If you've ever been on an icy cold ski lift wearing snow drenched clothes in near gale force winds then you'll sympathise with the design of the Airhole facemask, even if you do look like an East-end gangster when it's wrapped around your 'loaf of bread'.
Although the Airhole is meant to replace the conventional snood we can't really compare them. The Airhole is cut like the batwing symbol and flows over the nose, under the eyes, over the ears and then tapers around the back of the head, attaching with Velcro to make complete neck and face weather protection that doesn't fall.
Let's face it, the hole looks weird, and it's tricky to align it properly with your mouth, but if you've ever been on 'that' lift and pulled your scarf or snood up over your face you'll know that, not only is it hard to breathe under there, but the moisture from your breath can make the material wet, and wet+cold equals ice which isn't a fun thing to have attached to your face. Aside from the 'breathability', all Airholes have a DWR coating applied which helps bead water and prevents the fabric from becoming saturated, they're also moisture wicking so they won't become clammy too quickly when you're doing spring park laps.
There are two basic options available, the 2-layer mask comes with a 10,000mm water resistant layer for shedding light rain and snow, the Polar does away with this layer so is better suited to those who like their gear more breathable.
The Airhole is available in a wide array of designs, from the ridiculous (cats) to the sublime (you choose), and at around £23 we think that they're a worthy addition to your ski and snowboard kit list.
