Review on K1 Race Gear 701431 Red Cotton Full Face Head Socks - Balaclava by William Belczyk

Whilst technically a balaclava it really isn't designed to be worn under a properly fitting helmet. I wanted to wear a cotton balaclava with my autocross helmet to protect the balaclava from sweat and dirt. Although they are well made (flat seams) and fit well, Nomex gets too hot and itches when it's hot. They are also quite expensive. This K1 balaclava was inexpensive, came in a variety of colors, and reportedly had flat seams. Unfortunately it doesn't deliver. As others have said, it's on the short side. I wear a 7 3/8 helmet and the bottom of the balaclava barely reaches my neck. The seams are not even. When sewing a single layer balaclava flat, no part of it should be thicker than one layer of material. The stitched area of this helmet is triple layered so it digs into the scalp when wearing the helmet for more than a few minutes. Also, the eyehole is covered with extra material that is stacked, making it about 5 layers thick (this is not obvious in the low res images). I guess I expected too much based on the product description. The search continues.