Patagonia R1 Air Beanie

Fleece beanie for cooler weather. Does a great job wicking moisture away from your head. Relatively low profile, so it can struggle in the coldest weather. Sizing could be an issue for larger domes, though it’s medium-stretchy.

This is a fleece beanie made from Patagonia’s R1 Air fabric. 100 percent recycled polyester, made from a fleece that’s milled in a  zigzag pattern. It’s sold in two sizes currently: s/m and l/xl. The fabric has some stretch to it, but it’s not infinite; people with larger heads might find this hat too snug for their liking. Mine, which merely says ‘L’ for the size, fits fine on my medium to large head. 

WARMTH

This beanie falls in about the middle of the range. On the plus side, the textured pattern captures a little more warmth than comparable-weight hats when it’s under a hood. On the minus, it offers limited wind resistance, and sitting still on a cold, windy weather afternoon is not this hat’s forte. 

WICKING

You’re buying and enjoying this hat most for the days you’re going uphill in the cold, Nordic skiing, and otherwise active in cooler to cold weather. Because the weave is relatively open, with no windblocker layer, and it’s only a single layer except for the wide doubled layer to cover your ears, it does a better than average job of getting moisture away from your head when you’re active. Like most polyester beanies, it’s easy to wring out sweat and put the hat back on to keep trudging up the trail. 

HOW I HAVE USED IT

This was one of two hats I wore all winter (and today, an unusually cool late spring morning) for hiking and cycling. It’s sufficiently low-volume that I can make it work under a bike helmet. Standing still on exposed points or ridges after a steep hike uphill, I usually pulled a hood over it to stay warm. It’s the same fabric as Patagonia’s R1 Air fleece. As with any well-made fleece piece, it should be very durable. 

TAKEAWAYS

A very good hat for cool-cold weather activity, provided you understand a lightweight, wicking fleece has limits for warmth and wind resistance. 

Background

purchased roughly 9 months ago and worn frequently since then.