With the weather turning from fall to winter the night temperatures start to get chilly. Mornings aren’t exactly t-shirt weather anymore either. When it’s time to start donning items for running in winter, two pieces of running apparel become essential.
Hats and Headbands.
We often get the question, “Which one is better?” Well it doesn’t really come down to which one is better; they are both good. It really comes down to your body’s core temperature and more or less what your personal needs are.
A hat will keep your head warmer and also trap a lot more heat than a headband, essentially keeping your core warmer when it’s cold out. So if you are running in the morning hours, this will more than likely be what you need most of the time.
A headband will keep your ears and forehead protected from the cold, but still allows your head to stay cool and let excess heat escape when it’s just a bit warm for a hat. If you run during daylight hours or run hot, a headband can be more comfortable than a hat.
So how do you decide what one to use?
Follow these two simple guidelines for which one to wear when running in winter.
- If it’s above freezing and cooler than 45 degrees use a headband.
- If it’s below freezing use a running hat.
These temperature guidelines are just that. It will vary slightly for everyone. I tend to run a bit hot, so I typically put a hat on when it reaches about 28 degrees or colder. You will have to experiment on what works for you. Both options are good at varying temperatures.
Meantime, check out our online store to see what accessories are available. We have many options to choose from to keep you running in winter and all year ’round.