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It may be difficult to find the ideal mix of medicines to stop episodes and ease acute pain, as anybody with episodic or chronic migraines will attest. The most popular forms of therapy are over-the-counter and prescription medications. Even so, the initial few minutes of a migraine can be excruciating, and medication does not always take effect immediately.
Fortunately, wearing a migraine cap is one way to seek immediate assistance. These items, which are constructed of gel packs that may be frozen and applied during a migraine attack, aren’t usually “hats”; they can also be bands, wraps, or even eye masks. This implies that they provide immediate pain alleviation and hands-free cooling. The numbing effect of cold treatment comes from overwhelming and blocking pain transmission in the cerebral cortex. Moreover, a cold may lessen brain inflammation.
It’s important to keep in mind that certain migraine hats contain temperature technology that can be heated or thawed for optimum adaptability if you prefer the soothing effects of heat on your muscles during a migraine. In any case, you’ll want a hat that can be adjusted to fit snugly yet comfortably and has many uses depending on where you need relief, in addition to some sort of temperature technology.
In order to ensure medical and scientific correctness on what features to look for in migraine hats, whether they work, and how long you may wear one, an emergency medicine physician on our Medical Expert Board examined this article.
The Best Migraine Mask on Amazon
TheraICE Form Fitting Head Gel Ice Cap
View on Amazon $29.95
- The Reasons We Adore It
It is incredibly adaptable, providing various settings and heat and cold treatments for various kinds of pain alleviation.
- It Is Important To Note
Because it’s not adjustable, if your head is particularly big, there could be a limit to how comfortable and stretchy it can get.
There isn’t a single mask that fits all migraineurs, but for the majority of them, the TheraICE Form Fitting Head Gel Ice Cap comes the closest to being the finest option.
Because of its adaptability, experts suggested this option. We love that the gel packs, which are equally spaced around the head, in this migraine hat are reversible in temperature and composed of elastic compression fabric.
The fabric is sufficiently flexible to accommodate both large and small heads while maintaining a comfortable level of compression for pressure relief, even though the hat isn’t conventionally adjustable. The hat may be worn two different ways, which we find useful: either down over the eyes to alleviate light sensitivity or sinus pain, or up over the ears to focus on the forehead and top of the head.
Whatever kind of comfort you require or where your migraine pain is, you can make this hat work for you.
Product Details:
- Temperature therapy: Cold or hot
- Areas covered: Front of head, eyes/sinuses, sides and back of head
- Style: Stretchy band
AllSett Health Migraine Relief Ice Head Wrap
View on Amazon $15.26
- Why We Appreciate It
It is more affordable and has almost all of the features of our top choice overall.
- It’s Important to Remember
Despite having full coverage, the hat lacks any cooling packs on top of the head.
Our favorite low-cost option is the AllSett Health Form Fitting Migraine Relief Ice Head Wrap, which is nearly comparable to our top choice overall but only costs $15.26 as opposed to $40. It has a smooth, medical-grade gel that won’t turn lumpy or hard when frozen, and it may be used hot or cold. It also provides mild compression. Its elastic material allows it to fit a wide range of head shapes. It may be worn higher to ease forehead discomfort or lower to target the eyes and sinuses.
The AllSett Health hat is a full-coverage beanie-style hat without any form of temperature treatment on top of the head. This is the one area where it falls short (and the reason it makes a decent budget selection but wasn’t chosen for best overall). That area is padded, but it lacks gel packs. Although other people might not find it bothersome, wearing a full-coverage beanie without the advantage of full-coverage cooling may not be a deal-breaker for them. Additionally, it can be a bit more difficult to fit this non-adjustable hat to your head than if it had an open top.
Product details:
- Temperature therapy: Cold or hot
- Areas covered: Front of head, eyes/sinuses, sides and back of head
- Style: Beanie cap
Magic Gel Migraine Ice Head Wrap
View on Amazon $19.99
- The Reasons We Adore It
It is extra-adaptable for those with long hair and washable.
- It’s Important to Remember
After taking the wrap out of the refrigerator, you might discover that the ice packs are excessively stiff for a few minutes.
We like the Magic Gel Migraine Ice Head Wrap’s easy-to-use design if you’re certain you don’t require a migraine hat with a heating function. This hat’s ice packs are tougher than those of some others, so as soon as you put it on, you may get immediate, powerful acupressure relief.
The fact that this wrap can only be used for cold treatment means that it can be machine washed, which is something that is sometimes not the case with headwear that is heated. Additionally, the Magic Gel hat is more customizable than normal. It may be worn higher or lower, just like the TheraICE Ice Cap, and we like that the top of the hat is a flexible tube rather than a fitted band or cap. This enables you to either pull your hair or simply leave it over your head as is.
Product Details:
- Temperature therapy: Cold
- Areas covered: Front of head, eyes/sinuses, sides and back of head
- Style: Stretchy band
Soothe Unscented | Microwavable Heating Pad for Migraine Relief
View on Amazon $27.99
- The Reasons We Adore It
With its soft cover and odorless content, it keeps warm for an extended period of time and relieves migraine discomfort.
- It’s Important to Remember
It is best utilized only for heating treatment because it is somewhat thicker and doesn’t stay cold for very long.
Although the Huggaroo Soothe Unscented Microwavable Heating Pad is technically suitable for both heat and cold treatment, we believe its application as a heating pad makes it more unique. In addition to radiating comforting heat when used, it is odorless, which makes it especially useful for migraine sufferers who become sensitive to strong odors during attacks. It also has a nice, plush feel to it.
Although the Huggaroo pad is quite large, it provides a lot of coverage. It may be moved up or down your head as needed to release pressure from your eyes, sinuses, back, or sides of your head. It is lightweight, cordless, adjustable, and composed of hypoallergenic material. It can be heated for up to 30 minutes after just a minute or two in the microwave, which makes it a very calming method of treating migraines.
Product Details:
- Temperature therapy: Cold or hot
- Areas covered: Front of head, eyes/sinuses, sides and back of head
- Style: Adjustable wrap
Thrive Hot & Cold Eye Mask
View on Amazon $18.95
- The Reasons We Adore It
It is reversible, so you can pick which side to press on your face, and it provides targeted heat or cold comfort to the sinuses.
- It’s Important to Remember
It cannot be used to treat headache pain in other areas of the brain, nor does it block out light.
We think the Thrive Hot & Cold Eye Mask is worth adding, even though it’s clearly more of an eye mask than a classic migraine hat, because we know how terrible sinus migraines can be. Furthermore, this option applies temperature treatment directly to the areas (such as your forehead, eyes, cheeks, and temples) that require it.
The bead remains pliable and does not become stiff or solid on your delicate face. It may be heated up or frozen. The eye openings are an advantage and a con: they won’t filter out glaring light, but if you can’t just crash till you feel better, they will let you get through basic household chores. We appreciate that this reversible mask features a soft fabric covering on one side for added comfort, and that the strap can be adjusted to accommodate most heads.
Product details
- Temperature therapy: Cold or hot
- Areas covered: Forehead, eyes/sinuses, cheeks, temples
- Style: Adjustable eye mask
Headache Hat Migraine Ice Head Wrap
View on Amazon $26.00
- Why We Adore It
It provides the most cooling effects of all the hats on our list and is one of the most flexible and adaptable ones.
- It Is Important To Note
This hat isn’t suitable for heat treatment.
The Headache Hat Migraine Ice Head Wrap is an additional product that is highly recommended due to its dual-sided cooling capabilities and availability in various sizes and designs to suit a range of demands. Because of its extreme versatility, we selected it as our choice for the greatest wrap. You may wear it higher or lower on your head, wrapped around your neck, draped across your shoulders, or even trailed down your back for a cooling effect, depending on where you particularly need it.
We really like how the cooling technology is built into the wrap. When the wrap is securely wrapped around your head, the 24 ice packs are spaced equally along its whole length to provide acupressure relief. Speaking of adaptability, you may utilize the mild compression of this wrap by wearing it loosely or firmly, depending on your preference. This wrap has a high cooling factor, even though it cannot be heated. You may turn it over and receive another 30 to 60 minutes of cold treatment from the opposite side when the first side’s coolness wears off.
Product Details:
- Temperature therapy: Cold
- Areas covered: Front of head, eyes/sinuses, sides and back of head
- Style: Adjustable wrap; standard and extra-large sizes
IceBeanie Instant Migraine Pain Relief Hat
View on Amazon $39.99
- Why We Adore It
Unlike the majority of migraine hats on the market, it contains an ice pack that covers the top of your head.
- It Is Not Insignificant
There is no way to move it to target different parts of the head or bring it down over your eyes.
No hat on our list targets the top of the head explicitly, although the majority may be positioned or modified to ease migraine symptoms there. But the IceBeanie accomplishes it without the need for frequent repositioning or particular positioning.
This cap fits tightly over the top of your head and is shaped like a beanie, just as the name suggests. Wearing it as much as necessary won’t hurt because it fits snugly enough to offer mild compression but is yet flexible and comfortable. In addition to a pack that runs from the back of the head over the top (here is where it truly shines), it has other gel ice packs positioned around the hat’s perimeter.
Furthermore, we like how understated this hat is. Although you can’t wear it over your eyes, you may leave the house in it if necessary because it doesn’t look particularly like a migraine hat.
Product Details:
- Temperature therapy: Cold
- Areas covered: Front of head, eyes/sinuses, sides, back, and top of head
- Style: Beanie cap
Tomeisor migraine relief cap
View on Amazon $29.99
- The Reasons We Adore It
offers a more powerful and enduring cooling feeling.
- It’s Important to Remember
After taking the wrap out, it lengthens the cooling period by 30% and aids in headache and migraine relief.
This continuous soft gel cap, which resembles a standard beanie and can be pulled over your eyes for the best migraine treatment, is a somewhat more covert alternative. One reviewer noted that it’s “weirdly more comfortable” than anticipated and flexible enough to wear to bed in place of an eye mask. To provide some cooling comfort, place it in the refrigerator or microwave it for reusable hot treatment.
Vanlon Migraine Anxiety Relief Cap
View on Amazon $19.99
Instead of using separate cold packs, this migraine treatment cap is made of a single, thick piece of gel that relieves pain and tension throughout. Reviewers point out that because of its flexible cylindrical shape, you may use it as a cold pack for different conditions, such as foot or knee discomfort. Well, why not? It even comes in an avocado print.
How We Made the Choice
We evaluated almost two dozen goods online, including a number of well-known and highly regarded brands, to determine which migraine hats were the best. We searched for products that could offer heat therapy or cooling therapy, that could be adjusted to a comfortable level for a range of users, and that had multiple uses (e.g., able to be pulled up or down to cover different areas, or repositioned to relieve both head and neck pain). Additionally, we ensured that the product prices were reasonable and in accordance with the typical cost of migraine headgear.
In order to ensure that we understood exactly what to look for while searching for migraine hats, as well as how they operate and who would benefit from using one, we finally spoke with two neurologists and migraine specialists.
Knowledge pertaining to Migraine Hats
Functions of Migraine Caps
Hot/cold treatment and mild compression are the two ways that migraine hats help patients find relief from acute symptoms.
Applying a little pressure can lessen the severity of a migraine by keeping pain signals in the brain. There is evidence to support the use of both cooling and heating technologies in temperature treatment. Warming packs ease stress, while cold gel packs relieve pain and inflammation by narrowing your blood vessels.
What Migraine Caps Should Include
points out that while preferences for style, design, and extra features can vary among people, there are a few essential items you should always check for when purchasing.
- Technique for cooling. While some people get relief from migraines through heat therapy (which is something that several of the products on our list allow for), in general, you’ll want a hat that has cooling gel packs or beads. For an extended period of time, this cooling system will be able to sustain a constant temperature.
- Fit and style. Finding a hat that fits your head securely and comfortably without feeling too tight or constrictive is the aim here. While some compression can be relieving, you don’t want it to be so tight that it makes your discomfort worse. It is advised by both of our specialists to think about what kind of hat would fit you properly. A wrap with straps that can be adjusted, for instance, may suit heads of different shapes and sizes, while one made of elastic material can fit a variety of hair kinds and hairstyles.
- Flexibility. Keep in mind that migraine pain is not limited to the forehead; other possible locations include your neck, shoulders, or sinuses in your face, the top or sides of your head, or anywhere in between. If the intensity of your migraines varies from one to the next, you may want to consider wearing a hat that is multipurpose, such as a wrap for neck pain relief or a band-style hat that can be pulled down over the eyes to ease sinus discomfort.
How Much to Anticipate to Spend
The migraine caps on our list range in price from $10 to $40. We believe that budgeting $20 to $25 for a basic style is reasonable. On the other hand, you could be able to locate a good deal or decide to spend a little more money on a hat that provides more coverage.