SweatGUTR Final Review

In the middle of May, we received a package of samples from SweatGUTR.  About a month ago, we published our initial review of the SweatGUTR and a few of our testers have been using the product since then in many different settings.

As mentioned in our first review of the SweatGUTR is very different from other sweatbands.  Instead of depending on a fabric band to soak up sweat and moisture, the SweatGUTR is a plastic band that channels sweat away from your eyes. Made from PVC plastic, the band fits against your forehead and has a small channel or gutter to move the sweat from eyes and to the side of your face where it can run off.

Appearance:

SweatGUTR is available in clear, smoke, camouflage, and will soon be available in a yellow version for cancer awareness.  The SweatGUTR is a pretty basic looking piece of plastic.  It features two hook and loop tabs that allow you to adjust the fit and three sizes of elastic closure bands.  These are very similar to a hair band and connect to the SweatGUTR using the hook and loop tabs on the back.  The front of the SweatGUTR features a small channel that moves the sweat from your forehead and allows it to drip down the side of your face.

Design and Function:

If you’re used to a normal sweatband, you know that they are only effective until they get saturated with sweat.  After that, your only hope of keeping sweat off your face and out of your eyes is to wring out the sweatband as it saturates.  SweatGUTR is completely different.  Since it channels sweat from your face, not absorbs it, you don’t have to worry about decreasing effectiveness, no matter how much you sweat.

In talking to Greg at SweatGUTR, he explained that most sweatbands trap a great deal of heat because of their construction and size.  It’s hard for PVC plastic to ventilate, so the SweatGUTR also traps heat.  What sets the SweatGUTR apart is how small it is.  Compared to the other sweatbands we’ve used, the SweatGUTR is about a third of the width.  Though it traps heat, the actual amount of heat trapped is much less because of the SweatGUTR’s smaller footprint.

We’ve worn a sweat wicking bandana under our bike helmet for quite a while and have been generally satisfied with the fabric band.  However, the bandana covers our entire head, trapping a great deal of heat and preventing the vents in our helmet form cooling our head properly.  When using the SweatGUTR, our helmet was able to provide the ventilation it was designed to provide, keeping us much cooler than when using a bandana.

Comfort and Fit:

As mentioned in the initial review, it took us a few tried to get the fit exactly right.  The SweatGUTR should be snug on your forehead, but not so tight that it leaves marks or red lines.  Once you get the fit just right, you’ll probably forget that you’ve got the thing on it’s so light and unobtrusive.

The user instructions for the SweatGUTR recommend placing the band one finger’s width above your eyebrows for best performance.  Ultimately, this was the best position for us, but we moved the SweatGUTR around a bit, up and down our forehead, to make sure we were getting the best performance.

Overall Performance:

Our testers found that this product performs just as described and truly channels sweat from your eyes and face.  It’s important to remember that you need to get the fit just right on this thing, or else it’s going to allow sweat to seep under the band.  If you follow the usage instructions, you’ll be just fine.

It’s also important to remember that the SweatGUTR only channels the sweat that occurs above the band line, so there will probably be a little sweat left on your face.

That said, our testers have been using these SweatGUTRs for almost a month and a half.  We’ve used them cycling, running, hiking, yard work, and any other activity where we might sweat.  We’ve tried them on the treadmill and in spinning class.  In all cases, the SweatGUTR worked as advertised.

The biggest adjustment you will have to make when using this sweatband is getting used to the feeling of the sweat draining to the side of your face.  Much better than down your face, but it’s a new sensation the first few times.  We noticed that movement, be it running or cycling, helped to keep the sweat moving and made the draining less noticeable.

The SweatGUTR is a significant improvement over a standard sweat band.  The SweatGUTR doesn’t get saturated, doesn’t lose wicking ability, and seriously reduces trapped heat when compared to other hats and sweatbands.  With no moving parts and solid construction, we don’t foresee any durability problems, but we will continue to keep you posted on our observations.