Aerial7 Sounddisk Sports Beanie Review

Back view of the Aerial7 Sounddisk Sports Beanie

My husband is a techie, a runner, and a bargain hunter.  Naturally, he found the Aerial7 Sounddisk Sports Beanie on a discount website and bought two of them.  It doesn't matter that he takes a break from running in the Winter; he couldn't pass up the deal.  Retail price for this hat with built-in earphones is $45, but he got it for a steal.

When he showed me the royal blue hat, I was intrigued, but when he tried it on, it was one of the most unfashionable items I had ever seen.  It's one size fits all, and a giant could probably wear it.  It has extra fabric at the top that, to me, makes it look odd.  I wouldn't be wearing one, I commented, and  I continued wearing my headband that covers my ears on cold runs.

Facing a long run today with temperatures in the 20's at the start, I reasoned that I should probably wear a hat.  In years past on runs in the teens and 20's I have resorted to wearing my decade-old, powder blue,  Land's End fleece hat that looks smart with a car coat.  That could not be any less fashionable either on a running trail, so I decided to give the Sports Beanie a try.

Front

My husband helped me fold the extra material on the back of the hat so that it looked like a good fit. That solved my problem with wearing the hat.   A downside is that it doesn't have a hole for a pony tail, but it has so much room, that I was able to wear a braided pony protruding from my head and push all of my hair up and under the hat.  The neat feature is the built in earphones.  They worked well, and only once during my 17 miler did one shift away from my ear.  The user has the option to wear her ipod in the pouch on the back of the hat or attach it elsewhere using an extension wire.  The tech fabric is so lightweight that I didn't feel like I was wearing a hat (unlike my bulky blue standby).  This was the way to go on this cold morning.   I would recommend this hat, and I was a naysayer.

Cold, crisp morning in Umstead State Park

Boston Training: Week 7

Monday: 8 hilly miles; 8:54 pace
Tuesday:  50 minutes bike + weights
Wednesday: 9 hilly miles; 9:01 pace
Thursday: 6 miles easy; not done because of tightness in right calf. Message instead to work it out.
Friday:  cycling and yoga; only yoga class today because of 2 hr. school delay, etc.
Saturday: 17 hilly miles; 9:35 pace

Remnant of a rare snowfall in Raleigh, NC