CarharttMen's Fleece 2-in-1 Hat

I tend to be fairly picky about my winter hats, living in New England and despising any part of my ears feeling cold. After doing a fair bit of research, it became clear that Carhartt hats were consistently the highest rated. From there, however, I had trouble distinguishing between the following 4 styles:Carhartt Men's Marshfield Wool Hat, Charcoal Heather, One SizeCarhartt Men's Fleece 2-In-1 Headwear,Charcoal Heather,One Size - THIS REVIEWCarhartt Men's Akron Hat,Black,One SizeCarhartt Men's Firesteel Hat, Charcoal Heather, One SizeI decided to purchase all 4, keep the one I liked, and donate the others to charity. This review is specifically to compare these 4 hats in terms of style and warmth. First, an overview of the four and my overall ratings (1 worst, 5 best):Marshfield: 5 Style / 5 Warmth / Small FitFleece: 2 Style / 5 Warmth / Average Fit - THIS REVIEWAkron: 3 Style / 3 Warmth / Slightly Large FitFiresteel: 3 Style / 2 Warmth / Slightly Large FitFor detailed reviews of the other styles, please see my reviews on those pages. Specifically regarding the Fleece...This hat was immediately a very comfortable fit. Not too tight or too loose, it wrapped perfectly around my head with the ear flaps settling properly below my ears and remaining flush against the back of my cheeks (an issue with both the Akron and Firesteel). The bonus with this hat, and what makes it especially valuable, is the pull-out face mask. It remains permanently attached to the interior of the hat (unobtrusive in terms of comfort and appearance) and pulls down to double as a quasi-balaclava. I am able to wear sunglasses underneath it without any bothersome pinch or disturbance of the coverage (note that nose breathing does steam up the glasses a bit with the face mask in place - breathe through your mouth or keep the mask tight to your nostrils).Additionally, unlike my previous winter hat, this particular hat seems to only minimally block hearing (treble sounds mostly transmit clearly). The inside of the hat is the same gray fleece as the exterior (no separate lining), which I find very soft, comfortable, and warm. The lack of separate lining might allow the hat to transmit moisture a bit more easily, but also keeps it fairly thin if worn underneath a waterproof hood.Stylistically, this hat is a fairly bland beanie hat. Style is obviously the more subjective part of my review, but this one doesn't do a ton for me. I'm by no means embarrassed to wear it, but I would categorize it more as functional than stylish. The gray is uniform and the fold-out mask is black. Because of its neutrality, it should go with just about any color jacket.In the end, the face mask made this hat worth as a backup option and especially for colder days where I might be digging out the car. I kept this hat, have worn it a few times, and plan to pull it out as alternative to my favorite of the bunch (the Marshfield). Definitely recommended if you're watching your budget or also find value in the utility of the face mask!

Great fit, stays in place. Easy to fold the mask away inside the cap. Very comfortable and warm.

Soft, warm, comfortable

This is the best head cover ear, cover, and face cover. My husband has to work outside a lot and always freezes to death. He said this keeps him super warm easy to breathe through his ears aren’t cold. His face isn’t cold and it also protects your throat. I would buy this 100 times over again.

One size fits all, ehhh, it's a bit snug but I still like it. Nice quality, very warm and comfy other than a pretty snug fit.

Nice for the winter, might not be great for someone with a bigger head it's a bit snug

great item

I live this! It’s warm and offers great face protection