I didn't start out to buy a hat; I started out looking to replace the cheap earmuffs I'd been using, because they break after a few months. When I failed to find any earmuffs I felt like buying, I began looking for a hat with earflaps. My main reason for wanting this or something like it was to wear when I run the snow-blower. I rejected hats with earflaps that folded up into the inside of the hat. Some of those were nicer-looking, but I'd expect them to be either too loose or too tight, depending on whether the flaps were being used or not. It was a long search, but I finally decided on this one; it looked like it would serve my needs well, and it does. With the buckle fastened, it stays in place and keeps the weather out, and it's quite warm. The inside of the crown has a quilted satin liner with some kind of soft insulation in it; it doesn't feel thick, but it works fine. The fake fur is long and fluffy, not very dense, but keeps the ears and neck warm just fine. The hat is very light in weight. I didn't know what the two buttons on each side were for at first, but then I noticed there are loops on the ends of the little flaps on the sides, so the flaps can be buttoned in the up or down positions or left free. I doubt it would make a difference; the flaps cover a small open grommet in the side of the hat, but that gets hidden in the fur anyway. There are no instructions with the hat, so I had to discover this by exploration and accident. As I was going through the reviews, one of the most common complaints I found was that many hats are sized too small. This hat comes in only two sizes: S/M and L/XL. My head measurement was 23," which is on the small end of the L/XL range, so I got the large one. When I first put it on, it felt just right, but with subsequent wearings it seems to feel a little looser now, but not enough to complain about. The workmanship is quite good, but I don't know how good the materials are. I'd mostly worry about the fake fur. I would NOT toss this in the washer; I'd be afraid of its fur coming out. Longevity is my only concern, but if it lasts three or four years, I'll be well satisfied, as it will have paid for itself in the price of junky earmuffs. On the downside, I think it looks a little goofy with the flaps up; the straps are attached a little distance from the ends of the flaps, so that when I've got the straps buckled over the top, the flaps stick up on the sides and maybe look like some kind of dog ears. No one has laughed at me yet, though, so it must not be that bad.
