Friday 14 December 2018

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

If there's one thing that I see players across a number of sports trying to control, it's those beads of sweat that run down one's forehead and possibly into one's eyes. While we've heard the old adage of "Never let them see you sweat," it happens through body heat and effort as sweat is the body's way of trying to keep one cool. As you might expect, sweating happens while playing sports often, but what if I told you there was an affordable, effective product that can help athletes remain drier than normal while still achieving greatness?

I'd like to introduce you today to NoSweat. NoSweat is a lifestyle brand and manufacturer of products that are 100% USA made and built to increase performance, safety and hygiene for anyone who sweats and wears some type of hat, helmet, visor or hard hat. Founded in 2008 by Justin Johnson and based out of Minneapolis, NoSweat offers a growing, patented line of sweat absorbing solutions.

While this entry may seem like product placement, I assure you that I, along with a high-performance athlete, had a chance to test out a few of the NoSweat liners, and the science is pretty convincing. The NoSweat liners that I tested were worn in a couple of ball caps while I had Bisons women's hockey forward Jordyn Zacharias test the helmet liners as I went looking for these hat and helmet liners to fail in their claim where one can say goodbye to sweat.

First, let's take a look at the pitch NoSweat makes.
They call it "Dri-LID technology" in terms of the sweat absorption qualities, but there isn't much information on what's actually inside the NoSweat liner. That being said, I do know that the NoSweat liners are easy to install, keep one's forehead dry and one's hat from developing those unsightly sweat marks, and don't actually change the way the hat sit on one's head. In other words, they live to their claims.

If there was one drawback in wearing the cap liners while shoveling snow, working around the house, and running errands, it's that the stickiness of the liner can start to fade after time, making a replacement necessary. I suppose that the glue used by NoSweat was never meant to be permanent in the first place, so if this is the only drawback in the product that I found I really have nothing to complain about in the overall review. NoSweat cap liners absorbed the sweat and oils on my forehead, kept my hat looking new, and were unobtrusive and unnoticeable in terms of wearing it.

Beer league hockey sometimes doesn't give me the heavy sweating that I would see if I were a high-performance athlete, so I turned to Jordy of the Manitoba Bisons for a little help in testing the NoSweat helmet liners. While she claimed she only "glowed" while playing and practicing, she said, "The NoSweat liners absorbed the sweat well, and I never noticed any sweat rolling down my forehead while playing. I don't recall needing to wipe my brow with a towel in between drills, so the NoSweat liners work."

A solid review from Jordy, but the question of whether she would use them again needed to be answered. "Yeah," she stated, "I didn't even notice them while practicing, so I'd use them again. They did the job they were supposed to do and they didn't affect my play in any way, so I'd use the NoSweat liner again."

I found it interesting that Washington Capitals star TJ Oshie was one of the brand ambassadors for NoSweat. Along with Oshie, Golden Tate of the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Keuchel of MLB's Houston Astros, Brandon McManus of the NFL's Denver Broncos, PGA stars Stewart Cink and Scott Langley, Matt Adams of MLB's St. Louis Cardinals, and tennis broadcaster Kerry Feirman all are brand ambassadors of the NoSweat product.

NoSweat found its first professional alliance with the New York Rangers, and there are "now 27 teams who regularly wear the product in their helmets" as well as the "NHL Officials Association, who ordered over 21,000 of the Performance Liners for the 2017-2018 NHL season". They're also an officially licensed partner of the PGA Tour! With that kind of support, it's fairly clear that this product not only works, but is the only choice for all those who wear a hockey helmet at the NHL level!

I've been using the NoSweat liner in my ball cap for the last three weeks, and it has delivered on every feature that the company promises. The additional cap liners I have will be used this summer while playing and umpiring baseball as I often find myself with a damp cap after being out in the heat all day. I have a feeling that NoSweat liners will keep my hat dry and comfortable all day long!

You can purchase NoSweat liners at a number of retail outlets across North America or you can get them directly off the NoSweat website. They're priced at $5 USD for a three-pack of liners while a 12-pack will set you back $18 USD and a 25-pack will cost you $35. Honestly, for the low price NoSweat is charging for the liners, I would have guessed they would have been more expensive than their current price point. In saying that, the benefits are certainly worth the low cost of the liners, so I not only recommend them but I certainly can endorse them at their current prices!

In recent news, it was announced that NoSweat entered a five-year international licensing agreement United Sports Brands, parent company of Shock Doctor, Nathan, McDavid, Cutters and XO Athletic! Expect to hear more and more about the NoSweat brand as they continue to grow and market themselves extremely well!

If you find yourself drying your brow while playing sports or doing work, NoSweat liners should be part of your uniform. The cap and helmet liners absorb sweat and wick it away, keeping your hat or helmet and your forehead dry over the course of several games or weeks. With NoSweat's low prices, it's an incredible product that won't destroy your wallet. Because of its effectiveness and its pricing, NoSweat will be in my hockey bag and baseball bag going forward!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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