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Gear Review - TripThings LYSCHY Premium Balaclava

Henry
Feb 26
4 min read

Updated: 5 days ago

When TripThings reached out asking if I was keen to try their LYSCHY Premium Balaclava - and glancing at a cold weather forecast ahead - I didn't hesitate ...

Like many things I’ve reviewed on this blog, I doubt you have thought much about the balaclava you choose for skiing. This one from TripThings will make you change your mind, if my hard work here has not already.

The small things can make all the difference, especially on those cold days where you need every layer you can to keep the wind and snow out. I’ve used snoods before, most regularly buffs, but have more often than not gone and skied without them.

I don’t know why, but I can ski in most temperatures and conditions without a facemask – my goggles are big, perhaps; my jacket comes up over my chin, perhaps; I run hot, perhaps; or I’m accustomed to it having done most of my early “adult” skiing in Tremblant, perhaps the coldest place I have ever been … perhaps.

But I still know cold when I see it, and I know a good thing when I see it; so when Trip Things offered to send me one of their LYSCHY balaclavas – and I glanced at the forecast for what was trending towards a freezing week in Italy – I jumped at the chance.

This is my review of TripThing’s LYSCHY Premium Balaclava.

The Brand

TripThings are a UK-based online store selling all the small things you need to make your next trip brilliant, whether that’s on snow or up in the hills. Based on years – if not decades – of experience in the outdoors this, much like Skiing Unlocked, is built to give you the keys to unlock the outdoors.

For many things they act as resellers for products manufactured and marketed elsewhere, but that shouldn’t let that detract from the quality of some of the pieces such as the Premium Balaclava. This experience in the outdoors means that you know it will be right for the job, big name brand or not.

The Product

First impressions were really strong. TripThings packaged the balaclava in a little pen box, wrapped up in tissue paper and tied with paper string in a little bow. I love little cutesy things like this, signs that a brand really cares, plus every little helps towards reducing plastic packaging.

Carefully unwrapping it from its comfortable surroundings, first impressions continued to improve; this thing was clearly built to pack a punch, the flap around the neck made out of neoprene and really feeling like it would keep the cold out.

Sorry …

Flap around the neck?

Yeah that’s right. So my biggest problem with snoods, Buffs, and balaclavas I’ve used in the past is that excess material bunches up around the neck and refused to allow my jacket or midlayers to sit comfortably.

This one comes with a wide neoprene collar – if you’re as keen on your World War II history as I am it will instantly remind you of a flash hood that sailors and gunners aboard battleships used to wear when rushing to load and fire the guns.

But my god did it work. It laid flat around my neck and upper chest, fulfilling two functions – first, as mentioned, stopping the material bundling and bunching up under my jacket, but secondly it completely and utterly stopped any of the cold and snow and wind from getting into my jacket. For the first time I think ever I felt completely “sealed” in my ski gear, impenetrable to the cold.

Moving away from the flashood-collar to the head-wrap itself, and I was again impressed. It fitted perfectly, adapting even to my massive head, and felt stretchy and comfortable. I couldn't quite put my finger on the material in question, but it felt simultaneously light and tough; again it kept the cold and the wind and the snow out perfectly.

Regular readers will know I have a golden rule with ski gear, a hard and fast rule-of-thumb for gauging the quality of ski gear; and this passes that with ease. That is, I completely forgot I was wearing it; it was light and flexible enough that I didn't notice it when it was on at all. Very much a win in my book.

It also ticked other small boxes, too such as having a nice little loop for the mouth and nose, and not impairing air flow to fog up the goggles.

Drawbacks

I found that, as with all buffs and snoods and balaclavas I've worn in the past, the area around the mouth and nose became damp through condensation from my breath - a side effect of heavy breathing at 2,500m and my nose, messed up from several breaks, not being able to keep up with the effort.

With other gear, especially with a buff or snood, once I noticed it getting damp I simply turn it around, and make sure I dry it our properly at the end of the day.

With this I couldn't do that. Sure the extra material to loop over the nose and mouth was nice but when it gets damp and eventually freezes, it can get a bit uncomfortable. It's not a deal breaker by any stretch of the imagination, but something to think about, perhaps.

Final Thoughts

I really liked this piece, and it has instantly become a key part of my cold weather set up. Yes there are a couple of drawbacks, but for the conditions that I do most of my skiing in, and the role this needs to play, I really like its build, warmth and feel.

The LYSCHY Premium Balaclava is available to purchase from TripThings's website here.