Northwave under helmet cap
North Wave Water protect Under helmet Cap review
When winter is upon us and like many I actually love nothing better than to go for a ride on a cold crisp morning wrapped up against the cold. It is common knowledge that a large percentage of body heat can be lost through the head, with many of us wearing a helmet these days keeping our head warm can pose a problem, especially as many modern helmets have large vents that have become very efficient at keeping us as cool in the summer, which of course can be the last thing needed as the season changes into the cold winter months.
With traditional thermal headwear often too thick to be of use under a helmet, a few manufacturers have introduced specifically made thin yet thermal caps to get around the problem. This North Wave Water protect under helmet cap is made with a thermal light weight breathable roubaix material, with a windproof insert at helmet vent level, as to be expected it is indeed thin enough to fit under a cycle helmet. Although visually it does appear to have thick stitching which could be an irritation in reality this is very flat, especially on the inside and as such I did not notice it at all.
Thin enough to fold into helmet to uncover ears when it gets warmet
The cap extends down each side just over the ears, which the helmet straps help keep neatly and comfortably in place, the roubaix material being thick enough to keep my ears lovely and warm, yet it did not muffle any outside noise. Should it turn a bit warmer the cap is thin enough that you can actually flap the sections that are over the ears up and under the inside of the helmet, with out padding it out too much.
In short this one size fits all cap is the simple yet perfect solution enabling us to keep warm and still use our summer cycle helmets, I have used it several times both this winter and last and I can't really find anything negative to say about it; so I won't.
Verdict: a simple effective solution to keep your head warm when wearing a well ventIlated cycle helmet
Warm, comfortable and breathable
You don't want to look in the mirror wearing one without a helmet!
Written and reviewed by Paul Smith for roadcyclinguk.com