Meet the reviewer
Buff 5-Panel Air Cap: first impressions
• List price: $40 (US) / £33.95 (UK)
• Gender: Unisex
• Sizes: 1 size
• Materials: Synthetics (31% recycled)
• Weight: 41g / 1.4oz
• Colors: Black / Gray / Military
• Compatibility: Summer running, hiking and trekking
This lightweight running and hiking hat immediately reminded me of cycling caps, which are tight fitting and deliberately designed with small peaks to prevent them being blown off the wearer’s head by the wind while people are pedalling. I’m guessing Buff’s starting concept was broadly the same for this 5-Panel Air Cap, which can be pulled tight with a bungee and toggle at the back, and features a conspicuously small peak – a design with pros and cons, as we’ll see below.
The other feature that immediately grabs the eye is the mesh material used across the head – the airy element referenced in the name – which also scores both negative and positive points.
Buff 5-Panel Air Cap: design and construction
Although minimalist and extremely lightweight, this is a well-made cap, with four panels of synthetic mesh securely stitched together to cover the head, a small but reliably rigid and relatively wide peak (which I assume counts as the fifth panel), an integrated sweatband and a smart cord-and-toggle fastening system at the back.
This cap has a unisex, one-size-fits-all design (which works thanks to the lace-style fastening system). About a third of the total material used is recycled.
I’ve been putting the 5-Panel Air Cap to the test, to see how it compares to the best running hats on the market.
Buff 5-Panel Air Cap: on the trails
I have been testing the 5-Panel Air Cap from Buff while running and rambling around the exposed coastal paths, beaches and hilltops of Dorset and Devon in southern England, in increasingly bright and sunny conditions, and with temperatures steadily rising.
For some people, even the best running sunglasses are uncomfortable or annoying to wear (and carry), and for them a cap is an obvious way to help keep the sun out of their eyes while they’re on the trail, track or road. A cap can also protect your eyes and the skin on your nose and upper face from the harmful effect of UV exposure. This protection is all dependent on the shading provided by the peak of the cap, however, and on Buff’s 5-Panel Air Cap, this is quite limited because the visor is notably small.
On the upside, I have been able to run in very windy conditions without worrying about losing this cap over the side of the vertiginous cliffs that line the South West Coast Path where I do most of my training. The bungee chord lace system at the back of the cap, which is tightened by a tiny toggle, allows me to get this cap securely positioned on my head, and the small visor doesn’t catch the wind.
The mesh used in the main body of the cap lets my head breathe beautifully as I run. When I work up a sweat the in-built absorbent band that runs around the inside of the hat soaks it up, and prevents perspiration from running painfully into my eyes.
I’m lucky in that I don’t have to worry about this (yet), but bald blokes should definitely be very careful about getting sunburned (or ending up with a very interesting tan pattern) on their heads, as this mesh offers little-to-no protection from solar rays. (This does rather make you wonder what it’s there for, but personally – from a style perspective – I think I’m far more likely to wear a cap over a visor or a headband, and I think I’m not alone in this preference.) Suffice to say, if this applies to you, be sure to apply sun screen to your head. Alternatively, you could wear a traditional Buff or similar underneath, but that would largely negate the breathable benefits of the cap.
The price tag does seem steep for a (mostly mesh) cap, I have to say, but this is a well-made piece of kit, and should last a long time. It’s also extremely lightweight, which is ultra useful. Conditions change a lot when you’re running and hiking, especially over longer distances, and this cap is very easy to stash in a daypack or hydration vest, to be pulled out or put away as required.
