How to Choose Your Beanie: The GEBO Guide
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At the pass, the wind picks up and the temperature plummets: a beanie is the only piece you can put on or take off without touching the rest of your outfit. To find out how to choose your beanie, four criteria really matter: the material, whether it has a cuff, whether it has a fleece lining, and how much warmth you’re looking for. Lagoped’s five GEBO beanies cover these four criteria in different ways. They all weigh 50 grams, come in one size, and are made in Italy.
GEBO, an essential for the Lagoped Family since the beginning
Some wardrobe pieces fade into the background, while others never leave your pack. GEBO belongs to the second category: it’s one of Lagoped’s essentials since the brand’s beginnings. It joins the Lagoped Family on mountaineering, hiking and climbing trips, and accompanies our customers on all their adventures as well as in their everyday lives.
How to choose your beanie: start with the material
Recycled wool from the Tarn, for warmth
Four GEBO beanies are made from recycled wool: the POW, CUFF, RIB and STRIPE. Their yarn, ECOPURE yarn from Filatures du Parc, combines 70% recycled wool, 25% recycled polyamide and 5% other fibers. Wool provides warmth and retains its insulating properties when moisture sets in, under a helmet or after a sustained climb; polyamide helps the knit hold up over time. The fibers are sorted by color before spinning, giving the STRIPE’s stripes their original color.
This yarn has a story. The Tarn textile basin once brought together the entire supply chain, from yarn to knitting. It was in Brassac that Jean Lodetti founded a worsted wool spinning mill in 1975. His son Fabrice took it over in 1995, then chose to focus on recycling in the 2000s. The spinning mill has been GRS-certified since 2017: this certification applies to the mill and its yarn, not the finished beanie. The general reasons for choosing recycled wool over virgin wool are detailed in our in-depth article on recycled wool.
Photo credit: Filature du Parc
Technical fabric, for exercise
The GEBO technical beanie is not a wool beanie: its knit combines recycled polyester and recycled cotton. It stays thin, lets moisture escape when you pick up the pace, and fits under a helmet without adding bulk. The detailed composition of each model, including secondary materials, is listed in the Traceability tab on its product page.
How to choose your beanie: next, the knitting and finishing
One strand or two: warmth level
The knitting determines much of the warmth. The GEBO CUFF is knitted with one strand: the stitch stays soft and breathable, suited to chilly but not freezing days. The GEBO RIB and the GEBO STRIPE are knitted with two strands: the denser stitch traps more air and blocks the wind better, making them the choice for really cold days.
With or without a cuff, with or without fleece
The folded cuff makes the beanie adjustable. On the CUFF, RIB, and STRIPE, it doubles the thickness over the ears and lets you adjust the height at the forehead: fold it down when the temperature drops, or pull it up during exercise or to clear your field of vision under a helmet. Without a cuff, the GEBO POW and the technical GEBO rely on their lining. The POW is lined with fleece across its entire interior: this double layer traps a layer of air, making it the warmest in the range. The technical GEBO has only a fleece band around the head, where the helmet presses, and stays thin everywhere else.
Jacquard: a circle, a bird, and a lot of patience
Jacquard is a knitting technique that alternates colors according to a predefined pattern: each square indicates which color appears in the knit, and the design takes shape row by row. It comes from Fair Isle, a tiny island in the Shetland archipelago, north of Scotland. Linear or geometric patterns are fairly simple to make, naturalistic shapes much more complicated, and circles are probably the most difficult. Yet that was what we wanted: a circle, with the silhouette of the ptarmigan, the snow bird, inside. Combining them in the knit took us a long time before we achieved the result we wanted.
The GEBO POW and the technical GEBO feature this logo knitted into the fabric in jacquard: nothing to peel off, nothing to wear out from rubbing against a helmet. On the CUFF, RIB, and STRIPE, the logo is embroidered.
Which GEBO beanie should you choose for your winter outings?
To choose the right beanie, start with the effort and cold you expect. Strenuous effort under a helmet calls for the technical GEBO. For chilly days with alternating walks and breaks, the CUFF is a good fit, with its adjustable cuff. When you’re exposed to the wind or the cold really sets in, go for the RIB or STRIPE, with their two-ply knit. For night departures and the coldest days, choose the POW with its full lining.
The rule fits in one sentence: wool for warmth when you stop, technical fabrics when the pace picks up. GEBO beanies are unisex and suit both women and men.
| MODEL | MAIN MATERIAL | CUFF | FLEECE LINING | WARMTH LEVEL | IDEAL FOR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEBO | Recycled polyester and cotton | No | Headband | Moderate | Strenuous effort, under a helmet, mountaineering |
| GEBO CUFF | Recycled wool | Yes | No | Moderate | Chilly days, adjustable cuff |
| GEBO RIB | Recycled wool | Yes | No | High | Exposed to wind, bitter cold, everyday wear |
| GEBO STRIPE | Recycled wool | Yes | No | High | Really cold days, striped style |
| GEBO POW | Recycled wool | No | Full | Maximum | Departures before sunrise, coldest days |
Caring for your wool beanie
The instructions apply to wool models; follow the care label on each beanie. Hand washing is gentlest: use lukewarm or cold water, never above 30°C, a little wool detergent or pH-neutral soap, soak for a few minutes, then clean gently without rubbing. Rinse with clean water, remove excess water without twisting by rolling the beanie in a towel, and leave it to dry flat in the open air.
When machine washing, turn the beanie inside out and use a short, delicate cycle with liquid detergent. Avoid tumble-drying and ironing: the wool naturally returns to its shape. The entire Lagoped collection is guaranteed for 5 years.
Frequently asked questions about choosing a beanie
How do you choose the right beanie size?
All GEBO beanies come in one size and are unisex. The cuffs on the CUFF, RIB, and STRIPE can be folded up or down to adjust coverage over your forehead and ears depending on the temperature and your helmet.
Should you choose a beanie with or without fleece?
A fleece lining feels comfortable against the skin and creates an insulating layer of air: it’s the choice for the coldest days, with the GEBO POW. A simple fleece band, like the one on the technical GEBO, keeps the knit from itching your forehead without adding bulk. Without fleece, the recycled wool in the CUFF, RIB, and STRIPE beanies is already warm, even when damp.
Which beanie should you choose for skiing?
It depends on the activity. For downhill skiing and breaks, a wool beanie, preferably double-knit or fleece-lined, keeps you warm. For ski touring, where your pace picks up, the technical GEBO lets moisture escape. In either case, it should fit under your helmet without bunching.
Which beanie should you wear under a ski or climbing helmet?
A thin beanie, without extra bulk or added details. The technical GEBO is designed for this, with a fleece band only where the helmet presses. The fleece-lined POW also works well: its logo is knitted into the fabric, so nothing rubs beneath the shell.
To choose the right beanie, the simplest approach is to pick one you forget you’re wearing: not too warm on the climb, not too light at the pass. All five GEBO beanies are part of our Beanies and Caps collection.
