by Allie Carlson

I am a helmet fit fanatic. Riding outside through very cold winters and long, sunny summer days, it’s hard to find a product that suits my needs through both seasons. I have been looking for a product that would help keep my ears warm in the winter while still being thin enough to not interfere with my helmet fit. Traditional fleece headbands don’t work, and my search seemed to meet dead end after dead end as most ear warmers are far too bulky and uncomfortable under my helmet. 

My struggles stopped when I saw the myMareCo headbands. They are beautiful, comfortable, and fit perfectly in my helmet while keeping my ears protected from the elements. 

       myMareCo headbands were originally designed for warm weather riding. They are made with a smooth “ice-silk” fabric (note: it is silk like, but not silk). Designed to fit over your ears and along your hairline, the fabric wicks moisture away from your hair and face during hot days in the saddle. 

Andrea of Horse Glam has put them to work in the South Carolina summer and had this to say: “We had a heat wave recently and I used it in temperatures of 94 degrees. My face was still wet, but it was not from sweat dripping down my forehead. The headband effectively caught all the moisture and kept it out of my eyes. I was also surprised to see how quickly it dried, making it easy to store for next time.”

  While they work great for summer sweat, I needed something to keep my ears warm in the Alaska winter and these soft, stretchy headbands do exactly that. The thin fabric is shockingly warm, and even at a real feel of 23 degrees Fahrenheit, my ears were toasty—the same cannot be said for my fingers and toes! The headband did not impact my hearing at all, which makes them a great option for not just cold weather hacking, but lessons as well.

   But don’t just take my word for it. I asked my friend Meredeth to tag along and test out the headbands with me, and she loved them too. “myMareCo hit a home run with these headbands,” she explained. “I was seriously skeptical about the thin fabric actually keeping my ears warm. This Alabama girl gone Alaskan doesn’t play around when it comes to cold weather gear, but wow. They fit under my helmet without changing the fit, are insanely comfortable, and kept my ears 100% toasty. 10/10 would recommend these headbands!”

  Getting this kind of warmth with the headband’s thin fabric is extremely important to me. After a bad fall left me with a concussion, I did a lot of research about helmet fit. Now I no longer wear my hair tucked up into my helmet, but rather in a braid or low ponytail so my helmet doesn’t shift as I ride. Having ridden in the myMareCo headband several times now, I’m confident knowing my helmet fits exactly as it should. I used to get headaches really easily if my hair wasn’t tucked into my helmet just right, or my hairnet was not done perfectly and I did not have any issue with headaches in the myMareCo headband. Plus, my ears are warm, messy fly-away hairs are neatly tucked away under the headband, and they are easier to put on than battling knots in hairnets.

The headbands come in many fun colors as well as neutrals like white, black, and brown. I liked opting for the neutrals, because it’s barely noticeable that I’m wearing a headband rather than a traditional hairnet. I was pleasantly surprised to look at these photos to see that without knowing what I was wearing, you would just think it was a hairnet. This makes the headbands perfect for schooling off property as well. Let’s be honest—they might even make it into the jumper ring with me!

  The myMareCo headbands are the top of my list this year for gifts for barn friends and stocking stuffers.  The comfortable fit, and function in any weather have earned them a permanent spot in my tack box! For a full list of their colors check them out at mymareco.com.