MaxFlow Headband Review and...I ran.

I alway have "fly-aways": those pesky short little hairs all around my face. A headband is always necessary to keep my hair out of my face, even more so now that I've got bangs going on.My headbands usually have a pretty short life span. I wear them 'till they stretch out and then ditch them. If there's anything worse than fly always in my face while I'm running, it's a headband that is slowly slipping back.

I recently had the chance to try MaxFlow Sports headbands. The company sent me two to try out. Usually when I review products I like to give them a thorough wear-test in conditions that mimic the way that I'd use it if I'd purchased it myself. I wore the MaxFlow headbands on several occasions: one all-day while I cleaned the house and did chores (you know one of those days where you never make it out of the running gear); I wore it for a run on the treadmill and recently had a chance to test it out in hot weather. Where it really counts. I feel like the ultimate test for a headband is to wear it while running track on a 90 degree day. A workout where you're drenched in sweat; that's the true test of a headbands non-slip ability.

Here's what I think of the MaxFlow headbands:

Construction: the feel and construction of the headband is pretty solid. The elastic is thicker than most other headbands I've had. On the inside is a continuous strip of grippy rubber. The crisscrossed pattern is supposed to stop slippage (more on whether or not that works in a bit). Overall my first impression was that it was quality product.

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Size: the size of the headband is larger than most headbands I wear, even my stretched out headbands-which was probably a contributing factor to the fit. I've been told (mostly in jest by my husband ) that I have a small head (and small ears). So maybe my abnormally small head is to blame for the ill fit. br />

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Fit: I was pleased that when wearing the headband all day it did not give me a headache. Many bands that are tight enough to be non-slip leave me with a terrible headache shortly after. I'm not gonna lie. The headband slipped on my head. When I wore it all day I had to readjust is several times. It didn't slip on my treadmill run, but I'm running in a 40degree, unheated basement so I don't sweat much. It did however slip while running in the Florida heat (yes I went for a run while I was on vacation. I rested 10 days and thought I'd give my aching hamstring a test run. I'm not experiencing any pain while running on flat surfaces so I figured it would be OK. Also it's freezing back home and I couldn't resist the opportunity to run in beautiful weather and explore the resort areas...I really wanted to see what the Disney treehouse villas looked like! I digress...back to the headbands) So while running in 80 degrees plus humidity the band slipped and I had to take it off and put it back on midway through a short run. I also noticed that one of the bands, which I've worn more often seems to have stretched since I've used it. I noticed puckering on the inside of the band which makes me think the band stretched.

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I have an Under Armor headband that is braided and I've found this to be the beast headband I've worn. I wore it all summer at hot track workouts and even when I was drenched in sweat it didnt slip. I think the braided construction keeps the band from becoming too stretched out and the weave of the no slip grippy rubber on the back prevents slippage.

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I don't enjoy giving unfavorable reviews but I'm going to be honest. I wouldn't purchase these headbands on my own. They are too big for my head. Though they may work for others, I was disappointed and will stick with my Under Armor headband. I think headbands are one of those thing you have to try out and see what works for you. Thankfully they aren't that expensive. So if one kind doesn't work it isn't a big deal to switch it up and get another one.

What is your go-to headband for keeping your hair in place while running?

-Sarah