Beanies are one of the most ally bits of clothing you can add to a loadout, you don’t see them often enough in my opinion. Sure, during the summer you’ll end up boiling your head, but when winter comes calling… The humble beanie will be a treasured possession.

I’m not gonna lie, part of the reason why I bought this was that after binge-watching Generation Kill I’d been looking to add a little bit of early GWOT chic to my pretty much “up to date” loadout. But if you’re buying a beanie, which one do you buy?

Under Armour, Nike, Some other random manufacturer? Or maybe someone with their finger firmly on the pulse and with a heritage you can trust?

Ferro Concepts might be very well known nowadays for their Dangler, Slingster and Slickster product lines but one of their early ventures was in a humble hat… the RECCE Beanie. It’s been an incredibly popular item over in the US but it’s appeal is a little limited in the UK. Having said that, a hat that’s designed for the coldness of Ferro’s native Canada shouldn’t be underrated by anyone.

One thing I want to get clear in your head is that this will not be the world’s longest review… It’s a Hat. Most of what I’ll say is subjective and my own opinion, I can give you an idea of how it works and feels for me but like with many items of clothing it’s a different experience for everyone.

One thing I can comment on though is the quality, it’s superb. The hat is as well made as you’d expect from a company that has never failed me in any item I’ve bought to date. The fact that I’ve bought several Ferro items over the years from PTT retainers and to their Slickster Plate Carrier (reviewed here) and have only sold the Slickster based upon its size (plate size medium/man size large) should tell you that I’m a pretty happy customer.

The RECCE is a tubular double layered design which allows the hat to retain a layer of air within its structure, added to its ribbed design it keeps a fair amount of air warm right where it needs to be.

The tubular design is cut and stitched back on itself, a neat six way split keeps the hat formed into a comfortable shape and once stitched stops the hat from deforming out of shape.

Comfort is good overall, remember though that this is subjective… What I like you might hate. The sizing is also about right, I was able to fold the rim over my ears when it gets really cold and wear it in a traditional manner when I just needed a little extra warmth.

The RECCE Beanie is available in four colours. Coyote Brown (as reviewed), Covert Green, Dusk Grey and the classic beanie colour, Black.

The main thing I like about the Ferro RECCE Beanie is that it’s extremely breathable, you can literally breathe through the open woven acrylic material without effort. This does mean that it’s not particularly water resistant, but it does retain enough air when wet to stay relatively warm. On testing it doesn’t weigh much or occupy a lot of space, it will also dry out very fast indeed should you get it thoroughly soaked.

Overall it’s a good item to have on a cold night, I’ve always drawn up two lists of gear for games away… Combat (self explanatory) and Comfort, this second list is about keeping myself happy… A warm hat is always high up on the list no matter the season, now it’ll be the Ferro RECCE keeping my bonce covered at night.