Custom Tuque Styles and Features: A Comprehensive Guide

Posted by Larry on March 4th, 2016

With so many tuques to choose from, no wonder most people find it hard to make up their mind. The following guide helps to find the best tuque for either sport or a personal style.
 
Comfort
 
An itchy tuque is the bane of foreheads the world over. On one hand, it provides the warmth, but little comfort. Look for tuques with liners, fleece or merino wool lining to eliminate any chance of itchiness. 
 
Traditional Knit or Non-Performance Wool
 
Traditional knit tuques have long been a favorite for most people. These are the type that one might expect to find at a Saturday Market. They are made from wool or acrylic yarns. However, these two materials provide warmth even when wet, but they are rather bulky, cumbersome and ill-fitting. On the other hand, non-performance wool tuques do not offer the same warmth as traditional knit tuques. They have the advantage of being lightweight and well fitting. 
 
However, with newer materials, one can get a custom tuque that combines both function and comfort. Using synthetics such as fleece or polyester, a tuque insulates against breezy weather. Synthetic materials also provide the same warmth with less material, cutting on the hat’s bulkiness and snuggly hugging the skull. 
 
Tuques with a closed contoured fit, synthetic beanies have become popular for sports like ice skating, cycling, skiing, paddling, climbing and even motorcycle racing. Most synthetic materials have properties that help in moisture wicking. A tuque made from such materials assists in perspiration evaporation, thereby cooling the body down during rigorous sporting activities.  
 
Merino Wool
 
Wool from Merino sheep is soft to the touch and much better suited for outdoor garments compared to other types of wool. Although it is relatively expensive, merino wool blends the practicability of natural materials and the comfort of synthetic materials. Tuques that use a mixture of Merino wool and synthetic fibers are ideal economically. 
 
Features
 
Custom madewinter hat providers have developed new styles to meet the needs of their customers. Today, there is a style to match every noggin. Therefore, when ordering a custom made tuque, make sure the style fits snuggly. There are several style types to choose from:
 
Liners: tuques made from the coarse material are typically lined with liners on the inside to prevent itching. 
Fleece, cotton, merino wool or polyester are the most common liners. However, a tuque can either be lined entirely or just around the headband area. 
 
Ear covers: Most beanies leave the earlobes exposed, which can be uncomfortable when traveling at high speeds in cold weather. Skiers and snowboarders who do not wear a helmet prefer tuques with ear covers. These types of tuques have long tassels tied under the chin to hold the ear covers in place.
 
Visor: some tuque come with a visor, just like billed caps. The short sewn in visor is a nice feature for keeping sunlight from the eyes or keeping the tuque high above, maintaining the visor flat against the face.
 
Headphones: ear covers are ideal for headphones, so it is no surprise that some tuques come equipped with headphones.
 
 

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Larry

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Larry
Joined: October 7th, 2015
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