Buff Coolnet UV+ Tubular review

With the heightened awareness over the environmental effect of waste plastics, the Buff Coolnet UV+ is bang on trend. It’s made from a fabric that is 95% recycled polyester, with the remaining 5% being elastane for stretch. It’s designed for hot weather use, with Buff having it certified for its cooling effect, due to its wicking properties, by a German testing organisation.

Buff points out that there are many different ways you can wear your Buff Coolnet UV+. Some of these work better than others with a helmet. If you go for the classic neckwarmer option, you end up with quite a lot of loose fabric around your neck. Since it’s mostly not in contact with your skin, it can’t really provide effective wicking, so I found that it tended to keep my neck warmer rather than cooling it off.

That’s quite useful if you’re making an early start on a day that starts cool, adding a bit of extra warmth until you and the temperature warm up. The Buff Coolnet UV+ has the advantage that if you do take it off later in the day, it’s really compact and takes up minimal pocket space.

With a UPF of 50, there’s loads of sun protection, so the Buff Coolnet UV+ is useful to wear under a helmet on a day with high UV levels. Then, the fabric is more stretched out, so the wicking effect and air circulation do help keep you more comfortable, while the head coverage helps keep the sun at bay.

There are no seams in the Buff Coolnet UV+, either in the body or at its ends, so it’s comfortable, however you decide to wear it.

If, like me, you’ve got a larger head, Buff also sells the Coolnet UV+ neckwarmer in an XL version, designed to fit heads of sizes between 58cm and 62cm better.

While if you live somewhere where attacks by biting insects are a summer scourge, there’s an insect repellent range available as well.