A recent #runchat Twitter question revolved around keeping sweat out of your eyes while running, and I was shocked more people didn’t know about my favorite running addition: Handana.
You’ll often hear me refer to it as my sweaty hand, around mile 10 when I can’t think of my own name nonetheless the name of whats on my hand–not to be confused with sweaty bands (which I also love!). The Handana a fingergless glove, perfect for wiping sweat, snot, rain, and whatever off your face! And coincidentally, Handana was just named runner up at this year’s Under Armour Future Show Innovation Challenge.
Handana is kind of like a wristband in function,but it slips easily over the hand and is so light weight, you won’t even know it’s there. I first discovered this little glove/wristband at a runDisney expo. I bought two for myself and one for my friend who was running with me. Now I own like 10 in various colors that match my SparkleSkirts and costumes. You’ll see Handana’s sneaking into almost all my running photos.
Pink Handana in the snow
I do sweat a lot, but it’s not so much the sweat getting in my eyes that bothers me. It’s the sweat all over my face. And the drool around my mouth as I try to quickly eat and drink without stopping. And the snot coming out of my nose or the rain pooling under my brow. The Handana fixes all of these. You can’t blow your nose on it unless you want snot wiped across your face later, but otherwise you can wipe and wipe repeatedly. Even after four hours of pouring rain in France, it still helped keep my eyes clear. And it dried quickly so when it heated up after the rain, I could wipe the seat off my forehead and cheeks.
You can wear them on either hand. Sizing is pretty basic. I wear a small, but know that I swell during long runs in heat, so I have a couple mediums. But even the smalls never feel too tight if I swell; it’s more of a mental thing or maybe because they didn’t have the fabric I wanted in one size or the other. I can only tell the difference because the small is slightly tougher to get on. I have to look at it instead of just slipping it on.
Blue Handana at WDW
It doesn’t feel like anything. It’s a lycra blend that doesn’t heat your hand on hot days, but it will help keep your hand warmer on a cold run. It feels better than wrapping a bandana or towel around your hand, and is low profile enough that you can still use your pockets or the thumbholes on your jacket. You won’t notice it during yoga, whether your hand is flat on the ground or in the air. In fact I often forget I have it on. I once was in a grocery store after a half marathon when Artboy asked why I was still wearing my sweaty hand. It was probably a good hour after finishing.
Gray Handana in Seattle
The Handana is easy to wash. Just throw it in with your other running or active clothes. Handana recommends air drying, but I don’t air dry anything really, so in the dryer it goes along with all my other running clothes. I have an active wear setting on my washer and dryer and just use that, whatever it may be. My oldest handana is from Labor Day weekend 2013 and is still going strong after dozens of races and machine washing and drying.
Stripey Handana in France
You need multiples so one is always clean. I wear them on training runs, for races, and even while hiking. The current version costs about $15 to $16. At expos, I’ve picked them up at 3 for $36. They aren’t cheap, but they are affordable and worth every penny. I’m on the email list; Handana often sends out free shipping or discount promo codes.
And perhaps most important: the Handana is tiny and easily packed. I throw in a few for each of my race trips without sacrificing space needed for anything else. I’ve even stuck my runDisney medals in the Handana to keep them from smacking each other and getting scratched in the suitcase.
*I’m trying out Follow Friday to mention some of my must-haves for running and maybe even eating. Just a quick bit of writing to get my mind moving more often. The Handana is one of my favorite.
