MELASA balaclavas and face covers (3)

A beanie and a scarf leave a gap at the cheekbones, and that is where the wind bites first on a ride or a shift outside. A balaclava closes the gap. On the Thermal Fleece Balaclava the face cover is a separate piece that you pull down to eat, drink or talk on a break and push back up after. There is a mesh panel over the mouth, so damp breath has a way out instead of rising into your glasses. It comes in Black, Green or Gray, or as a 2-Pack with reflective stripes on the back.

The 2-in-1 Balaclava Helmet Liner starts as a fleece-lined skull cap. Its face mask stows away in the cap until you want it, so on a still morning you wear a cap, and when the wind picks up you roll the mask down. It has holes for the arms of your glasses, stretches over heads from 21 to 24.5 inches, and rolls up to ride in a pocket between uses.

NIOSH names your ears and face among the parts to cover in cold work, and OSHA's cold stress card warns that wind chill can bring on frostbite even above freezing. If you plan to wear a balaclava under a hard hat, the liner rule applies to it too: it should be designed for that helmet, so ask the helmet's maker before the first cold shift.

All three are lined with fleece.

These 3 products are part of the MELASA lineup, from $9.99 to $19.99 in our last catalog update.