Outdoor Research Baffin Balaclava

Good product that I would tell my friends about
I have owned 2 baffin belaclavas in the past years.It is by far the best face mask I have ever bought. They run a little large and I'm going to get my next one, one size smaller

The baflin mask is an engineering marvel - wow!
I have never posted an on-line comment to any product but I feel compeled to do so here. This mask is incredible! When you get the CORRECT SIZE, it fits snuggly but not tight, and keeps your entire face and neck very warm and completely dry. There are two exhaust areas. One under the nose, and one over the mouth. These allow breathing through the nose or mouth. All of the moist air goes through these breathing areas which keeps the mask warm and DRY! Also, My glasses do NOT GET FOGGY when wearing the baffin. A word of CAUTION: the sizing chart for this mask is off. I ordered one according to the chart and it arrived one size too big. You must get the right size or the mask will not perform correctly. Great job designing this ski mask!!!!

A great Balaclava, but watch sizing & mouth
The previous reviewer Dave was right on the money about sizing. Based on Altrec's sizing chart, I should wear a large. But I trusted Dave's review and ordered a medium, which ended up fitting me perfectly. Some words of advice: 1) I am not sure what "Hook/loop front closure" is supposed to mean, but I assumed it meant the nose and mouth piece secured with loops and hooks (like a button). It doesn't. It uses velcro. 2) The mesh breathing material around the mouth makes it VERY easy to breathe, but there is a trade off. If it is very cold outside, your lips and the immediate area surrounding your lips - especially the area between your mouth and nose - are going to get VERY cold. If you need a balaclava for VERY cold conditions, you may be better off selecting one with fabric covering the mouth area. 3) Finally, as mentioned, watch the sizing. If you use Altrec's sizing chart, order one size smaller.

Not pleased
Poor fit, difficult to close securely around neck.