The Buff

The original Buff is one of the most indispensable items a cyclist can have. For those unfamiliar, Buff is the brand name for the original microfiber seamless headwrap. The company was formed in 1992, 60km outside of Barcelona.

In a sense, the original Buff is a lot like a bandanna, and serves many of the same purposes. It can be a face mask, light scarf, headband, wristband, blindfold or headwrap. The Buff improves upon the old school bandanna in several ways. It’s made of polyester microfiber that’s breathable, quick drying and fairly stretchy. The seamless “tube” shape allows the Buff to be manipulated into shapes an ordinary bandanna couldn’t achieve, such as a balaclava or a scarf that provides equal coverage all the way around the neck. It can be used as a skull cap, or as a headwrap that covers your neck for protection against the sun.

I’ve been using the Buff for several years now, and I’m hard pressed to recall every use I’ve found for the Buff. Of course I’ve utilized it for all of the obvious uses, and I’ve typically found it coming in more handy once the cold weather begins to set in. Although it seems a little silly to mention using the Buff as a blindfold, it’s absolutely awesome when you’re trying to sleep anywhere there’s unwanted light (like on an airplane, on a friend’s couch or camping at an outdoor festival). The Buff can be twisted and tied into a sunglass case or a bag for carrying any number of small objects. It can be used for a number of first aid purposes, including a tourniquet (and two Buffs can be tied together to make an arm sling).

The original Buff retails for $18.50. Buff offers a number of other products, including a lightweight headband and a winter specific Buff that we’ll be taking a look at in the near future. Visit www.buff.es for more information, or www.buffwear.com to order online.

Published by Urban Jeff on November 26, 2008 in Product Reviews. 8 Comments

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