irclean

The title is pretty self-explanatory; Sweat GUTR vs. Halo Headband... which one is better?

I'd love to hear some testimonials, pros & cons of each, and experiences with any other products or homemade solutions.

Thanks!

Biggziff

I have both and usually prefer the gutr. I use the Halo mostly when I'm working around the yard. I like that the Gutr is thin and unobtrusive.

beatsrunning

Haven't used either, but I do use a BondiBand. My wife started using them for running and they do a great job with the sweat.

Triode

Haven't tried the Gutr, but have the Halo.

for cycling, the skullcap wins hands down, IMO - assuming you wear a helmet.

https://www.headsweats.com/products/Skullcap.html

works a lot better than you might think. Evaporation helps keep you cool. Works great under a helmet.

It is even better if you wet it with a little water after a break if it has dried out a bit.

tortugaflats

had gutr and lost it. worked really well. just uncomfortable under helmet and with use of sunglasses. replaced with halo headband. work but not as good. more comfortable under helmet. has to be washed more often

Seve

Have a look at a buff
https://www.buffcanada.com/
https://www.buyabuff.com/t-Buff.Cont...s_For_You.aspx

I have a few and they are great at keeping the sweat out of our eyes either worn as a headband, bandana or skull cap. They also come in handy when the weather turns colder.

jchag

Tried both. Stayed with the Halo.

sstorkel

I use a Halo Protex bandana. Haven't tried the Sweat Gutr. The Halo Protex keeps sweat out of my eyes and keeps me from getting "helmet hair" during lunch rides. I wear a size Large helmet and the last Halo I bought seemed a little big, even for me. On super-hot days, you'd probably want the headband rather than the full-coverage bandana tough I personally think that headbands look pretty silly...

irclean

@Triode: I do indeed wear a helmet, and when the weather gets colder I wear a thin skullcap that I bought from a sporting goods store. On particularly cold days I wear my Ninjaclava.

I appreciate all the responses thus far... please keep 'em coming! I am curious about the GUTR and Halo in particular since they both are designed to direct sweat away from the forehead to stop it from dripping into the eyes. I am a profuse head sweater and I find that riding in the summertime often leads to eyes that are burning from sweat, and rivulets of perspiration running down the lenses of my sunglasses. I've tried soaking my skullcap in cold water before riding, and it works initially, but it eventually becomes saturated and I end up with the same problem.

The terrycloth patches on the thumbs of my gloves are woefully inadequate, and they end up pretty funky after a few rides.

LeeRoySD

+1 for the Halo. I have the elastic one that does not have to be tied in the back. It is fairly comfortable under my helmet strap. I sweat a lot and although this does get soaked through pretty quickly, it continues to direct the perspiration away from my eyes and glasses as it is desigend to do. You have to remember not to tilt your head too far forward or all that sweat runs runs around the ends of the "gutter" and into the sides of your eyes. I have not tried the GUTR but I assume that it would be similar in this regard.

Crazydad

Loving my Halo. I have the elastic one and can't even tell it is there while riding. I have not tried the Gutr so i cannot compare, but since the Halo works so well for me I see no need to do anything else.

Haff

I now have both, I find them both very useful. If I am going to be bending over a lot, the halo seems a bit better.

ill.clyde

Just got my Halo in the mail yesterday .. going to try it out later today

Street Pedaler

Have been using the Halo for a month or so. Love it.

Jim from Boston

I once had a crash, requiring stitches, from running off the road trying to clear sweat from my eyes, so I am careful about wearing a sweat band, usually a simple terrycloth one. I commute to work by bicycle and if I don't wear some kind of cap, my hair gets ridges in it from the helmet. I work in a hospital, and a couple months ago I easily picked up a disposable surgeon’s cap made out of a durable paper product. Besides keeping my hair flat, it has worked well to absorb sweat from my head on long hot rides since it covers the entire surface, and the paper does not shred when wet. I haven't worn a sweatband since. The cap is lightweight and unnoticeable, and if I was bald, it would be a good sun cover.

The above comments are further advantages I had not thought of.

irclean

I wonder if the Halo Skull Cap might offer the best of both worlds. My only real trepidation comes from the "one size fits all" claim. I had to find a larger size of my current skullcap to fit my giant freak-head.

RichardGlover

I wear a Halo Coolmax Shorty. Basically like the linked skullcaps, but with a danglie piece of fabric in the back that's probably good for something or another - helps keep my neck shaded a bit, directs the worst of moisture down my back, I dunno... something.

I like that it has a built-in terry headband that's not too thick to fit under a helmet, and that the rest of it is extremely breathable material that dries quickly.

On long rides in hot weather, I like to soak it in ice water at stops before putting it back on. Or toss a few ice cubes in it and let them melt as I wear it.

mikehattan

I like the headsweats coolmax shorty. Has pretty much eliminated the sweat-in-the-eyes problem for me. Haven't tried the products in the subject. I wear it under my helmet and keep it on after the ride until the scalp fountain stops. I notice my head is ever so slightly warmer, but never a problem. I think the tail aids in evaporation (or maybe just trying to justify a $20 bandana). I think REI has some on sale right now.

rideharder

I've had problems with sweat in my eyes as long as I can remember, and it took me years to figure out which one worked best for me. Halo worked OK in the winter but found that it gave me headache, was hot, but most importantly, it saturates (despite what they say on their site). I tried the Sweat GUTR for the first time about 4 years ago after seeing it at the Hotter'N Hell 100 in TX. I was skeptical, but couldn't believe how well it worked. The reps explained how to fit it under helmets, went through the various benefits and it was like music to my ears. I didn't like that it was almost $20, but they last for years so well worth it. I'm on my 3rd and I use it cycling, running, rowing, and cutting the grass. I'm more enthusiastic about this product than anything else I've found in a while b/c it really does make a big difference, especially on longer, hotter rides. One negative about the GUTR is that it takes a little time to get the fit right at first, but once I found the correct tension, didn't have to mess with it at all. I guess another negative would be that my first GUTR was somewhat stiff, but the new ones are very soft now. I've converted a ton of people from Halo to the GUTR, and almost all of them thank me for the recommendation...hope that helps.

ill.clyde

The jury is still out on my Halo ... I like it, but I'm still unconvinced

Biggziff

This is my feeling as well. Under a helmet the Halo saturates and stays wet. It's too tight (non velcro type) and gives me a headache. The silicone strip leave a deep indentation/red mark for hours after I take it off. The Gutr is much more head friendly, no headache, fits easily under any helmet with or without glasses/sunglasses (you just need to wear it properly) and ZERO sweat gets in my eyes. Mine is around 5-6 years old and has started to discolor (yellow-ish), but remains soft and flexible. As I said earlier, the Halo is relegated to yard work where I'm not wearing a hat and it can dry easier.

If you haven't used both, you really can't comment on how they compare. I suspect if you try them both, you'll like the Gutr better.

strikingdivas

I have tried both (actually have both). The Halo works well for a while (for me at least) then get's a little too soggy and doesn't contain all the sweat. The Gutr works a little better and never get's filled up. I had to learn to tilt my head some while cycling with the Gutr to get it to go where I wanted (being like in an aero, head down position), but that wasn't a hard thing to learn. The thing I like most though about the Sweat Gutr is that when I'm done with the workout, I don't have to put it through the laundry (or should I just say that cloth/Halo's kinda start to smell, so need to be washed out a lot). I do like the colors I can get with the Halo's though, but I notice Gutr has colors too now, so that is nice. I've used the Gutr's for about 5 years or more (got my first back in Texas before I came to humid crazy Florida). I sweat A LOT A LOT A LOT, and it hurts like crazy when the sweat hits my eyes...terribly. Gutr keeps it out all of the time, Halo does very well for about 45 minutes or so. ALSO...I water ski, so the Gutr doesn't take on the water splashed up on me...obviously the cloth headbands saturate immediately with water sports. Well, there's my two cents (this is my first comment ever here...cool, huh?). Have a good day!

irclean

Thanks for all the replies, folks! Based on the real-world testimonials I think I'm sold on the GUTR. I like the idea of being able to use it for yard work too as I work up quite a sweat mowing and weed whacking. Not having to wash it between uses (other than a quick rinse I'm guessing) is a bonus as well!

Walter.dreyer

I have a sweat Gutr, and quit using it. It didn't work well for me, but I'm riding a Trek 5000, and my head may be tilted down too much for the gutr to collect the sweat and drain to the rear of my head.

Biggziff

Hmmm...my Trek 5500 and the Gutr seemed to work fine together. You may have to occasionally tip your head to one side or the other to drain the gutr. YMMV