Omius Headband + cooling pieces product review

Keep a cool head!

A game changer in any event where you might be feeling the heat - the heat of the sun, the heat of the air or the heat of your own effort.

Choosing is stressful! I hope I can help. My experience is based on over 15 years of trial and error, always self-supported, self-taught and parting with my own hard earned money as sensibly as possible. Views are my own.

Review of the Omius Headband and cooling pieces.

Cooling tech has taken the endurance world by storm in recent years and Omius headband has been the loudest and most obvious piece of tech on display - and for good reason.

How do they work?

From the Omius.io website:

Omius unlocks the power of evaporation. When water or sweat evaporates on the surface of the skin it absorbs heat and cools the body. 

The amplified cooling effect of the Omius technology comes from water being absorbed into the cooling pieces where it has 5x more surface area for evaporation. The transformation of water from a liquid to a gas on the surface of the graphite pulls heat from the inside of the cooling pieces that are in contact with the skin. This cools the skin.

Because the cooling effect is driven solely by water evaporation the effect will continue indefinitely as long as the cooling pieces are wet and exposed to airflow.  

What are the cooling pieces made of?

From the Omius.io website:

The cooling pieces are made of a highly thermally conductive graphite with a hydrophilic coating that optimizes the uptake and evaporation of the water that powers the cooling effect.

#1: GAME-CHANGING!

These things are miraculous!

The graphite is cool even without being wet and is kind to your skin. When they are repeatedly wet they work so well, it's a very calming sensation.

The first time I wore these it was 28 centigrade in the 2024 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Taupo, New Zealand with a UV Infex of 12. In other words, it felt HOT. Everyone was scared by it but just minutes into the run I felt much less fearing because I was wearing these and pouring water on them at every aid station.

They kept me cool throughout the whole run and ultimately helped me deliver on the best weapon I have in triathlon which is my run. Controlling a super consistent effort to be the 6th fastest amateur run out of over 3,000 competitors and just 1s off 1st in my age-group.

#2: Headband or Caps are available

The cooling pieces can be worn now in caps as well as the initial product that was a headband.

I have both, I prefer the headband as the cap isn't made as well as a normal running cap so the shape is a little odd.

The good thing is the cooling pieces can be exchanged between them so if you are not liking the look of one then you can buy the cap or headband or different colour for cheaper than buying the cooling pieces again.

I wore them across my head in advance of a race just to cool down before.

#3: For triathlon it feels like a weapon

Coming into T2 can be a nervous occasion at the best of times and if you're picking these up amongst your prepared items for the run then they really feel like an extra weapon. And although there are now likely to be several people wearing them in a race, to anyone that isn't you can get a sense that you have one edge because of Omius.

#4: Fragile, expensive to replace the pieces

I like the fact that you change caps to headbands for cheaper than the whole product but the most expensive part are the cooling pieces and these are fragile. If you do not store these in the box and handle them delicately, TIP - keep the box!, then they can broke quite easily and they are expensive to repeatedly invest in. Through the chaos of triathlon racing and having to put them into a T2 bag in advance there is higher risk of this. I have raced with them 5 times and have 1 piece broken and another fractured.

Headlines, outstanding Pros and Cons

• They really, really work - you instantly feel cool, even before they are wet

• Headband looks good and is comfortable

• Versatility of caps to headbands

• Expensive

• Store them well, handle them gently

  
  

Standout Pros:

• Keep you amazingly cool

• Incredible for triathlon racing particularly where more likely to overheat after cycling

Standout Cons:

• Expensive and cooling pieces are delicate, if you don't take care to store them correctly you will need to replace and they aren't cheap

The Final Score

You will not regret buying these, unless you break them quickly.

If I have any triathlon race that will be slightly warm I will be wearing these and for running it needs to be slightly warmer but in any chance I will wear these!

Official site is here: https://www.omius.io/pages/faq

If you've liked what you've read, folllow my Instagram account @bridgeo_tri_run or The Running Triathlete on TikTok.

If you've got your own experience with the product, please leave comments, I'd love to know others views!