A ski mask for snowboarding has a few jobs to do before it gets to be funny. It has to work with your goggles, fit under your helmet, cover your face on the chairlift and stay put when you're strapping in for the hundredth time. This guide walks through those basics, is honest about what a knit fun mask can and can't do, and then gets to the good part: picking a face.
What a ski mask for snowboarding has to do
Leave room for goggles. The eye opening needs to match the shape of a goggle frame. If the knit bunches under the foam, cold air gets in and goggles fog. Blockhead has one wide eye opening sized for ski goggles, so the frame sits on your face, not on a fold of fabric.
Fit under a helmet. Snowboarding means falling, and falling means a helmet. A mask that's too thick or too stiff pushes the helmet up and ruins the fit. Blockhead is a stretch polyester knit that fits under most ski and snowboard helmets. The little knit knob on top flattens under the shell.
Cover your face and neck. On the lift, wind hits your cheeks, chin and neck. A full-face balaclava covers all of it in one piece, so there's no gap between a neck gaiter and a beanie.
Stay on. A one-piece balaclava pulls on over your head and doesn't slip down when you look at your bindings. The stretch knit holds it in place.
Is it warm enough?
Here's the honest part. Blockhead is a full-face polyester knit, about 150 g, made for lift rides and cold days. It's a fun mask, not a technical base layer. On a normal winter day with a jacket and helmet, it's comfortable. On a brutally cold, windy day you'll want your usual layers under your jacket, and you might decide the mask is for the afternoon laps and the après photos. We'd rather tell you that now than have you find out on the summit.
It also helps to think about what you're riding. Park laps with a lot of hiking get warm fast, and a lighter knit is nicer than a thick technical hood. Long, cold groomer days with lots of chairlift time are where you'll want extra layers under your jacket.
Picking a face for the park
Snowboarding has always had more room for style than seriousness, and a ski mask is one of the easiest places to show it. Blockhead is a bright yellow full-face knit with a blocky head, thick black eyebrows and one of four faces under the goggle opening:
- Chomp: a huge grin with a full grid of top and bottom teeth. Best for clips, because it reads from far away. See the ski mask with teeth page.
- Tongue Out: a cheeky smile with a red tongue sticking out, for the rider who's always pulling a face anyway.
- Big Grin: a wide open smile with one row of white teeth. Friendly and happy to be there.
- Smirk: a sly one-sided smirk, funny without shouting.
Yellow is a practical choice too. Against white snow and dark outerwear, a yellow head is easy to find when your crew splits up at the bottom of the run, and it stands out in phone footage.
Sizing for riders
There's one size, for adult heads about 22–23 in (56–59 cm). Measure around your head just above your eyebrows if you're not sure. Goggles go on over the knit as usual. They aren't included with the mask, so bring your own. If you wear glasses, read our guide on whether a balaclava fits over glasses.
Crew orders
A funny mask is better when the whole group is in on it. Any 2 masks get 15% off and any 3 get 20% off, mixed across faces, applied automatically at checkout. A single mask costs $24.99, and shipping inside the US is free once your order reaches $45. We ship to the US only.
Care after a day on the hill
Take it off, let it dry, and wash it by hand in cold water when it needs it. Lay it flat to dry, not on a radiator and not in a dryer, so the knit keeps its shape for next season.
Ready to ride in one? Pick your face on the product page.