Advnture Verdict
With emphasis correctly placed on substance over style, the Páramo Beanie is a great, lightweight performer, well worth pulling on before a winter or spring walk, or for popping in a pocket or pack any time, just in case temperatures drop during your adventure.
Pros
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Great warmth-for-weight
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Comfortable
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Low profile and very versatile
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Ethically made and recyclable (through Páramo)
Cons
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Runs hot during active use
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Not the most stylish looking hat
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First impressions
Made with Páramo’s very clever Parameta G fabric, the Páramo Beanie is light, thin and simple looking, capable of boxing well above its weight in chilly conditions. The design of the material means it can keep you cosy when it’s cold, or allow cool air to flow to your scalp when it’s warmer.
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It works thus: when worn beneath an outer shell (a jacket hood), the Páramo Beanie’s fleecy grid pattern traps air between the squares and your body heats it, encasing your head in a warm thermal bubble; but, if you wear it as a stand-alone hat, fresh air can permeate the fabric and cool your head (although, we think the latter part of this system works better in the brand’s brilliant base layers than it does in this hat – see below). Inside there’s a comfortable fleecy inner, which wicks moisture away well, and the fabric used throughout the beanie is comfortable and stretchy.
• RRP: £22 (UK)
• Gender: Unisex
• Sizes: S–M /L–XL
• Materials: Polyester
• Colors: Midnight / Carmine / Dolphin / Cobalt / Wine / Elderberry / Flame / Black/Moss
In the field
Weighing in at just 50g, the dual-layer Páramo Beanie is a brilliant buddy on outdoor adventures no matter where you’re going, or when. It provides a lot of warmth, despite its low profile, and fits well under a hood when you are walking in wilder conditions, or beneath a helmet when you’re cycling or climbing.
It also scrunches down really small and weighs very little, so it is perfect for popping into a pocket or pack whenever you’re heading out, whether it’s full-on winter conditions or springtime, when temperatures can plummet at the drop of a hat (or, indeed, beanie).
The Parameta G Fabric is clever, and the system certainly works when it comes to keeping your head extra warm, when this beanie is worn under a hat – in the same way that it performs brilliantly in the brand’s base layers (which we love). However, in this hat, we found the thermal fleecy inner lining prevents the cool air coming through quite as well. This is only a minor criticism really, since the main job of a beanie, so far as we’re concerned, is to keep your loaf warm – and very few people are going to wear this as a fashion accessory (it’s just not styled that way). However, it does mean that it’s a little too warm for high-energy activities, such as trail running.
