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Ana Nichoola V Ear Warmer Ana Nichoola V Ear Warmer Ana Nichoola V Ear Warmer Ana Nichoola V Ear Warmer
Ana Nichoola V Ear Warmers

Ana Nichoola V Ear Warmer

8
by Caroline Dodgson
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Feb 3, 2014

1
£18.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Good-looking and functional, with some nifty features
Weight: 
40g
Contact: 
www.ananichoola.co.uk
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Ana Nichoola's Autumn/Winder range includes this very nice V ear warmer in purple-trimmed black with extras such as a pony-tail loop and slots for sunglasses arms.

Ears. Who designed them then? Whoever made mine did a poor job as I suffer from earache whenever it is cold, and I really suffer when riding. Anna Glowinski, designer at Ana Nichoola has improved on mother nature with this sweatband-style ear warmer to keep out the chilly winds.

The ear warmer's made from a lovely fleece-backed fabric that works to keep you warm and sweat-free, bordered with purple covered elastic top and bottom to keep in in place on the ride. As well as being stretchy to fit around your head, it has an elastic loop for your pony-tail. This did double duty to keep my hair out of my face while riding in the wind.

The fabric is also thin enough not to interfere with wearing a helmet, should you choose to do so (no need for the debate here thanks).

Since the sun sometimes shines in winter, Anna's provided slits above the ears to slot glasses into place. As a prescription specs wearer I was glad not to have the frame squashed against my face. The specs holes do not go right through the material, but instead between the two layers, so there is no chilly inlet for wind. It felt a little odd for my glasses to not be sitting around the back of my ears, but I soon got used to it.

I tested a size M/L ear warmer designed to fit a 56.5 - 58cm head. I'm right at the bottom end of the range but I still found the ear warmer too tight, and they left a red mark over my forehead after use. I found that to cover my ears properly I had to sit the headband quite low, but that is probably because I have quite dangly earlobes. Mother nature and her design faults again.

I really liked the styling, with the simple but recognisable three loops on a black background. You could easily pair the ear warmers with the matching neck warmer without looking too match-matchy.

Overall, this is a well-designed ear-warmer, with some useful features (either women specific or for men with long hair, dependent on your view). Best to try the sizing before you buy to ensure a snug and comfortable fit.

Earache: banished.

Verdict

Good-looking and functional, with some nifty features.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Ana Nichoola V Ear Warmers

Size tested: Medium, Black

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

The AnaNichoola V ear-warmers are more thought-out than you could have imagined for such a simple little garment. They are designed with a luscious fleece-lined fabric that is still slim enough to fit under your helmet, with a pony-tail loop at the back to pull your hair back. We also listened to feedback from our customers and found that some of you wanted to still be able to wear glasses whilst keeping your ears warm. This makes perfect sense, as the coldest winter days are often the brightest! So we have developed a system that allows you to slot your glasses in without letting in any drafts.

Genius!

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

- Fleece-backed fabric to keep your ears warm

- Not too bulky to fit under your helmet

- Pony-tail loop to reduce chafing from your hair

- Sunglasses hole for those bright, cold, winter days

- Fleece panel to eliminate any draft

- AnaNichoola embroidered logo hoops

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Well made from good quality materials.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Ears warm? Check!

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10

Lovely fleece-backed material but too tight for my bonce.

Rate the product for value:
 
9/10

Lots of design features for little cash.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Earache was abolished when wearing these. Job done.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The glasses and pony tail slots.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Too tight on me, leaving a red mark on my forehead.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes, in a size L

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 5'7  Weight: size 16

I usually ride: Trek 7.5 WSD  My best bike is: Turquoise Cruiser

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Novice

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, general fitness riding, Leisure

 

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1 comments

Avatar
nbrus | 10 years ago
0 likes

Grossly overpriced and not particularly stylish either ... looks like a pair of underpants that were accidentally put on when reaching for the headband in the dark. Mr Bean would be proud. 24

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