Customer Reviews Outdoor Research Frostline Hat

I live in Vermont where the winters are long and chilly. I discovered the Frostline hat at a local outfitter, and thought it was pretty nice, but then I realized it had a zip-away face mask, and I was sold! I ride my bicycle to work all throughout the year-- even on -20 degree days-- and I need to have every inch of skin covered to protect against the windchill. The Frostline (so far) has worked very well. Also, I can fold the earflaps over my head to get some ventilation when it's not too cold out. The lining is plush and cozy, the outer shell stops the wind, and there is a great drawcord on the back of the hat to adjust the tightness around my head. I have no worries about it blowing off in the wind. Highly recommended!

It's very warm and wind/rain-proof. My only complaint is that the chinstrap does not connect very well. There needs to be a stronger connection.

LOVE HAT Wish side flips had magnets like front instead of velcro

Very warm, very comfortable, does well shedding moisture, the hidden face mask is a nice touch, although a little narrow to cover from chin to nose, but not a problem based on different opinions I'm sure. Only knock I would give is the Pertex / fleece doesn't wick moisture under heavy activity levels. Again, if you're buying this hat for it's intended purpose (warmth & stopping precipitation) it excels.

I'm using this hat for long term travel. I love that its very packable for the amount of warmth/coverage it supplies. The built in face cover works great so far. The only flaw for me is the comfort when wrapping the ear flaps under my chin. The fleece does not go all the way to the edges as you can see in the pictures so the non fleece fabric/stitches are scratchy on my face making it rather uncomfortable. Since I hope to not have to use that feature often its not a dealbreaker for me but something to be aware of!

The Hat itself is well made The features and the Versatility of the hat are awesome I even bought two my only complaint is the Velcro straps I had to put some of my own on they don't stick

Warm, protects most of your head. - face mask is brilliant.

Ordered XL for his big head and fit perfectly. I was a bit concerned because it looked so thin and unsubstantial but he seemed pleased and said it was warm. Nice hat for small price.

I used this hat extensively while hunting this past weekend. The temps dropped to the lower teens with 20mph winds on opening morning, Once I was in my stand I put this hat on and was not affected by the cold and wind the least bit.

I love everything about it, but the face mask. It needs to be a little longer, (I have a big head), other than that the Velcro is holding up so far. I've bought 3 of different colors. A little pricey, and shipping could be better!

To begin, make sure you order a size larger than you think you need. In order for this hat to serve it's purpose, it doesn't need room to breathe. I order a large and normally wear a medium in everything: hats, pants, shirts, gloves, etc. The flip down ear flaps are great! They are accessible when you need them and you can velcro them up top when you warm up. The face guard is also a nice feature. I have yet to use it, however, so I can't attest to it's functionality, but it does fit over my face well. The only thing I don't like is the velcro design on the ear flaps. It sticks to my jacket and anything else it touches when the flaps are down. I suppose I'd rather have sticky velcro than the alternative, but that's just my two cents. All around, great hat. A few improvements could be made, but I would recommend it to a friend and any outdoor enthusiast that enjoys winter sports. I like this hat most when skinning up the trail. It's a great hat to keep warm but also to block the sun if need be (the visor flips down enough to shade your eyes from the bright sun)! @john.nolen

This is a well made hat that could be worn down to subzero temperatures. The mask is surprisingly warm, and provides solid protection against the wind, while the rest of the hat does an outstanding job. Overall I've been very satisfied with the hat and it is one of the there hats in my winter rotation. Oh yah, I have a big head and it fits well. I think most people in cold conditions will be satisfied with this hat in most types of winter weather.

This hat holds true to some promises: It's warm, windproof, slightly waterproof yet still breathes very well. One of it's main feature is the included face mask. It's a great idea but it suffers from a couple issues. The first one, Velcro instead of clips. Velcro wears out fast, is un-reliable and gets stuck to my parka. Then, the facemask itself is a bit too small. It doesn't allow for cover from the neck to the eyes, you have to leave a big hole down or up. It's material is great for cutting wind - so much that I am unable to breathe through it - Very quickly it freezes up, fills with condensation. The fabric used there should therefore be improved. Also, the hat runs slightly big. I normally wear M or L, I took a XL and it was Just a bit too big so I guess the Medium would have strangled me and the Large kept my head from breathing during physical activity. Overall, a nice hat, a great concept that is in need of refining.

I ordered extra large and was concerned that it might be too loose, but in fact the extra large fits my usually just-plain-large head fine. This hat is thin. Now I have to tell you that many years ago I remember the first time I ever saw a Styrofoam coffee cup I picked it up and thought the coffee must be lukewarm and took a big gulp. That was an experience in underestimation of insulating ability I will never forget. So perhaps this unfamiliar thin material this hat is made from has remarkable insulating ability. I don't know. It is no longer cold enough outside to tell. But I can say this hat is a lot thinner than I expected. The way the under chin connection is made and the face mask is held is a sort-of velcro but it is not velcro. Will it last? Don't know. Works fine so far. The pull-down brim is good. Just what is needed in a Winter hat so you can have eyes shaded from bright sun without a big brim to catch the wind. All in all I am cautiously optimistic about this hat. My 4-star rating reflects that optimism, rather than actual experience in bitter cold conditions. I recommend ordering up a size.

I need it to close snuggly under my chin and it does not.

Great product, obviously a lot of thought put into the design however as several reviewers have indicated, the fit runs small. I have this in an XL and it runs tight (even after a haircut). Please consider offering this in a XXL size. Kind regards-

I work as a Polar Expedition Guide and got this hat for work, especially in Antarctica. I LOVED the hat but HATED the velcro on the chin straps! I use this hat with the OR SONIC BALACLAVA for bomb-proof polar protection of my head and neck. I only problem I had was that the chin straps were not long enough and the velcro was not strong enough! I notified OR about this hoping that a change would be made on future designs but unfortunately the design was left the same. I did not want to return my hat so removed the OR velcro from the chin straps, bought some stronger velcro and had it sewn to the straps! Now it works great and even Antarctic katabatibc winds can't rip it off my head!

Nice hat, warm and dry. Don't care for the face mask, makes the hat tip to the side and has an uncomfortable lump when not in use. I cut the mask out. I would like to have about a half an inch added to each strap and some REAL velcro added.

Great hat. Very warm but I wish it came down a little lover in the back so it didn't still require a hood to keep my neck warm

The hat fits well and feels good. I deducted 2 stars because of the velcro chin strap. If you have any wool or fleece near the hat it will cling to it. It's a battle. It's to bad.

I use this hat in temperatures around 34-36 F and in combination with the hood on my shell it keeps my head quite warm when stationary for several hours at a time. My body runs a bit hot so this hat is not good for any physical activity, and I prefer just a beanie or balaclava when I know there will be any physical exertion. Like others I have noticed that the velcro does stick to everything but I don't mind that so much since I prefer that to something with fixed adjustment points that may not fit my large head. My two main issues with the current form of this hat are the zip out face mask and the length of the ear flap/chin closure bits. The mask is very difficult to breath through when trying to breath through your nose in cold weather (makes any kind of performance using the mask difficult), and if I don't have it just the right distance away from my nose the face mask gets sucked into my nostrils disrupting my breathing. I wish the size of the face mask was a touch bigger as well, as I often have the issue of fighting for real estate between my chin and upper nose. I bought the XL size since I have a big head, and the head part fits well but the ear flap straps are a bit tight under the chin so I don't get much velcro contact for a secure fit. Maybe even just an inch longer on each side and it would be a good adjustable fit. Otherwise very comfortable warm hat that is good for keeping the head warm when stationary or walking around.

It is an interesting hat, I am not sure if it will keep me warm in Alaska.

I really wish I loved this but the ear flaps are too small and the Velcro rarely stays attached and usually requires 2 hands to attach tough to do while holding onto a dog sled. The fit is decent and the cinch on the back is nice. I was expecting a bit more functionality for the money and from OR

The Frostline Hat is a good concept, but it needs to be thicker and roomier. I bought this hat to wear over another cap on cold (10 F) winter evenings. But the insulation is too thin to add much warmth, and the cap is too tight to be an outer layer.