Not just cold: Wisconsin cold.

Disclaimer: I received a Buff Hoodie 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!

Winter in Wisconsin is no joke.  As I write this, I'm looking out my window at a temperature of -7 degrees Farenheit with a wind chill in the negative thirties.  While this is a particularly cold spell, December through March can be pretty brutal here.

But we're mostly used to it.  And that's why we run outdoors every chance we can.

I am always in the market for new cold weather running gear, especially now that I'm in the middle of a run streak (day 230 #whatwhat) so when I had the opportunity to review a Buff's new hoodie, I couldn't say no.  I absolutely love the Buff headgear (some might say I have a bit of an addiction) but crazy enough, I hadn't tried any of their cold weather products.

Why did I wait so long?  Of course Buff hit a home run in the cold weather department.  I am in love.  The Buff Hoodie is a winner.

The Buff Hoodie three parts: a soft, stretchy, double layer that goes around your neck, a super soft Polartec® Thermal Pro® hood, which may be the softest material on the planet, and a stretchy wool collar that you can pull up over your face or tuck down around your neck. The hood has adjustable drawstrings so you can pull it tight or wear it loose. Like all of Buff's products, it is super-versatile.

The stock photos of the Hoodie from Buff's website make it look a little weird. I promise, it is actually really cute. Here's a picture of the Buff Hoodie in action out on the Ice Age Trail:

The temperatures were in the high 20s but sunny with almost no wind for my first outing with the Hoodie, so I was able to tuck the facepiece down around my neck comfortably. With temps down to the low 20s I didn't even need to wear a stocking hat under the hoodie - the hood was warm enough by itself. When the temps fall to the lower twenties and below, I prefer to have a stocking cap under the hood, although I often find myself either ditching the cap or tucking the hood down because it really is that toasty.

And tucking the hood down doesn't mean making a time-wasting stop to readjust anything - I can literally whip the hood up or down and adjust it on the run with no difficulty. The hood isn't bulky either, so tucking it down isn't cumbersome.

I've used the Buff Hoodie for runs as cold as 0 degrees, and I've run with it in the snow. I actually find myself reaching for it when I need to go run errands in the cold because it is cute and unlike most running gear it actually looks just fine with regular street clothes. I took my son to the art museum last weekend and got lots of compliments on my cute hood (#thathappened).


If you are in the market for that one piece of running gear that will make winter running much more tolerable, the Buff Hoodie is the way to go. It is versatile, it looks great, and most important: it is so very warm.