As a runner with long hair, I have become something of a sports
headband addict. And I tend to be picky about fit. I appreciate headbands that
stay put, instead of slipping and sliding and bugging me when I run or work
out.
I also love wearing neck gaiters in the wintertime. The
winds blow pretty wildly here in the Upper Midwest United States. It’s nice to
be able to pull something up over my face when winter rages on the run.
A friend posted photos of herself online, wearing an awesome
looking face shield from SA Fishing Co. (a direct-sale company located in Boca
Raton, Florida.). So I checked out their website and decided to give their
products a whirl. (Here's an example of one of their face shields, as seen on Amazon. They also have skull/mask designs like this one.)
After about a week, my order arrived in a small, flat
plastic sleeve.
Disclaimer: This reviewer purchased the product described here, and the reviewer has no prior or existing relationship (either familial or professional) with the manufacturer or marketer.
I found several
positives.
First, the patterns are colorful, imaginative, trendy, and
pretty much unlimited. That’s a big plus.
The products are affordable. Although the Multi-Use Face
Shields are listed at about $20 apiece, and the Dog Shields are tagged as $15
apiece, discounts are plentiful. Multi-packs offer amazing deals.
I picked the Man’s Best Friend Pack
(priced at $15.99, plus $3.99 shipping), which allowed me to pick any two
Multi-Use Face Shields and two Dog Shields.
When the package arrived, I actually tried on both kinds of
shields. The Dog Shield fits me easily (No “Arf-Arf” ugly girl jokes here,
please.) It makes a nice neck warmer or rolled-up headband, although the
Multi-Use version can become a snug hood too.
Here’s the biggest
drawback.
Before I even put on the first one, the edges began to fray.
The raw edges are wholly unfinished. Each item is merely a seamless tube of shiny,
stretchy, rather flimsy synthetic fabric.
You can see this in the photos here.
Also, I wore one of the face shields for a 10-miler, and it basically
stayed put without much tugging or readjusting. But I can’t say the fabric breathed
too well. It didn’t exactly wick away moisture.
I’m a little leery of
putting these babies into the washing machine or dryer.
They might not come out. Sure, they’re easy to launder by
hand. And they are extremely lightweight (maybe too much so). That means they
dry quickly, hanging on a towel rack in the bathroom.
I love the fun patterns. And I’m gonna wear these till they
fray to nearly nothing, even if that comes all too soon. I just think apparel
designed for runners should offer more endurance – no matter what sort of
screaming deals the company offers.
In contrast, I think it bears mentioning that I have several
Bondi Bands (which cost about $10 apiece) and Bondi Band Neck Gaiters (priced at $15 each) that have survived countless wearings
and launderings over many years. They still look brand new.
Additional disclaimer: Two months after publishing this product review, the reviewer became a Brand Ambassador for a competitive product. That application and approval took place several weeks after the product evaluation leading to the publication of this piece.
Images:
Photos by Runderdog: Runleashed and
Runstoppable
All rights reserved.
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