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sweathawg stuff

Do you sweat like crazy? As in, so much that no skull cap or headband has ever been enough to prevent the sweat from running into your eyes?

That’s how it was for me. I tried all the skull caps from top brands, finally settling on one that worked well enough to keep my sweat from washing my contacts out of my eyes during a typical 2-hour bike race.

Then I got this thing called the SweatHawg Helmet Liner. That thing soaked up so much sweat I couldn’t believe it. But it had to be used within a helmet, and placed carefully, too.

Finally, my dreams have come true, and the SweatHawg Skull Cap has been released!

I actually received a whole new lineup of SweatHawg products to test:

  • Skull Cap
  • Shorty Skull Cap
  • Cap Liner
  • Headband

Each uses the same SweatHawg technology that I raved about when I reviewed their original helmet liner.

Essentially, each product is constructed from a thin, wicking material, and the key ingredient is a thicker (but still thin) piece of some fancy, high-tech hydrophilic material that gets oriented against your forehead.

It’s ridiculous how much sweat this will soak up!

I wasn’t a huge fan of the helmet liner though. Here’s why:

  • It can only be used with a helmet to hold it in place.
  • It takes time to position just right in the helmet.
  • It’s hard to place it against your forehead *just right*.

Basically, I wanted a skull cap! When racing, I favor sweat-wicking capability over fashion, so the sleek looks of the helmet liner didn’t matter too much.

Now, I got my wish! Actually, it’s even better than I had hoped. SweatHawg released both a regular skull cap and a “shorty” version. The regular cap is pretty big and I can pull it down to the bottoms of my ear lobes. The shorty skull cap (also available in white) is made to sit behind your ears.

sweathawg skull cap

In my case, the shorty is still long enough to cover the tops of my ears if I want. So I have to leave it loose on top of my head (either that or it will bunch up behind my ears, which is annoying.) I haven’t had a problem with that, but I’ve actually grown quite partial to the longer skull cap, even in this 95 degree July heat!

I put each one to the test with 3-4 hour road bike rides in 85-95 degree heat, and just as I expected, there was not a single drop of sweat down my forehead! I was able to position the caps exactly how I wanted them above my eyebrows, they were super comfortable, and I never felt like the top of my head was overheating.

During my rides, I forgot I was even wearing a skull cap!

Each skullcap variation is $25. A little more expensive than other skull caps, but worth every penny!

sweathawg headband

Another welcome addition is the headband. This is awesome for running because it’s small and light, allows the wind to blow through your hair, and still soaks up tons of sweat. It has a Velcro back for the perfect fit. It’s been working perfectly for all my summer trail running! In the past, I have typically worn skull caps for running, but that was because headbands never held enough sweat!

As with the skull caps, the headband prevented any sweat from getting into my eyes. These were only 1 hour runs, but since 95% of the sweat absorption is accomplished via the pad on your forehead, I think the headband would hold nearly as much sweat as one of the skull caps.

The headband is $15, right in line with other high-quality headbands.

sweathawg cap insert

The other new product was a cap insert. This is a very simple piece of fabric that fits inside a baseball cap. I think the main purpose of this is to prevent nasty sweat stains on your cap. If I’m wearing a cap, it usually gets dirty, and that’s fine with me. If I wore fancy caps, I’d definitely like to keep them free of sweat stains!

sweathawg cap insert in hat

I wore this a few times during kayaking (when I sometimes wear a ball cap to keep sun out of my eyes,) and it absorbed all the sweat that would have otherwise been absorbed into the cap itself. So it does work!

The cap insert is $10 and would probably be great for anyone who exercises while wearing a baseball cap.

My final verdict is…

The sweat absorbing capabilities of these skull caps are insane! If you sweat heavily, or just want the best skull cap ever made, get yourself a SweatHawg skull cap! I’d favor the Shorty Skullcap, and probably get it in white, but all the products are top-notch quality.

Official website: SweatHawg.com

Product Review Details
Company: SweatHawg
Product: SweatHawg Skull Cap
Reviewed by: Coach Levi
My Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Date last updated: 2014-07-22
Obtained Product: Free sample from company.
CoachLevi.com Advertiser: No.

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2 Comments
  1. Are you recommending the “shorty” cap or the regular cap as your favorite. You write that “but I’ve actually grown quite partial to the longer skull cap” which seems like you like the regular cap better than the “shorty.”

    • @Andrew

      Good question. I guess what I’m saying is that I like both. I do prefer the shorty! But they are both comfortable.

      It’s going to be a personal preference, and the exact fit will depend on your head shape/size, so keep that in mind. It might also depend on the type of sunglasses you wear, your helmet, etc.

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