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review
Headwear
Lusso Thermal Skull Hat Lusso Thermal Skull Hat
Lusso Thermal Skull Hat

Lusso Thermal Skull Hat

8
by Stu Kerton
UPDATED Mon, Jan 06, 2020 20:15

First Published Jan 6, 2020

0
£9.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Simple, well-priced solution for keeping your head warm in freezing conditions
Weight: 
36g
Contact: 
www.lusso.bike
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Thin and lightweight yet warm, the Lusso Thermal Skull Cap is an ideal piece of kit for when the temperatures drop to near freezing and you want to avoid that ice-cream headache.

  • Pros: Fits under a helmet with ease; good ear coverage, cheap
  • Cons: What's not to like?

The majority of helmets are designed with massive vents to allow heat to escape in summer, so it's no wonder that in the middle of winter when riding into an icy wind their performance can be sub-par. That's when you need something like a skull cap.

> Buy this online here

The skull cap is nothing new and Lusso hasn't exactly come up with anything ground-breaking with this version, but if it ain't broke, why fix it?

The material used here is relatively thin so you aren't adding a huge amount of bulk underneath your helmet – in fact, on most of mine I only needed to loosen the cradle by a couple of clicks.

There is a bit of stretch in the material so you get a good snug fit without it really adding any pressure around your forehead or temples. Over the ears there is a little bit of room so that they don't feel squished, and if you wear earphones on the bike like I do then they aren't being pressed into your ears any further than you want them to be.

Lusso Thermal Skull Hat 2.jpg

The seams are well positioned and I didn't have any irritation with any helmets rubbing them against my head, even on long rides.

Overall warmth is pretty much spot on too: just enough to take the chill off without seeing you start to sweat as soon as the ride intensity increases.

The whole thing packs up really small as well, so if you do start to overheat you can easily whip it off and stick it in a back pocket.

> Buyer's Guide: 13 products to keep you cycling through winter

For value, I don't think you can really argue that £9.99 isn't a good deal. It's well made here in the UK and it does the job it's designed to do – and just as well as the £40 Assos RoboCap.

It's cheaper than the very good Galibier Dolomiti Skull Cap, too, which currently costs £12.77.

> Winter cycle clothing on a budget: kit yourself out without breaking the bank

Overall, the Lusso Thermal Skull Cap does the job, is comfortable to wear and doesn't cost the earth.

Verdict

Simple, well-priced solution for keeping your head warm in freezing conditions

road.cc test report

Make and model: Lusso Thermal Skull Hat

Size tested: One size

Tell us what the product is for

It is a thin head-covering designed to fit under your helmet in cold conditions.

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

Lusso lists:

Thermal

Windproof

Breathable

Made in the UK

Machine washable

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
8/10
Rate the product for sizing:
 
8/10

One size fits all but I'd say there is enough give in the material for it to adjust to smaller or larger heads.

Rate the product for weight:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

No issues from bunging it in the washing machine with the rest of my kit.

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

Keeps the chill off without trapping too much heat.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Fits subtly under your helmet.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing really.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

It's a little cheaper than the Galibier version but comes in a stonking 75% cheaper than the Assos while doing the same job, minus a few little details like reflective trim and sunglasses loops.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

Lusso has kept it simple: it does the job it is designed to do, at a great price.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed

Lusso Thermal Skull Hat 2020
Lusso Thermal Skull Hat
Lusso 2020
lusso
Stu Kerton

Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.

With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.

He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.

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