If you live in a cold climate and wear a face covering along with eyewear, you'll be aware of a big problem: such coverings cause your eyewear to thoroughly fog up. Well, the Stratus Balaclava solves that problem in brilliant fashion, as I recently found out for myself.
Here's what's wrong with conventional scarves and face masks …
By pressing up against your nose and mouth, they keep your exhaled breath from being blown clear of your face. As a result, the water vapor in that impeded breath condenses on the surface of your immediately-adjacent prescription glasses, sunglasses or ski goggles.
Back in 2014, Canadian entrepreneur Dimitri Poliderakis addressed that problem with his North45 scarf.
In a nutshell, the garment took the form of a tube-like neck gaiter with an attached front flap that covered the user's mouth and nose. A magnet in the top of the flap held it in place against another magnet, which the user stuck onto the nose bridge of their goggles.
This setup allowed the flap to hang slightly out in front of the mouth and nose, creating an open passage for the user's diverted breath to escape downwards, keeping the goggles fog-free. I reviewed the scarf at the time, and it most definitely did work … but it was only compatible with goggles.
Fast-forward to 2026, and Poliderakis has sold his interest in the product, which has become a 100% Merino wool balaclava known as the Stratus … and the SureFit model works with glasses, thanks to a moldable nose bridge! That said, there's also still a magnetic goggles-friendly version appropriately called the Stratus Magnetic.
Both models are in turn available in wool weave choices of StormCell or more wind- and water-resistant SuperCell, and in light and heavy fabric weights. For my review, I went with a SureFit SuperCell lightweight, choosing the light fabric because I didn't want to overheat during high-output winter hikes.
And I have to admit, the material did strike me as being pretty thin when the thing first arrived. It turned out to be warm enough though, as long as I wore a beanie (aka toque, knit hat) overtop of it on particularly cold days – I'm talking about days when it got down to around -30 ºC (-22 ºF) or colder.
And yes, the Stratus did indeed keep my glasses almost entirely fog-free the whole time I used it.
I say "almost" because after all, your breath is coming out by your neck, not down by your feet. This means that every once in a while, if the wind gusts just right (or wrong), your breath may still get flicked up onto your glasses. Fortunately, my glasses defogged on their own in about 30 seconds.
It's also worth noting that because there's a clear passage between your mouth and the outside air, you feel the coldness of that air on your mouth every time you inhale. You're still 100% protected from windchill, but it takes a little getting used to if you're accustomed to a traditional scarf or mask.
And speaking of scarves …
One of the yucky things about them is the fact that they become saturated with snot and condensed breath. The inside of the Stratus' ColdFront flap does get wet, but that's OK because it's held away from your skin.
However … how should I put this … with no fabric in the way on the Stratus, the snot can run freely from your nose, down your lip and into your mouth – unless you periodically reach under the flap and give yourself a wipe. Just letting you know.
Finally, it's worth noting that the Stratus provides plenty of neck coverage, so there's no need for an additional scarf or gaiter. And the Merino wool is nice and soft, even for people like me who are allergic to traditional wool.
The Stratus Balaclava is available now via the company website, with prices ranging from CA$75 to $110 (about US$55 to $80). There's also a magnetic face mask model for CA$65 (US$47).
Source: Stratus
