Velocio Signature Collar

The Velocio Signature Collar is a warm, breathable neck tube that doubles neatly as a hat, and as it's made from jersey offcuts it's quite a fancy fabric. The shaping and stitching are great too, but the price is high.

Using offcuts to make neck tubes seems a great idea to me, as these things are just so useful; they seal out draughts and trap warmth incredibly effectively for their tiny weight and bulk, and make good little hats with just a twist in the middle.

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How you feel about paying £30 for a potentially otherwise useless offcut is, of course, personal, but there's no doubt this fabric is impressive and very neatly stitched. The gentle taper and slim yet unconstricting fit are also very well judged – it's slim enough to easily zip under a collar, but you'd need a neck diameter in excess of 44cm to stretch it taut.

Velocio describes the fabric as 'a mid-weight, dual knit performance fabric known for its incredible wicking and soft touch', which seems fair – though wicking is arguably less of an issue around your neck than, say, across the back of a jersey. Still, it's nice to have, and it's soft and comfortable if not actively plush or cosy-feeling.

It's thin and stretchy enough to make a comfortable cap beneath your helmet, too, which can really be a help on cold descents or chilly days in general.

At £30, it sits firmly at the 'premium' end of the market – the same price as the Findra Betty and the 7mesh Colorado, though that offers water repellency too – but a fiver more than 7mesh's Desperado (which I'm also testing) and around six quid more than the Iris Merino neck warmer, £24 (when we tested it) and very soft.

Cheaper still are the likes of the Lusso Merino neck warmer at £10.99 (though it's actually a merino/polyester blend), or the Galibier Ardennes Headband at £9, which is made from Domiti, a thickish Lycra type fabric that works well (we tested the Galibier Multi Scarf Pro in 2018, made from the same fabric, and £7.30).

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Note that you can also get neck warmers on eBay from around £3, and while they're basic, I certainly don't find them ten times worse than a £30 one.

On the other hand, you're essentially getting three-quarters of a sleeve from a £150 jersey here, so the pricing at least seems consistent.

Overall

This is a neat, subtly stylish and well-made neck warmer that's ideal for cool or cold days (if not necessarily freezing ones). If you're happy with the price, you'll be happy with the performance.

Verdict

Comfortable, useful and really well made, as it should be for the price