Customer Reviews Outdoor Research Frostline Hat

The hat is relatively in light in weight. It is built like an insulated windbreaker. It won't keep you warm in truly cold weather, but in a cold (around freezing) wind the ear flaps did a nice job of keeping me warm. The biggest drawback was the stiff, very aggressive velcro on the one ear flap. It locks onto almost any fabric within its reach. If your coat has a collar (as most cold weather apparel has), the hooks dig in, and the hat becomes unwearable with the flaps down. After several struggles with it, including when it frayed the elastic strap of a headlamp, I took off the upper strip of velcro. That means I can't use the face shield, but the hat is not really warm enough to wear in weather where the face guard would be essential. The remaining velcro patch on the end of the ear flap attaches to the other flap under your chin to hold the flaps in place over your ears. If I'm careful, I can get most of the velcro covered by the other earflap. The stiff edges still make an annoying sound in my ears as it catches on any fabric in the area. I had high hopes for this hat, but the fasteners make it almost unusable.

Very thin, not substantial and warm as the photo and description imply -- also, it is not just small, but the shape makes it fit like a skullcap; very awkward. Sad, cuz I was really looking forward to a warm hat I could ski in. This looks and feels like something from the Eddie Bauer sale bin.

I received this hat last year for Christmas ('12). It was something I had researched ahead of time and had requested specifically. It is a great hat. It stops the wind, keeps my ears warm, repels moisture, has an excellent facemask (could be a little bigger), and is lightweight. I think this is a great hat. But, I have to give it 2 stars because the velcro that keeps the hat closed under your chin is worthless. It started to not hold only after a few weeks of usage, and now, a year later, it wont stay in place if there is a strong wind. I have a number of OR products and I am very satisfied with them, but this one isnt worth the $$ unless they change the velcro or put a snap on the strap.

It is a very technically designed product therefore it appears difficult to wear it for theater and dinner evenings. So should it be used 'outdoor'? All right: but then it is too thin: chill and wind easily pass through it and head freezes. Parka's hoodie over it, is necessary to reach a basic comfort. In itself is a good product; only be aware it does not carry itself alone, the burdens winter let you experience, despite the name inducing to believe.

1

It is no good if it will not fit.

Wish I could return or exchange this an XL.

I originally bought the OR Frostline Hat for a snowshoe trip to Yellowstone in January 2019 and recently took it on a December Himalayan trek. The ear flap Velcro stopped working near the end of the Yellowstone trip and the mouth/nose flap Velcro wouldn't stick on the first use in Nepal. Adding to the ear flap Velcro problem, the flaps are too short and barely overlap on top of the head when in the "up" Velcro position. The cap is too small for the labeled size and measurements. With ear flaps up, the cap does not cover the ears at all. The Velcro material (likely a generic) is not the traditional "hook and loop" but a hook and roughened plastic. The "hooks" won't stick to the plastic, but will stick to any high collars on jackets/sweaters/ shirts.

I wear a medium in a ski helmet. I ordered this hat in a medium and it was a too tight fit (and I do not have a lot of hair). I believe this design is trying to be too much to too many. The description says it can be worn under a ski helmet...no it can't, it is too thick. However, alone in the elements it is not very thick, nor are the Velcro strips long enough or beef enough. While the magnetically secured visor is a cool feature, the positioning of the visor brought it too low over my eyes. This may satisfy the needs of some, though I was looking for a back country storm hat, and this is not it.

hat is very warm and face cover is great feature but Velcro on chin strap is weak and does not hold.

This hat has a fundamental design flaw. There i a piece of velcro on the side flaps that will catch on your jacket or collar when skiing or snowboarding. It annoyingly catches when I try to turn my head, and also frays my fleece collar.

Need to change closure Velcro sticks to everything

Not good. The velcro wears out quickly and then doesn't stay closed very well afterwards. Also, the velcro that holds the flaps over your head, when not being used for that purpose, always seems to stick to whatever I'm wearing be it a shirt collar or a collar of a jacket....very annoying quality.