The Mountain Hardwear Butter Beanie is great little headpiece to throw on or toss in your pocket for a ride or hike. It's super stretchy, and has the softness of well-worn flannel. The inner surface is lightly brushed and warms as soon as you slide it on. That same slight brushing on the inner surface serves to actively wick perspiration away from your skin.

The material that makes up the Butter Beanie is warming yet it has negligible bulk. The fabric is thin and the seams lay perfectly flat and don't bunch. The entire beanie is stretchy which helps it cling to your head. The almost unnecessary stretch band that goes around the bottom of the headpiece just seals the deal. In contrast to other beanies, this band is slight and doesn't bind around your forehead.



The best way to describe the Butter Beanie is to compare it to a similar headpiece, the Pearl Izumi Microsensor Skullcap. At first glance, yea, sure... two skullcaps. But if you hold them both in your hand you see many differences. The Butter Beanie is more compact, it lies flatter and crumples into a smaller ball. The Pearl Izumi skullcap feels slightly more bulky. The Microsensor material that makes up the Pearl Izumi piece has a cool, almost clammy feel to it, while the Butter has the feel of soft cotton (even though it's a technical material). The Pearl Izumi piece does block more wind but it never really feels as comfortable against your skin. Both pieces do their job very well but, in my opinion it's the fine details that make the Butter Beanie more pleasant to wear. This is especially important for someone who is follicly-challenged like myself. The beanie remains comfortable from the time you put it on dry, right on through heavy riding and saturation.