BocoGear Run Hat and 360 Visor

The BocoGear running hat is a lightweight, well-designed hat which wicks moisture/sweat away from our head. At first I thought the bill was straight instead of curved design like many running hats. Now I’m learning that the run hat is curved: I just haven’t broken the bill yet. I left it straight. It’s easy to adjust the hat up and down as needed to shield our eyes/face from the sun. I experimented with the adjustment in the back with the pull tab. I did find a slight hack that may be helpful to you if you try this hat: I prefer to leave the pull tab loose instead of tucking it back in the hat. Why? It’s easier to adjust it on the fly if the tab is loose. If I’m running with my dog, one hand must hold the leash and the other hand must adjust the hat quickly. But leaving the tab loose is advantageous on windy days. If you change your mind, you can always tuck it under the other tab without sliding it all the way back into the inside of the hat. Personal preferences may differ: it’s probably more secure to tuck the tab all the way back into the hat.

I tested both the hat and the visor during training runs inside and outside as well as races: the BocoGear hat was worn on a virtual Jeff Galloway 1/2 marathon I ran in September (*note: wore the hat backwards for part of this run and other runs and that works well) and I wore the visor for the Run to Overcome 10k (placed in my age group). Both were hot sunny days. One of my critical tests for any good running hat is to see if it keeps sweat out of my eyes. And yes, both the run hat and the 360 visor did that very well.

Sometimes visors fit a little too tightly around the head so I was wondering if that would be the case with the 360 visor. But I didn’t have that problem with this one. The fit is tight enough to stay on well and loose enough to not cause a headache. Some other visors I have do fit a little too tightly, causing head pain. And there is no velcro to worry about with the 360 visor. The flexibility is all in the elastic band.

Both the run hat and the 360 visor were versatile for all weather conditions: hot, cold, rain, wind, and snow (flurries).

We live in a very windy area of Nebraska so will these hats stay on in windy conditions? Yes. At no time did either hat fly off in the wind. The run hat will require you to tighten it a little on windy days to stay on; otherwise, I just grabbed the hat to keep it on if wind gusts appear.

The run hat and 360 visor are reliable and performed well when traveling. I did test both in Indiana too. The run hat is collapsible (the fabric top) so it compacts well. Neither one takes up much room in your running bag or luggage.

Washing: Very easy for both. Just hand wash with mild soap and both dry very quickly. I dry mine on a drying rack, placing them above my OrangeMud transition towel. Both are machine washable but I prefer to wash these by hand. The washing directions on my visor are: hand wash, cold water.

Sometimes on runs, we don’t need to wear out hats anymore if conditions change or if we begin to overheat. In those conditions, I found it was easy to either carry the hat or visor in one hand or to place them in my vest (Nathan vest has a large pocket that the run hat and visor fit within easily).

The fabric in both is breathable. Sweat evaporates quickly. It doesn’t accumulate in the headband portion of the hat or visor. No discoloration from sweat over 3 months of use. The sweatbands are almost identical although the visor sweatband is thicker than the run hat. The visor is all-poly.

Would you recommend wearing something under these hats? Yes, I prefer to wear a Buff or half-buff, my Patagonia hat, my Buff ThermoNet hat/headwear, or even my UnderArmour baclava style hat. Just keeps the sweat away from the hat a little and keeps us warmer in winter. Wearing something under the run hat does require minor adjustment to loosen it but you just slide the tab back and forth in the back to let slack out or tighten it. It’s a great winter combo to be able to pull the Buff over the back of the visor or hat to “lock” it into place, blocking the cold/wind from hitting our face/head/neck area.

Are both of them all-weather? Yes, the run hat has a slight edge here over the visor. The visor probably works best from spring-fall and maybe early winter here. Although the visor worn over my Patagonia or Buff ThermoNet hats is still good for staying warm. I do like that with the visor, we can adjust the headband to place it right over our ears on cold/windy days. That helps a lot.

Any disadvantages for either the hat/visor? No. Just make sure when you begin to wear the run hat that you adjust the fitting tab properly in the back. If cold/windy, tighten it. If warmer, loosen it.

In summer, I would lean more towards the 360 visor. It does allow sweat and moisture to evaporate faster and more easily due to less surface area. In warm weather, both hats kept me cool and protected my eyes/face from the sun.

I strongly recommend both hats without any reservation. They performed impressively. And I like that the BibRavePro version of them is safety orange. Easy to see on the run. It’s very handy to have both of these (hat and visor) and to be able to wear them on alternating days.

Hope you find the right hats for you and and your family/friends. Both the hat and the visor would make a great Christmas or birthday gift for runners you know. Check these out and let me know what you think! Want to learn more about these great hats? Visit http://bocogear.com

Please remember to dress warmly for the weather condition and if one hat isn’t enough, wear two. Layer properly and be safe. Happy healthy running with BocoGear run hat and 360 visor!