The GUTR – the Next Generation of Headbands

GUTR™ SPORTS HEADBAND

***** Update: 12/6/2014. Does the GUTR™ really work? Before this mornings’ ride, I was running a couple minutes late and had forgotten the GUTR™ which sat on the workbench in the garage. When I got to the bike shop, I thought that I probably wouldn’t need it since the weather was on the cool side. Wasn’t supposed to get over 62F. Boy was I wrong. About 40 minutes into the ride, the foam liner on my helmet had completely saturated, sweat started flowing down my face and into my eyes. You know, that stinging sweat. The group was hammering at 27mph through the campground so I needed to keep both hands on the bars. It wasn’t until the turnaround at 20 miles that I could wipe the sweat from my face and eyes. The return trip was even faster due to a slight tailwind. All the way back sweat in my eyes. So, does the GUTR™ work? You bet it does. That is the last time I forget it at home! *****

There are several sweat blocking / sweat redirecting headbands on the market. How do you know which one works or which one is right for you?

I recently reviewed the Halo II HeadBand and it did a great job in redirecting the sweat from the forehead, but, after some long rides, I noticed that after the Halo II gets saturated, some sweat will find its way past the silicone strip and drip down into your eyes. This happens most often when you tilt your head down. Don’t get me wrong, the Halo II headband still works great and it is far better than not using one at all. A workaround that I found is that when you stop at a light, ‘squeegee’ it dry by pressing the flat of your finger over it and wipe it from one side to the other. This will ‘wring-out’ most of the moisture.

Several weeks ago, someone sent me an email to take a look at the GUTR™ sweatband. Going through their website, this product looks promising. I contacted the company and they sent me a sample to test. Everything needed is included in the box. Three different sized bands are attached allowing the GUTR™ to fit small, medium or large heads. The instructions are printed onto the box and easy to follow and it took me less than a minute to get the GUTR™ fitted to my head.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The GUTR™ works much like the Halo II in that it channels sweat away before getting into your eyes. The GUTR™ redirects the sweat from the forehead and out to the sides of the face via a thin bevelled edge gutter which channels the sweat back to the temples. The only sweat that gets into the eyes is the sweat that is generated from the eyebrows. In order for the GUTR™ to work efficiently, there are two critical factors that need to be followed. Make sure that the GUTR™ is

• centered on the forehead. If too far to one side, the sweat will drip down into that ear. Once centered, the sweat drips down the temple directly between the corner of the eyes and front part of ear.
• placed as low as possible on the forehead. It will work best when placed 1 finger width above the eyebrows.

So how does the GUTR™ compare to the Halo II? The main differences are

• the Halo II eventually gets saturated, comprising its functionality, the GUTR™ doesn’t,
• the Halo II uses a silicone strip to redirect sweat, the GUTR™ uses an actual gutter/channel.

BEFORE THE RIDE

There are 3 elastic closure rings which you will need to select one based on your head size- small, medium or large. I recommend to start with the medium band. If the fit is too tight, remove and replace with the large. If the fit is too loose, remove and replace with the small.

Next, adjust the hook & loop fasteners so that the GUTR™ is more snug than loose. Too loose and the sweat will drip down between your forehead and the GUTR™, too tight and it will be uncomfortable. Last, place the GUTR™ so that it is centered on your forehead, then put your helmet on. You will probably need to loosen your helmets tensioning system a little. A detailed illustration is shown below.

Choose the elastic closure band that roughly fits the size of your head. These bands come in S / M / L. Open hook & loop fasteners and feed each side through band, then fasten.
Place over head onto forehead making sure front lip is facing up and is centered across forehead. The GUTR™ should be placed 1 finger, or no more than 1/2” above the eyebrows and ears.
Adjust the GUTR™ to fit snug, but not tight by opening hook & loop fasteners and applying a light pull, then closing.
Loosen the helmet fastening system and place helmet over head. Adjust back of GUTR™ for comfort and fit within helmet. Retighten helmet ensuring proper fit and that it is secure on your head.
Now go for a ride.
After your ride, you can hand wash with soap and warm water.

HOW DID IT WORK?

At first, the GUTR™ seemed a little snug, but, after several minutes, I did not even know I had it on. The GUTR™ worked as advertised, blocking and redirecting the sweat to the sides of the face! I experienced only a bare minimum amount of sweat coming off my eyebrows.

All ‘absorbent-type’ headbands (nylon, cotton, etc.) fill with sweat over time, and once saturated are rendered useless. GUTR™ is made from a hypo-allergenic soft PVC plastic material so there is no absorbing sweat. In other words, it works and works and works and continues working as long as you are sweating.

After the ride, you can hand wash the GUTR™ with soap and warm water. Easy clean-up! The GUTR™ looks to be well built and should last for several years of daily usage before needing replacing.

OTHER AVAILABLE MODELS

There are 3 GUTR™ product lines available SPORTS, INDUSTRIAL, MILITARY. All similarly built using the same basic design.

• SPORTS GUTR™ comes in 3 colors, Frost White, Smoke Gray and Light Blue Hydro.
• INDUSTRIAL GUTR™ is made to attach to and fit under construction hard hats.
• MILITARY GUTR™ is similar to the SPORTS model but made lighter.

SUMMARY

All GUTR™ headbands are made with from a hypo-allergenic soft plastic material. These products are lightweight, yet built strong and tough and can be used during either summer or winter activities and for many other sports – not only for cycling. I have used the GUTR™ headband on more than a dozen rides and I’ve gotten to the point where I miss it if it’s left at home. Each GUTR™ headband is built with quality in mind – both quality materials and quality construction.

I highly recommend this product for year-round cycling, built to last and works as advertised!

Rick Schultz

I have always enjoyed bicycling and, through a series of coincidences, became a Bicycle Industry Consultant and Product Tester. I test prototype products for companies and have published only off the shelf production products on biketestreviews.com.