and the neck, and a plain beanie leaves both of them open. This is a one-piece knitted hat cut as a bomber balaclava: it pulls over the head, drops down over the ears and continues into a short collar that sits around the neck, so one garment covers the three areas a scarf and a cap would cover separately. A stiff knitted visor is worked into the front, and a short zipper closes the front below the chin. It is available in five plain colours.

Three pieces replaced by one

The hat is knitted in a single piece that goes from the crown down past the jaw, which removes the gap that usually appears between a cap and a scarf at the back of the neck. The neck opening is ribbed and elasticated, so it stays close without pressing, and the lower edge is finished with a soft trimmed band that sits against the skin rather than the knit yarn itself. Pulled up, it covers the ears and the back of the neck completely; lowered slightly at the front, it leaves the face open. Nothing has to be adjusted during a walk.

A knitted visor that keeps its shape

The peak in front is knitted rather than moulded, which keeps the whole hat foldable and soft to pack, and it still holds a straight line above the eyes. It shades the brow on a low winter sun and keeps rain and snow away from the face on a bicycle. Under the chin the front closes with a short metal zipper that runs up to just below the mouth, and it is finished with a small ribbon pull that is easy to find with gloves on. The zip lets the collar be opened without taking the hat off.

Five plain colours, one adult size

The hat comes in black, coffee brown, grey, navy blue and wine red, all knitted in the same yarn and the same gauge, with the same visor and the same trimmed neck edge. The colours are flat and unpatterned, so the hat works with a dark wool coat, a padded jacket or a workwear parka without competing with anything. It is offered in one adult size, which the supplier describes as fitting most adults; the knit gives slightly when it is pulled on. The hat is unisex, and nothing about the cut is specific to one of the two.

Winter accessories are usually the last thing anyone buys, and the first thing anyone misses. This one covers the head, the ears and the neck in a single piece, folds flat into a coat pocket when it is not needed, and comes in five colours sober enough to be worn to work. Choose the one that matches the coat it will live in.

Specifications

• Type: one-piece knitted bomber balaclava hat with a knitted visor
• Coverage: crown, ears and neck in one garment
• Closure: short front metal zipper with a decorative ribbon pull
• Detail: ribbed elasticated neck opening with a soft trimmed edge
• Material: polyester knit
• Colourways: black, coffee brown, grey, navy blue, wine red
• Size: one size, unisex adult (Approximate)
• Use: winter outdoor wear, walking, cycling, commuting