Balaclava SA Face Shield Review

We thought it was about time someone did a Balaclava SA Face Shield Review. After all, the balaclava face shield has become a pretty standard piece of fishing apparel for thousands upon thousands of anglers worldwide.

Maybe you’re asking “what the heck is a balaclava?”. Good question!

A balaclava is one of those stretchy things that you can wear to cover your face and neck during cold weather or hot weather. In colder climates, it provides protection from the cold and wind. In warmer climates, it provides protection from the sun, preventing sunburn.

They’ve become wildly popular during the last year or two. Pro anglers and amateurs alike are wearing them for protection from the elements. Some people even use them to keep pollen out of their face during the spring season. And even mosquitos can be kept at bay if they’re biting your exposed skin.

And, yes, they can even be stylish if you want them to be. These stretchy face shields can be used in dozens of ways besides covering your face. I actually wear mine to cover my neck when the weather starts to turn cool. And if it gets too cold, I just slip it up over my mouth and nose and have instant relief from the cold.

One of the things I noticed is that these things are extremely thin and lightweight. Being so thin, I wondered how the heck it could possibly provide protection from any of the harsh elements. I needed convincing! But I digress. So let me backtrack a tiny bit.

After seeing people wearing these things, I decided to check them out for myself. I had no idea what they were called, so I posted a question about them over at www.BassBoatBoards.com. I immediately got some responses, with varying answers.

One of the first people to reply said he thought they were called a baklava. So I jumped onto Google and searched for baklava. The results were pretty hilarious! It turned out that a baklava is some kind of dessert pastry 😀

I replied to the person and told them that if I put a baklava on my face, it might get a bit messy 🙂

Then, after doing a bit more research, I learned that they are actually called a balaclava. Ah, that’s more like it!

Now, some companies have actually given them their own brand name, such as Hoo Rags. But the actual name is still balaclava.

Now that we have that straight, let’s talk about the product I’m reviewing. This particular balaclava was purchased from SA Fishing (www.safishing.com). S.A. stands for Salt Armour. The company apparently caters to saltwater anglers. But their face shields are also perfectly suited to any kind of outdoor activities.

The product itself is a great tool for anglers. Since buying my first one last year, I’ve used it a lot. I started using it in the early Spring season, to keep the cold wind off my face when running the boat and when fishing in colder weather.

I have to admit that I was very pleasantly surprised at how much difference it made when I pulled it over my face. The cold effects of the wind were immediately gone. For something so thin and light, it does a heck of a job at keeping you protected from the cold temperatures.

My wife and I also do a lot of walking. We walk at least once per day, at least 5 or 6 days per week. During the colder weather, we both wore our SA face shields. Sometimes we would just wear them around our necks to keep our necks warm. And they’re great at doing that,

Other times, especially when the wind was blowing, we would pull them up over our face and nose, and they provided great protection from the biting winds.

Now, one thing I want to mention is that having them pulled up over your nose while wearing sunglasses can result in your glasses fogging up a bit, especially when the temperatures outside are really cold. Sometimes it can become frustrating. But, what I learned through trial and error is that if you pull it up almost to the bottom of your eyes, and then put your glasses over the face shield, it can eliminate or drastically decrease the amount of fogging that occurs.

So let’s talk about quality

The face shield itself is pretty straight forward. It’s basically just a tubular piece of cloth. It stretches to fit over your head and can be positioned to cover your neck, your face and neck or your neck, face and head.

It’s lightweight and versatile. There are probably at least 10 different ways you can use it, including as a headband/bandana type of accessory or, for people with long hair, it can actually be used to hold a ponytail in place.

What’s more is the fact that it comes in a virtual myriad of colors and prints. They range from basic gray or black, to full-blown faces or other graphics printed on them. They can be entertaining, to say the least.

But beyond the “fun factor”, these balaclava face shields also provide another layer of protection, from UV rays. Yup! They protect you from the sun’s harmful rays and can help prevent skin cancer. Not a bad fringe benefit.

The SA face shields are rated SPF 40, which is excellent. This means that you can stay in the sun 40 times longer than you could with no protection at all. I personally don’t know what kind of tests are run on them to determine the SPF rating, but I’m assuming there has to be some kind of scientific basis to the testing.

Another excellent feature, and one that I find pretty interesting, is the fact that these products all come with a lifetime warranty. What does this mean? It means that if you buy one of these, if it’s defective or if it fails for some reason, it will be replaced, free of charge.

I actually had to call and let them know that the first face shield I bought was starting to fray around the edges after wearing it just a few times. In less than 3 minutes, I was off the phone and had a brand new face shield on the way! There were no hassles, no long questions and no paperwork or forms to fill out. This is the way customer service should be for every company!

Want discounts? Who doesn’t! Check the SA website, where they freely offer discounts by way of several different promo codes. http://safishing.com/holiday-sales/

There are frequently sales or promos happening, so you can get some great deals if you time your purchase right. And if you want to buy more than one, they have multi-packs that offer even better pricing. This also gives you a selection of different patterns or colors to choose from on any given day.

It’s a Wrap! (no pun intended)

Let’s wrap this review up so we can get to writing our next one!

The Salt Armour balaclava face shields are an excellent value, especially if you snag them with a discount or promo code.

They do exactly what they’re supposed to do; protect your face and surrounding skin areas from the sun, the cold air and the wind. They can also double as protection from pollen and bug bites.

The only problem I experienced was with the edges fraying. And, as I mentioned, I called and was given a replacement, free of charge, with no hassles whatsoever. It arrived in the mail just a few days later.

Because of the lifetime warranty, there is absolutely no risk on the buyer’s part, whatsoever.

So, with all of that said, I am giving them a solid 4.5 star rating. The deduction of the 1/2 star is due to the fraying edges I experienced.

I would highly recommend buying from Salt Armour. I know I will be purchasing other products from them in the future, and I can honestly recommend their products to you 🙂

To see the SA Face shields, Please Click Here.

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Good fishing <><