My Favourite Running Accessory – UV Half Buff

Disclosure: I received a UV Half Buff to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I’ve been wearing Buffs since I ran the Vancouver Historic Half last November. We were having some of our colder weather (hovering around 0 degrees Celsius) and I knew I’d be miserable if my ears were cold. I hopped down to the SportChek near my work earlier in the race week and bough a plain black original one. Best decision ever.

Buffs have since become a staple in my running gear and are especially popular with my trail running friends. They are functional, light, and compact. You can wear them many ways but the most popular seem to be as a headband, around your neck, or on your wrist. They can be used for warmth in the winter, to soak up sweat in the summer, and to wipe your snot on all year round!

I was super excited about trying the UV Half Buff. In the summer (and even sometimes during our mild Vancouver winters) the full Buff can be a little overkill. The UV Half Buff is just enough material to soak up sweat but light enough to still wear as a headband even on hot days! Plus it provides UV protection!

I have to admit I struggled a bit with why anyone would need UV protection in a Buff … If I wore it as a headband, would I get a weird forehead tan line? But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it’s a great feature to have!

As a headband it covers the part of you that gets the most sun: your forehead! Plus it provides coverage of areas you might miss with sunscreen such as your ears, right at your hairline, and the part in your hair. It can also be used to cover your neck if it’s getting too much sun.

During the summer, Lululemon hosts outdoor yoga every Wednesday in an outdoor plaza downtown. I always have issues with my crazy long hair getting in the way for poses like savasana so I usually end up putting it in a giant bun on top of my head. I came up with a new Buff hairstyle which keeps my hair in place and out of the way at the back of my neck. For my long hair, I don’t even need an elastic but for shorter hair it might required a clip to keep the hairstyle from unraveling. I’ve also tried this hairstyle running and it works amazingly for that too! It is the only hairstyle that I can’t feel the weight of my hair, plus it keeps it from getting caught in my hydration pack.

The UV Half Buffs come in an array of colours, patterns and artwork. I chose the R-Stadi Pinnacle design which also has a reflective feature because, hey, you can never be too visible! I love it and it goes really well with my running gear.

I do wish I had picked one of the state designs that I will be visiting on my honeymoon (Washington, Oregon, California, and possibly Utah). I am even considering buying one (or all) of these for the trip! The problem is that the Buff USA site doesn’t ship to Canada and even if they did, our dollar is terrible right now. Unfortunately, the Canada site doesn’t carry the UV Half Buff at this time.

Overall I am very impressed with the UV Half Buff and have been frequently pursuing their website lately. I didnt realize that they made so many different products! You can check them out at BuffUSA.com.

Use discount code “BIBRAVE10″ to save 10% on your orders!

My “how-to” Buff hairstyle video

This is my first how to video so bear with me and hope you like it!

Check out reviews by my fellow BibRave Pros!

Rachel – Caroline – Jessica – Amy – Emily – Laura – Jenny – Jeremy – Sarah M – Laura M. – Bonnie W. – Haley – Erin – Heather – Katie – Danielle – Erica – Christine G. – Kim – Brenda – Brandon – Angie – Elizabeth