Reviewed in February, 2019

The Montbell Down Balaclava is a highly adjustable down hood that can be used with a hoodless jacket or a backpacking quilt. It’s amazingly warm and compatible with all head sizes and hairdos. While it can be used to augment a hoodless jacket, it does feel a little awkward to wear if you’re active and hiking hard. I prefer wearing a down hat or fleece balaclava in those circumstance. But my favorite way to use the Montbell Down Balaclava is with a backpacking quilt because it boosts my warmth and won’t come off at night if I trash around. I especially like the way that the long, wraparound neck and upper chest insulation complement the quilts and hoodless sleeping bags I own. If you’re pulling together an ultralight, quilt-based sleep system, I can strongly recommend using the Montbell Down Balaclava for that purpose. It’s also reasonably priced, well constructed, and readily available.

from Section Hiker

Review Date: DECEMBER 20th,2018

Circumstances of Review : I used this balaclava on multiple cold weather hikes in Southeastern Pennsylvania, where temperatures hovered around 25-30 degrees Fahrenheit. I paired the product with a Patagonia down jacket each time I wore it.

Warmth: When looking for any sort of balaclava, the obvious goal is to stay warm and protected from the elements. The Montbell Down Balaclava goes above and beyond checking this box—you can feel the warmth from the down insulation almost as soon as you put it on your head, and the adjustable hood (we will dive into more details below) does a fantastic job at sealing the cold air out. The hood comes up to around your mouth, which means that your whole head is protected from the elements. Even with freezing temps and chilly winds, this thing managed to keep my head warm and toasty all day long.

Three-way adjustable hood: After playing around with the adjustable hood, it feels as though this balaclava was made specifically for the dimensions of your head. With adjustment cords in the front and back, as well as a hood adjustment toward the top, you are able to size the product to maximize thermal performance, and streamline it enough to still use your peripheral vision. The adjustable hood also solves issues for backpackers who use quilts throughout the winter. It allows the balaclava to easily stay snug on your head, even if you move while sleeping, and keeps you warm all night long.

Packed size/weight: Thanks to Montbell’s 800-fill down, the balaclava packs up to an incredibly small size, and weighs only a few ounces. This makes it perfect to throw into a pack for both day hikes and winter backpacking trips. Packed up, the product stands just under seven inches tall and weighs 3.1 ounces, which is smaller and lighter than many down balaclavas on the market. It packs up so small, that even if you are heading out without a backpack, it’s easy enough to throw in your pocket just in case it gets chilly later in the day.

from THE TREK

Review Date: DECEMBER,2018

You had me at, well, Down Balaclava. This incredibly warm and light piece (weighing merely 3.1oz) has 800 Fill Power EX down making it an excellent versatility piece for any outdoor enthusiast. A snap front closure makes it simple to take on and off over a liner hat or balaclava, headphones, etc. A face drawstring and another at the base of the neck offer extra levels of adjustability depending on conditions. There is also a Velcro tab in the rear of the hood that can be used to increase or decrease head coverage.

I’ve enjoyed using this as a sleep hat with a quilt, as an additional warm layer in bitter cold winter storms, and with my favorite jackets as a warm hat as opposed to a heavier weight parka. What I really love is that it can be added to so many of my layering systems to help me achieve the exact level of warmth and function that I need.

from Heather "Anish" Anderson