Neck gaiter, neck tube or neck dickey at a glance

What is a neck gaiter?

Our Essential Neck Gaiter has two layers: a soft microfleece inside for warmth and a stretchy Lycra outside that lets snow slide off. All of its stitches are flat seamed, so pulled up over your nose under a full-face motorcycle or snowmobile helmet it puts no pressure points on your cheeks. It is one size for men and women, stretches four ways so you can turn your head freely, and goes in the washing machine.

The gaiter's strength is the face: it is the one to reach for when the wind gets in under your chin bar. With it pulled up, check that your helmet still fits snugly and that the chin strap fastens securely.

Neck tube: the simple fleece neck warmer

"Neck gaiter" and "neck tube" are often used for the same thing. In our range the difference is the fabric. The Polar Neck Tube is double-sided microfleece, breathable and stretchy, one size and machine washable: a plain, warm fleece neck warmer with no Lycra shell.

Gaiter or tube, both stop at the base of your neck. Under a loose or low collar, cold air goes around the bottom of the tube and down your chest. That is where the dickey comes in.

What is a neck dickey (or dickie)?

A neck dickey is a neck warmer with a bib: a collar that wraps your neck and a wider panel that drapes over your upper chest. Our Polar Neck Dickey is 4-way stretch microfleece, a 100% polyester fabric that is lightweight and breathable and does not chafe. It is a simple pull-on, one size for men and women, and you can machine wash it and tumble dry it on low.

It is also thick. Our own product page says some people find it too bulky for casual use, such as a winter walk. On a bike, sled or ATV in real cold, that thickness is the point.

How each one seals your jacket collar

At highway speed or on an open sled trail, cold air can also come in at the openings, and the collar is the big one. Wind can find the gap between the bottom of your helmet and the top of your collar and run down onto your chest and shoulders. One way to close it:

• Gaiter or tube: pull it on first, then zip your jacket over its bottom edge. It does not cover the chest, so a loose or low collar can still leave a gap.
• Dickey: wear it under your jacket, so the collar closes over fleece rather than skin. Several owners tell us it blocked the wind better than a tube neck warmer or a scarf did for them on cold, windy days.

The trade-off is bulk. A dickey under a snug jacket collar, a vest collar and a helmet strap can get crowded. Whatever you choose, put it on with your full kit and check that your helmet still fits snugly and the chin strap fastens securely with it in place. If the strap will not fasten securely or the collar will not zip, go thinner. Do not loosen the chin strap to make room.

Wind, warmth and sweat

All three are fleece, and none of their product pages claims it is windproof. How well each one keeps the wind out depends on how it fits with your jacket collar and on the conditions; the dickey owners above found that, tucked under the jacket, it did better for them than a tube. The gaiter's smooth Lycra outside sheds snow, which helps on a sled.

The dickey is warm enough that it can be too much on a mild day. One Canadian owner found it a little warm above about minus 10°C and comfortable below that; another bought it for snowmobiling and found it too warm for their riding. One owner also found it sweaty when working hard, so if you are digging out a stuck sled, you may want to pull it down.

When a balaclava does the job instead

When your ears, cheeks and forehead are cold too, a balaclava covers head, face and neck in one piece. As with a neck warmer, check that your helmet still fits snugly and the chin strap fastens securely with it on. We compare the skull cap, the balaclava and the neck gaiter for under the helmet in what to wear under your helmet in the cold, and why riders wear one in why wear a balaclava under your motorcycle helmet. For the neck question specifically:

• Thermaltex Balaclava: soft, moisture-wicking poly-cotton with a long U-shaped neck that tucks into your collar, and flat seams.
• Breathable Waterproof Balaclava: a waterproof, breathable outer layer, an insulating Milair middle and a microfleece lining, with a perforated mouth area and a nostril cut-out that the page says help prevent eyewear fogging. For cold, wet days on a sled. Hand wash only.
• 2-in-1 Balaclava and Neck Dickey: a balaclava and a neck dickey in one, with the same three-layer build, a perforated neoprene nosepiece and a stretchy Lycra panel under the chin. If you would otherwise wear a balaclava plus a dickey, this is the one-piece version.

Which neck warmer should you buy?

• Cool fall and spring rides, full-face helmet: the Essential Neck Gaiter, pulled up when the wind picks up.
• Simple warmth on and off the bike: the Polar Neck Tube.
• Cold highway rides, ATV and sled days well below freezing, or wind down the collar: the Polar Neck Dickey.
• Head, face and neck all cold: a balaclava, or the 2-in-1 if you want the dickey built in.

You can keep a gaiter and a dickey and choose by the conditions. You can see them all in our neck gaiters and dickeys collection.

Questions riders ask us

Is a dickey the same as a dickie?

Yes. Both spellings mean a neck warmer with a bib that covers the chest.

Will the dickey go over my head?

It is a one-size pull-on made of 4-way stretch fleece, and an owner with a big head finds it comfortable. One owner did find it would not go over their head, so if you have a very large head, try it on as soon as it arrives.

Can I pull it up over my mouth?

The neck gaiter is made for it: pull it up over your nose and mouth under a full-face helmet. Owners of the dickey say they pull it up over the mouth in extreme cold, and that it can be folded down to sit almost like a mock neck. If your visor or glasses fog, pull it down below your nose. Whenever it sits under your helmet, check that the helmet still fits snugly and the chin strap fastens securely.

How do I wash them?

The neck gaiter, neck tube and neck dickey are machine washable (tumble dry low for the dickey). The Breathable Waterproof Balaclava is hand wash only.