The Best Face Coverings for Skiing & Snowboarding of 2024-2025

Looking for a face covering ideal for active pursuits? Look no further than the Outdoor Research Trailmix Ubertube ($26), which is quite possibly the most comfortable neck gaiter we’ve ever tried.

Made of a soft plush fabric, the Ubertube feels great to the touch and performs even better. Its wicking and quick-drying fabric achieves the perfect balance of warmth and breathability, which means you stay toasty and dry when it’s imperative. We wore the Ubertube non-stop for a couple of chilly months as fall turned to winter in Jackson Hole. We took it on pre-dawn dog walks, crusty early-season backcountry ski tours in the Tetons, our final bike ride until spring, and frigid hikes in Zion National Park. No matter what we throw at it, the Ubertube exceeds all our expectations.

Though the design looks simple (it’s a basic tube), there’s more to it than meets the eye. The fit is perfect. It stays up over our nose and keeps warm air in when we want it to while skinning or skiing. But, due to the perfect amount of stiffness, it rests just far enough away from our face that it doesn’t fog up glasses or goggles or make it tough to breathe.

Even while we are huffing and puffing through howling winds, ice storms, and snowy conditions, it never freezes from our breath, even when others on this list do. We imagine this is due to OR’s ActiveTemp technology, a treatment applied that helps the Ubertube adjust to your changing temperature and moisture levels so you stay dryer and warmer. Almost every other face covering we’ve tested has frozen to our faces at some point, but not the Ubertube yet (we’ll keep trying, of course!).

We also love the look of this neck gaiter; its stylish and streamlined, can be worn a few different ways, and offers UPF protection. Plus, the incredibly soft fabric inside offers a tiny touch of coziness that can’t be underestimated when everything else (frozen toes and fingers, ice storms, 100 mph winds: we’re talking to you) around you may seem harsh and unforgiving. The Ubertube is also compact and easy to throw in a pack or pocket, just in case.

Some things to consider when choosing the Ubertube. The fit that we love for so many reasons may not work for those with bigger necks and/or heads. We had one or 2 friends who tried this on and found it a bit constraining. Also, this isn’t the warmest face covering on our list. However, it’s not designed to be either, so we can’t really fault it. If you’re going to be sitting on lifts all day in a wicked mid-winter storm, we’d recommend a different choice, like The North Face Whimzy Hood.

A combination of breathability and warmth makes the Outdoor Research Trail Mix Ubertube ideal for uphill pursuits, backcountry tours, trail running, Nordic tours, or energetic snowshoe adventures. Its comfort, versatility, and stylish look also make it perfect for wintery in-town explorations like sledding, the town tree lighting, a holiday ice skating excursion, or cocoa around a friend’s bonfire.

Buff is the quintessential brand name for versatile neck and head coverings, and the Buff Merino Move Multifunctional Neckwear ($32) is likely the item that comes to mind when people think of Buff. And for a good reason: we wore this comfortable, stylish, and virtually endlessly versatile item starting when the first leaf changed color through to when public pools opened, and it more or less always made sense.

We wore it in extremely varied situations: with a tank top for a bit of coziness when we wanted autumn to hurry up and get here already, with a denim jacket when the sunset temps dropped to 40 degrees, and in the heart of winter with a coat and hat to make snow angels.

More importantly, we loved all the ways we could wear it. You can pull it up over your ears, wear it as a full face covering, turn it into a hat, and pull it like a tube over the top of your head down past your neck so just your face is exposed. Fold it over a few times to create heat-holding layers in its soft Merino wool, or stretch and fluff it to allow maximum breathability. The Buff Move is the Swiss army knife of apparel and a potential lifesaver if you find yourself ill-equipped for the elements.

It’s no substitute for a proper hat, and the loose fit of this style Buff, when worn around the neck, can let out some important body heat if not properly fashioned. The loose knit is great for temperate weather but less ideal for extreme temperatures or weather. Depending on where you ski, this may be the best item you purchase or leave you wanting more — at least more layers.

However, even here in Montana, we use the Buff Move a ton, and we leave an extra one in our backpack as an emergency extra layer. It has come in handy when we’ve needed to seal up the neck of a coat or jacket, pull up some chin or ear coverage, or create a head base layer under our hood or helmet when the temps have suddenly dipped, or the clouds roll in unexpectedly.

A wet or windy climate calls for increased protection from the elements, whether from inclement weather, high altitude, or carving fresh paths in the backcountry after snowfall. REI’s Wind Pro Hinged Balaclava ($40) is a fantastic option for those days when simply pulling your neck gaiter over your nose just won’t do. While many ski face coverings offer warmth and shield you from direct interaction with the harshest elements, wind and precipitation can cut through many materials, allowing the cold in.

This balaclava has Polartec Wind Pro fleece, which combines knitting technique, fabric, and chemical-free finishing style to create a tightly woven protection against wind and precipitation while maintaining breathability. It isn’t waterproof, and you can’t dunk your head in an ice bath while wearing it and stay dry, but it will keep you comfortable when riding through blower pow. The neck offers ample coverage, so there isn’t a massive risk of catching an edge and getting a face full of snow from your collar.

We especially appreciated the versatility of the hinge on this face covering. It allowed for adjustability in all situations so we could expose our faces to get fresh air or a drink. We also could easily pull it up high for maximum coverage. The Wind Pro Hinged Balaclava is more versatile and received our pick as the best for extreme conditions because of its more technical nature and ability to adapt to various activities, The North Face Whimzy Hood is another full-coverage option to consider for blustery days on the lift.

The “one size” is sized to fit heads with a 21.5-23.5-inch circumference, but we found this balaclava fits best on skiers whose heads were closer to the larger side of that spectrum. Because it runs a bit big, we often had to fiddle with the face covering to keep the forehead fabric from covering our eyes without exposing the hairline.

The Wind Pro Hinged Balaclava may be a bit overbuilt for a mild season, shoulder season snow seshes, or the average nice day in the mountains. But, if you’re going to be out after the sun sets (or before it rises) and the cold wind picks up, or up high where you’re more exposed, this breathable, high-coverage balaclava is a fantastic option to stay safe and comfortable.

The Buff Mountain Bandana ($35) is a stylish, easy-to-wear face covering ideal for versatile climates. Whether you are skinning up the backside of a mountain on a cold dawn patrol session and need protection from the cold air while you huff up the mountain, are Nordic skiing your favorite national forest with your best friend and want to cover your nose for protection but still pull down your mask fast enough to say, “you told him what?!”, or are on a full moon snowshoe on a pass known for exceptional wind, this bandana answers many needs in one simple design.

This style can be especially helpful if you aren’t comfortable having a stationary covering on your head or fabric over your ears or if you would rather wear a hat or the hood of your sweatshirt or coat. We also loved wearing it “cowboy style” around our neck; its soft fleece provided protection against the cold and wind. When it was especially brutal out, we also wore it pulled up over our mouth and nose and even covered most of our ears if we needed some sudden extra protection.

While we lose a good amount of heat from the top of our heads (though not as much as previously assumed), there are plenty of other options for head coverings out there, a few of which you likely already have in your winter gear stash. However, if you don’t usually wear a winter hat or a hood, you may find the Mountain Bandana lacking the necessary coverage.

It also isn’t waterproof, though the upper part is quick drying so the condensation from our breath didn’t stick around and make us colder — a smart choice for an item designed specifically around being worn over our mouth and nose.

What the Mountain Bandana lacks in the top parts, it makes up for in the bottom design. The tired and true bandana style covers the neck and cheek area very well without bunching up. Because the fleece is thick, more fabric would not only be uncomfortable if it were to bunch up, but also it could likely cause it to get pushed out from under a coat. The pointed design prevented that from happening, which meant we stayed warmer.

Most so-called breathable materials are breathable enough to let sweat evaporate. But this often comes with a trade-off; they can be very restrictive, and we often need to pull them away from our faces during harder efforts (or at least to uncover our noses). This bandana is different, however, because you can actually breathe with it on. It protects and covers well enough to keep your nose intact without sacrificing your cold nose to the suffocation gods.

If you’ve ever tried to ski a full day with your jacket hood pulled up over your helmet, you know it’s not fun or really possible. Either the hood falls off, leaving your face and neck exposed, or you can’t turn your head at all, which is less than awesome for shredding pow. Well, the North Face has an answer to your hood/helmet struggles: The North Face Whimzy Powder Hood ($40), a looser-fitting fleecy hood-style balaclava that keeps you protected from the elements while offering full mobility.

One day last winter, we woke up to find Mother Nature had dumped over a foot of snow at our local ski hill, Monarch Mountain, and it was still coming down. The only catch, it was -3 degrees and windy as heck. This wasn’t a day for our regular Colorado bluebird face covering, so we grabbed the Whimzy Powder Hood. With goggles and helmet on, we felt tucked into a cozy package impervious to everything going on around us. The warmth and protection allowed us to focus on playing in the pow rather than constantly needing to fidget with our hood. It’s not as form-fitting as some others on this list, like the Outdoor Research Trailmix Ubertube, so every once in a while, we had to check to make sure it was properly protecting our nose during conditions where frostbite was possible. You can customize the fit with a cinching mechanism, as well, so that helps it all stay in place. It was snowing a ton and blowing even more, which highlighted one other huge bonus: The North Face Whimzy Hood has a DWR coating, so it blocks wind and sheds snow instead of allowing it to accumulate, which means you stay warmer and dryer, even in the harshest of storms.

The Whimzy is billed as “oversized,” which means it’s pretty huge if you’re not using a helmet. It’s also too bulky and warm for more active uses like Nordic skiing, and we found it to even be too warm for calmer days on the ski hill. We used it riding lifts for a few relatively mild days at Snow King and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, and though we appreciated the early morning protection, once the sun came up, we were sweating even after pulling the hood down. If you’re looking for a more versatile full-coverage option that can cover more conditions and activities, check out the REI’s Wind Pro Hinged Balaclava.

On the most blustery days, when the snow hits the fan and the wind turns up a notch, you’ll be grateful for the unmatched warmth, comfort, and water resistance of the North Face Whimzy Powder Hood.

Smartwool is known for its consistently high-quality Merino wool products, and the Smartwool Thermal Merino Reversible Neck Gaiter ($32) is no exception. At a reasonable price, this neck gaiter is a great option to keep stored in your pocket, glove compartment, or ski bag as an emergency layer when the weather shifts or you realize too late that your ski jacket doesn’t offer as much neck coverage as you thought.

While this neck gaiter is short and simple, the double-layered, tight-knit fabric is incredibly warm. Like all Merino wool gear, it’s breathable and dries fairly quickly, so it works great pulled up over your face in a pinch.

This gaiter can feel tight, which can be restrictive if you don’t like turtlenecks or have a larger neck circumference. At roughly 8.5 inches wide lying flat, just one size is available, but it isn’t one size fits all.

Unlike some other neck coverings, there is no additional fabric to cover our lower neck or chest, which means it did let in cold when our jacket wasn’t cinched up properly. In contrast, this lack of fabric means we could get relief from the tight neck covering’s equally tight weave by unzipping our coat.

The Smartwool Reversible Neck Gaiter might feel tight to some wearers, but for others, that just means it’s not bulky and is an easy and versatile item for a variety of weather conditions. While it’s just a small neck gaiter (10.25″ long) that doesn’t include a hood, it provides a surprising amount of warmth. Plus, since it’s reversible, you can change your look with a simple flip of the fabric.

Whether you’re enjoying the last bits of spring snow on the nordic trails or bombing down a double black diamond on a cold winter day, this simple additional layer is a solid option to build up an outfit for any conditions.

This thin, high-coverage Hood Balaclava from Blackstrap ($38) is the perfect solution for people who want a layer of protection to wear under their helmet or hood and goggles. The synthetic material provides wind and sun protection and doesn’t bunch up when worn under other apparel. It’s also breathable and dries quickly, so it doesn’t cause condensation on goggles or problems with freezing or suffocation from moisture.

The front inside panel is made of a polyester mesh lining, which helps with drying and wind protection. Because it’s so thin and lightweight, it’s comfortable enough for all-day riding, making it an ideal balaclava for lift-accessed skiing and snowboarding. It also has a hinge design on the facepiece.

Thanks to a solid design, we were able to keep our gloves on and easily pull down the bottom part to fully expose our face when the sun came out or temps warmed up. We also were able to take the balaclava off completely without having to remove any of our many layers.

Like other synthetic sportswear, such as cycling jerseys or basketball shorts, this balaclava wicks moisture to keep you dry and comfortable. However, it can also potentially hold onto odor-causing bacteria. So, it’s important to wash this item regularly and not let it sit in your duffel, lest you have a rather uncomfortable run the next time you head to the slopes.

This thin material was the perfect layer when we went out in temperate conditions. It did a fantastic job of protecting against sudden gusts of wind, but when testing it on the more frigid winter days, we found ourselves wishing for an additional layer. When we wore it on truly cold days, this balaclava was only warm enough when we were nordic skiing uphill fast enough to break a significant sweat.

Unfortunately, at this point, the balaclava was also cold because while it did breathe great and was genuinely quick-drying, it still became damp from the level of exertion it took to get warm.

The Blackstrap Hood Balaclava was a great option for the vast majority of conditions and especially shined when alpine skiing. It protected well against sun reflecting off the snow and was generally comfortable enough to wear all day without feeling claustrophobic, sweaty, or overheating.