Castelli Viva Thermo Skully hat £20

It’s imperative to keep your head warm when cycling through the winter, and Castelli’s Viva Thermo Skully is both warm and unobtrusive under a cycle helmet.

It’s made of a thin and very stretchy Thermoflex material, with a large band that wraps around the ears using a ‘raw edge’ design that simply does away with any stitched hems. Instead, stitching is kept out of any places that could cause discomfort.

A snug fit, you don’t even notice it’s on your head but you’ll enjoy a warm head and toasty ears throughout the duration of your ride. It’s breathable so it doesn’t cling onto dampness. I’ve done several long rides recently and it’s been a great ally in the battle against the elements.

Castelli reckon it’s good for a temperature range of between 5 °C and 15 °C, and we’d tend to agree with that based on our testing. You could probably go a little colder, but getting on for 0 °C and you might want something that is a little thicker and warmer.

The styling is bold and won’t suit everyone but for that dash of “Pro” it’s spot on. You’re going to be hiding it under a helmet anyway, don’t forget. We wouldn’t advocate wearing a skull cap without a helmet (there’s probably a rule against that!), instead Castelli has some proper hats for those that don’t wear a lid.

It’s available in three colours, but we think the red on black is the most stylish.

Verdict

We don’t need to repeat the importance of keeping your head warm, and we can’t recommend Castelli’s Viva Thermo Skully enough.  It’s simple, good looking and warm.

http://www.saddleback.co.uk and http://castelli-cycling.com

See the hat in action in this Castelli produced video below: