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Reviews > Clothing > Hats > Buff Headgear - High UV Buff > Test Report by Jo Ann MoffiHIGH UV PROTECTION BUFF
INITIAL REPORT: May 17th, 2007 FIELD REPORT: July 28th, 2007 LONG TERM REPORT: October 1st, 2007 
Product Information Manufacturer: Original Buff, S.A. Year of Manufacture: 2007 URL: http://www.buff.es/ MSRP: N/A Size: Adult Fits Head Measurements: 53-62 cm (21-24 in) Circumference of My Head: 57 cm (22.5 in) Actual Measurements of the Buff: 48 cm (19 in) circumference x 50 cm (20 in) length Colour: Gantes (Navy Blue with a White printed pattern - Also Available in a wide variety of different colours) Actual Weight: 36 g (1.3 oz) Material: Coolmax Extreme Summer Fabric INITIAL REPORT Date: May 17, 2007 Item Received: May 15, 2007 Upon removing the Buff from its packaging, I was surprised to see that the fabric of the Buff was not hemmed in any way. The fabric edges at either end are raw cut from what I presume to be a long tube of fabric from which multiple Buffs are cut. I wonder about the durability of the fabric being unhemmed, something I will be watching for as the test period proceeds. As mentioned on the Buff website, there are no seams whatsoever, the Buff is formed from one continuous piece of fabric. I am familiar with the way they create this type of fabric, kind of like a continuous way of knitting a sock. The Buff is very stretchy. It fits comfortably around my head without being constricting. The Coolmax fabric is slick and has a bit of a sheen to it. The print on the fabric stretches along with the fibers. It is uniformly soft to the touch no matter which way I stretch the fabric. I have yet to try it outdoors, so it remains to be seen if the fabric is as wicking as some of the shirts I own that are made of Coolmax fabric. I have tried a couple of different ways to wear the Buff already, just quickly to see how easy it is to manipulate. I look forward to wearing the Buff in my outdoor activities starting immediately! I plan on wearing the Buff during my outdoor activities including backpacking, hiking, biking, running, canoeing, and for anything else that comes up while I have the Buff on my head. FIELD REPORT Date: July 28, 2007 Early June: Lake Superior Kayaking 20 km (12.4 mi) kayaking trip from the mouth of the Batchewana River to Harmony Beach on Lake Superior. This day we experienced a whole gamut of weather conditions: overcast skies, little bit of rain, bright sun, and wind. The temperature was about 20 C (68 F). The latter part of the afternoon it was quite windy with about 30 cm (1 ft) swells on the lake. Late June: Lake Superior Provincial Park I wore the Buff on its first overnight trip in Lake Superior Provincial Park in late June. The weather was cool but sunny, the temperature hovered around 15 C (59 F) for the two days I was out. The trail was a well travelled one through a mostly cedar treed area along a river. Lots of roots and rocks were encountered along the way. Some clambering over logs and climbing man made steps made travel challenging but fun. Late July: Lake Superior Provincial Park I spent three days in Lake Superior Provincial Park in Late July, this time along the Coastal Trail. The hiking was along a challenging portion of this trail, climbing rocks and clambering through chasms. There was also some travel along rocky and sandy beaches. I travelled at a very leisurely pace, about 8 km (5 mi) a day. The weather was ideal, bright blue skies for the whole weekend with the temperature 28 C (82 F) during the day. There was a light breeze and virtually no humidity. Perfect weather for backpacking. Day Trips: Tahquamenon Falls State Park & Lake Superior Provincial Park I wore the Buff on day hikes in both these areas. These areas are similar in geography, consisting of well-maintained trails through boreal forest frequented by many hikers and backpackers. Small creeks cross the trails on several sections. Roots and stumps jutting into the trail are common, as are muddy sections after a rainfall. The weather ranged from overcast and drizzling to bright sunny days. Temperatures ranged from 12 to 25 C (54 to 77 F).  Activities I did while wearing the Buff: Hiking & Backpacking: I have used the Buff in various capacities while hiking and backpacking. I've worn the Buff as a headband, pirate style, and as a tube with the fabric down the back of my neck. Running: I have used the Buff on many of my runs at Hiawatha Highlands. The weather experienced on my runs covers just about anything but snow and torrential downpours. I find wearing the Buff as either a very wide headband or pirate style to be the best way to keep my hair from flopping around into my eyes. Biking: I tried wearing the Buff underneath my bike helmet. It made my head much too hot and I quickly took it off. I also could not find a comfortable way to wear it under the helmet. It looked goofy no matter which way I tried it out. Kayaking: This is the most satisfactory time I used the Buff, probably because the day was such a strange one with all the weather changes. The Buff kept my hair from blowing in my face, kept the sun off the back of my neck and scalp, and protected the tops of my ears from sunburn. Driving Around with the Windows Open: I didn't originally think of this as a use for the Buff, but it is great for keeping my hair from being blown into a tangled mess while driving to the trailhead. Wearing the Buff: Thus far, I have worn the Buff several different ways. I admit, I'm not thrilled with the way the Buff looks on me. There doesn't seem to be a way that I find looks better than any others, so I focused on function and avoided looking in any mirrors while wearing the Buff. Pirate Style: I had originally though this would be the way I would wear the Buff most often. This is a great way to use the Buff when it is sunny out to keep my scalp from being burnt, but it does get hot when the temperatures approach 22 C (72 F) and above. I did still use the Buff when it was warmer out to keep the sun off the back of my neck and I would also pull it down a bit over the tops of my ears to keep them from getting burnt. Hair Band: I use this configuration when I'm running. I like that it keeps my hair out of my face but depending on how wide I fold the Buff, enough of my head is exposed to allow for a breeze to cool my head. Most of the time I have the Buff folded into 4 layers. I find that any more than this and the Buff gets too tight around my head and rides up at the back. Beanie: When I shape the Buff into a beanie, it is pretty loose on my head. This isn't a problem when wearing it for activities like hiking or sitting around, but it slides off my head when I'm sleeping. I can't think of a way to make it tighter either. The nights I tried wearing the Buff as a beanie in my sleeping bag were cool and while the Buff was on my head I didn't notice feeling my head cold. Blindfold: Nap time on the trail and at the beach! I wore the Buff on a particularly sunny day while sun bathing on the beach and resting on the trail. Folded over a couple of times, it did a great job of blocking out the sun and was much more comfortable for napping than sunglasses! I still want to try out wearing the Buff as a hood, a scrunchie, sun, wind, or dust screen across my face, neck gaiter, and on the dog. I also tried using the Buff for other purposes. It does not work well as a strainer... I tried using it to filter tea leaves out of my cup when I broke the tea bag open accidentally and it just holds water too well for this purpose. It probably would have worked given enough time, but then I thought about the fact that I had been sweating in the Buff the day before and did I really want to drink that anyway, so I dumped out the tea and started again with an intact teabag. After the tea straining attempt, I rinsed the Buff in the lake and slipped it under a compression strap on my backpack to dry. After thoroughly wringing out the water, it dried within a couple of hours hiking. Comfort: The Buff is mostly comfortable. As I mentioned above, folding the Buff over into more than 4 layers causes the Buff to be tighter around my head and ride up at the back. The seamless construction is very nice, no knots or bumps that press in anywhere around my head. Durability: I haven't noticed any spots where it is fraying, fading, or discolouring. It looks just as good as when it arrived. UV Protection & Breathability: The Buff does a great job of keeping my head and the back of my neck and tops of my ears from getting sun burnt. It isn't very breathable when the temperatures get warmer. It also doesn't allow much breeze to penetrate the fabric. Care: I have washed the Buff a couple of times, once on purpose and the other accidentally when it was in my shorts pocket. I didn't notice any adverse effects from the washings. The dark blue colour did not run into my tan shorts either. LONG TERM REPORT Date: October 1st, 2007 Mid August: North Country Trail, Taqhamenon Falls Area I brought the Buff along with me on a trip for couple of nights on the North Country Trail in Upper Michigan. It was about 28 C (82 F) during the day and cooled down to 12 C (54 F) in the evenings. The weather was beautiful for backpacking, not a cloud in the sky all weekend. I continued to wear the Buff for my trail runs and for day hikes. The weather ranged from sunny to overcast, temperatures from the 15 to 32 C (59 to 90 F) range. The Buff did not encounter any rain during the long term testing period; we had a very dry summer in my neck of the woods.  Wearing the Buff: I have tried just a couple more ways of wearing the Buff during the long term phase of testing: Scrunchie: I tried this method of wearing the Buff. It wasn't functional for my hair at all. I have mid back length hair, but it is fairly thin. By the time I'd wrapped the Buff around my ponytail enough times to actually stay on, I had a huge mass of fabric wrapped around my hair. It looked ridiculous and slid off my hair too easily. This may be a functional way for someone with really thick hair to wear the Buff but it certainly isn't for me. On the Dog: My dog tried out the Buff too. Although she always looks fabulous, the Buff was particularly attractive on her! Comfort: The Buff continues to be comfortable to wear as long as I didn't fold it in more than 4 layers. It remained soft against my skin. For me, when I have something on my head the true comfort test is if I forget that I'm wearing it. I was always aware that the Buff was on my head. That's not to say it was uncomfortable, I just knew it was there. Durability: After four months of twisting, folding, knotting, scrunching, etc. and being thrown in a backpack, worn around my wrist when not on my head, and being washed a few times, the Buff looks worn, but not more than I would expect from the amount of use it had during the test period. It has stretched out a bit, which is a good thing as it isn't as tight around my head when I have it folded as a headband. There is no significant fading as I did try to put all the 'sides' on the outside when folding the Buff in various configurations. UV Protection & Breathability: The Buff does keep sweat from running into my eyes or down the back of my neck. This was particularly evident one day on the Taqhamenon Trail to the Upper Falls. It wasn't particularly hot out, but I was hiking hard and fast to get up to the falls and back down before dark and was sweating profusely. I was wearing the Buff as a headband that day and it did a great job of wicking moisture off my forehead and neck. Care: The Buff has been thrown in the wash several times during the long term stage of testing. It was worn on my trail runs and on backpacking trips. It came nice and clean from each wash. Other than me knowing that the Buff soaked up a lot of sweat and I didn't relish wearing it after it had done so, it didn't become funky smelling or stiff from the sweat. I just tossed the Buff in the wash with my regular clothes. This concludes this test series. Thank you to BackpackGearTest and Buff Headgear for the opportunity to test this unique piece of headgear. Read more reviews of Buff Headgear gear Read more gear reviews by Jo Ann Moffi Reviews > Clothing > Hats > Buff Headgear - High UV Buff > Test Report by Jo Ann Moffi | ||||||||||||||||||||