Warm and does prevent you from hearing. The con is that for those of us with big heads, it can be a bit small. I wish Sitka made a S/M and L/ XL and it was actually larger.

Chose this for waterfowling over the Dakota beanie for the durable water-repellent layer and a little lighter insulation for all season use. Very impressed and it is in my blind bag or on my head for every hunt.

One Size does not fit all !!!

I wear a 7 5/8 ball cap. Not that huge in the realm of being big. I had to tuck my ears into the beanie. Overall length of beanie way too short as well.
UGH.....

I was scared of the previous reviews on sizing. I have a large head, about 7 1/4" hat size. Most one size fit all snapback hats are on the last hole or two. This beanie fits great! And not like in a few years it will be amazing. Right out of the package it is comfortable. I feel like if my head was any larger it may start to need to be stretched some though.
Quality is fantastic.

all of the reviews for beanies indicate that your sizing does not include XL head sizes, like mine, 7 3/4". Bummer. Why is this the case?

Nice fitting and warm beanie. Knocked off a star, as I think they need to lose the giant hunter orange logo in the waterfowl lineup. The logo should blend into the product, similar to some offerings in the everyday/travel line. Nothing a sharpie or rit dye can't fix, but prefer not to do that on such a nice expensive piece.

I use this product to duck hunt in north Texas. Really like this hat, it is 100% windproof thanks to the GORE WIND technology in the beanie. The hat does fit snug at first but I have noticed that it has stretched to a very comfortable fit after use. It does a great job of retaining heat and again, no wind. If you're on the fence, don't be.

I love this hat. It is warm where it needs to be, but not so warm that you are dying. It is essentially a thin, waterproof hat, with a headband built in for insulation. It DOES fit tight. I have a small head. No way some of my bigger friends could wear this. After a whole day, I did notice my ears/head hurting from it fitting tight. If you have a bigger head, this won't work for you. I was surprised how well it repelled water even in rain all day.

Bought this hat after reading the reviews saying that it fits pretty tight on those that have larger heads. In a normal hat I wear a 7 1/2 so I too have a larger head. I was extremely pleased with the fit of this hat. While it is snug I believe over time it will stretch out some but not so much that the hat shifts around when laying in my layout blind. Looking forward to seeing how it does in the cold weather this duck season

As everyone says its to tight of a hat. I’ve had this hat for 2 seasons now and it’s by far the best hat I’ve ever worn, at first it was a little tight but give it some time and it will stretch. Been hunting in very cold weather and this has seem to be the only hat that has done the job for me. Love the gortex wind and rain stopper it’s saved me in some pretty narley conditions. Recommend this hat a lot

The material, and construction is awesome. Like others have said, its too small. I wear a 7 1/2 and this things hurts to keep. I wish it was just a little bit larger. Maybe a s/m L/XL like some of their hats.

I Have used this beanie for a couple seasons now and i wish I could give it more than 5 stars. This is the only beanie that doesn't make my head itch so the comfort is unbeatable. The warmth and windstopping power is key here in North Dakota, and it checks both of those boxes. Overall, it is the only beanie I wear and I would recommend to any hunter no matter what game they hunt.

Purchased all 3 beanies and this one has been my go to this year. The windbreaking Gore Tex is absolutely clutch when on the boat or in a blind on a windy day. I do love the other 2 beanies as well and they have their place.

Once again, a common theme in Sitka headgear is too small. This hat would be a great addition to my hunting/fishing kit if it fit. Hopefully the Sitka design folks will take those of us with big heads into consideration in their hat sizing.

I´ve tested this beanie for three seasons now and absolutely love it. It´s in my pack all year and comes out whenever the ears get chilly. Putting this hat on has an immediate effect of comfort. It´s cut and fleece lining feel great on the head and the GORE Windstopper does the rest. I test products for GORE and haven't come across a better hat for everything above 0 degrees.

I wear this hat almost every day: work, hunting, walking the dog, etc. Super warm and they mean it when they say "windproof". This is the real deal. I think the best feature is that it has a "slick" feel to it. It will not inhibit you looking around or make it uncomfortable when wearing a hooded sweatshirt like some other beanies. Highly recommend this headwear and I believe it's worth it to have a nice, comfortable and warm beanie.

A great beanie that has just the right amount of insulation. I had to lose the pantanal cap for this beanie. My neck was killing me from looking up past the bill in a pit blind. I know its going to work perfect.

This beanie is absolutely the best on the market. Period.
From duck hunting in mid-November in the slough or layout blind, to late season deer hunting in subzero temps in south Dakota, to simply shoveling snow on wind howling days, it keeps my bald head and ears warm and have never had any wind penetrate the wind stopper, including some of the gnarliest blizzard conditions you can imagine. My only wish is I could get this in moss or lead color so I could have one for every day use too.

Don't waste your time on any other beanie if you want to keep your dome warm and cozy. I know it'll be on my head this coming weekend tracking down sheds and skiing.

Minnesota duck/grouse/muskie hunter. It gets cold up here. This is the best beanie I have ever owned. It's incredible. Slept in it multiple times. I have nothing but good things to say. Another buddy has one as well and he agrees. Duck hunting, ice fishing, snow blowing, zombie apocalypse, whatever. This is my go-to beanie from Sept-April. No complaints.

This is a must for windy days in the blind. I have had this beanie for two seasons. I usually wear it in combination with a balaclava, and my bald head stays very warm on the coldest of days and the heaviest of winds. I like it so much I bought another for everyday wear in the winter. If there is a small downside it's that the material makes it a little harder to hear, but that is somewhat typical of Windstopper material.

I love most aspects of this beanie except it needs to be little longer for ear coverage. If you have a large head and i do, then there is very little ear coverage. This beanie is designed for cold weather so the ears being covered would be nice. Otherwise, this is a good product.