Wearing Helmets All Year Long (+ Wizbang Hat Review and Giveaway)

*This post has been updated to include a giveaway - please read all the way to the end!*
*CLOSED* Congratulations, Carla (lucky #10 - check your inbox!)

We are huge proponents of helmets in our family.  We wear them skiing and biking (and don't even think about NOT wearing them if we are on motorized vehicles.)  We have been touched by deaths due to people not wearing helmets, and I am shocked every time I see a motorcycle go through town (which we get a LOT of in the summer) with a helmet-less rider.  Additionally, many ski resorts are moving towards mandatory helmet use.  This is my plug to please wear a helmet - it could save your life (and sets a great example for your kids)!

Yesterday I mentioned that we bike all year long, and when you live at 7000 feet, that means that a lot of the time some sort of ear protection from the cold is needed.

First of all, J wears an infant helmet by Giro called the Me2 that I highly recommend.  The Me2 is adjustable as the child grows (or you change layers of clothing.) When we bought J's balance bike, he tried on a bunch of different helmets and it was the one that fit him better than any of the others.  I also love that it comes down further on the back of his head just to provide that much more protection.

I admit that as a family, we (meaning Mountain Papa and I) are much lazier about wearing helmets simply because of the hassle of fitting a hat under them.  Really lame excuse.  But, because I know we are not the only ones that struggle with it, I wanted to highlight a few hats that are multifunctional (especially for biking) for us as a family.  These are certainly not the only ones out there, and we would love to hear some of your own favorites!

Mountain Hardware, Wizbang and Icebreaker hats

Mountain Hardware Dome Perignon Hat - definitely a thicker hat, but more form-fitting on the head and really windproof, which is awesome!

Icebreaker Unisex Mogul Hat - not windproof, but light enough to fit under a helmet well.

The North Face Windstopper Ear Gear  - not a full hat, but provides great ear protection (just a bit of wind where bike helmets vent on top!)  We love the windstopper in this one!

Wizbang Kid Hats (retails for $24) - This is the BEST hat we have found for J to wear under his helmet.  It is warm, covers his ears well and just fits him well.  Plus, it is cute and he gets complements on it all the time.  I got a chance to meet Liz, the founder of Wizbang, last month and love the company story.  She grew up ski racing and coaching and just wanted a good hat to wear AFTER training.  From Wizbang: We love hats. We love to play. We believe in the power of laughter, the strength of our bodies and the spirit of our enthusiasm. We want our accessories to express these aspects of ourselves, and so began Wizbang Hats. 

Shark Bait and Dino Camo (the hats, not the kids :))

Liz also generously sent a couple of hats for me to try out that I also love.  They are stylish, easy to throw on and keep me warm (watch the blog in the coming weeks for some more photos of the adult hats).  Wizbang makes women's hats both in fleece (retail $32) and a lightweight fabric (retail $28-32) that is great for less warmth and more "cover-that-ski-hair".  Watch this coming fall for some more hats with brims including kids' hats!  I am also hoping for some baby hats that would be small enough to fit P too.

The best news for you is that Wizbang hats has stepped in and offered a chance for one of you to win an Wizbang hat!  To enter to win, simply comment on this post.  A winner will be chosen after February 14th and emailed to claim their prize (make sure you leave a valid email address) and announced on this post.  Good luck! 

Liz over at Wizbang Hats sent us some of their hats to review.  However, as always the opinions expressed here are completely and honestly our own.  We love them!  Additionally, some of the links in this post are affiliates.  See our disclosure here.