BUFF incorporates recycled bottles into its EcoStretch neck gaiters, adding to the brand’s mix of sustainability efforts and product versatility.
We’re fairly certain you know what BUFF is about, and maybe you even have a custom GearJunkie version. Since creating the market for stretchy tubes of fabric known as neck gaiters or multifunctional neckwear, the brand has expanded its concept with new materials and neckwear.
The latest update to the BUFF Original still stretches four ways, wicks away sweat, and protects against sun damage. What you may not know is that the recycled material in the fabric. It basically transforms two used plastic bottles that would otherwise be sitting in our oceans and landfills and repurposes them into its neckwear.
Shop the BUFF Original EcoStretch
You’ll see BUFF repped on snowy slopes, muddy trails, and trout streams, as well as shielding runners from the sun during ultramarathons. That’s perhaps the greatest testament to the original neck gaiter’s versatility. You can even see them on season 41 of “Survivor.”
The brand continues to bring new ideas to market and build on its 30-year legacy. For instance, BUFF makes warmer and cooler versions of the original as well as hats, masks, and headbands. Some designs come as collaborations to benefit different initiatives, like Protect Our Winters (POW) and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
And then there are the brand’s sustainability practices. Its “Do More Now” program of Act, Protect, and Care More sets a high bar for sustainability and accountability in its efforts to combat climate change, reduce its environmental footprint, and improve community well-being. As part of Act More, BUFF is choosing its materials more consciously. That’s why BUFF teamed up with REPREVE.
REPREVE breaks down plastic bottles into chip materials to create recycled fibers and fabrics. By using 95% REPREVE fabric in its Original EcoStretch, roughly two plastic bottles are moved from the waste stream to your head (with some stops in between).
Here is what you can expect from a BUFF and its EcoStretch.
BUFF Eco-Stretch Features
- 95% recycled REPREVE performance microfiber
- 4-way ultrastretch
- UPF 50 sun protection*
- Wicks moisture, breathable
- 12+ ways to wear
- Seamless
- One size fits most
*UPF 50 rating as tested by LEITAT-Textile Technology Institutes
Neck Gaiter Pioneers
Since Joan Rojas introduced the first BUFF to the market in 1992, the brand has carved out its own niche in the outdoor marketplace. It was one piece of adjustable gear to protect the head and neck from the sun. Marketed as the “original multifunctional neckwear,” several other brands jumped in with various takes on the concept.
To counter that, BUFF has built on its head start and continues to innovate and separate itself. From merino wool to recycled polyester, the brand has introduced new takes on its original as well as new products for use in different seasons and conditions.
One thing hasn’t changed from the original design: You can still wear a BUFF multifunctional neckwear in a dozen (or more) ways. Users have continued to find new uses for the tubes of fabric, beyond even wearing them. Like a handkerchief, it can serve as a soft layer around a smartphone to protect against scratches or even as the first filter of muddy water to keep big silt out of your water filter.
How will you use your BUFF gear?
Shop the BUFF Original EcoStretch
This post is sponsored by BUFF. Find out more about the BUFF Original EcoStretch online.
