Searching for the best beekeeping veils is essential to beekeepers because the face and head are the most important and vulnerable parts of the human body. And the good beekeeping veil needs to provide the best protection for your face while maintaining the most visibility and comfort possible. Let us give you the recommendations, some pointers on how to pick the best one for yours, and answer some questions you may have.
A Buying Guide for A Good Beekeeping Veil
The four things to keep in mind while purchasing a beekeeping veil are protection, visibility, comfort, and affordability. The best beekeeping veils should satisfy all of those criteria.
Protection
The veil and the hat that it comes with should provide adequate protection. The mesh needs to be smaller than the smallest bee and doesn’t fall flat on your head and face. The hat needs to bee-proof as well. Compatibility between your veil and your suit or jacket is also an important factor.
Visibility
You should be able to look clearly through the mesh. Peripheral vision should not be obstructed. And if you are working with a hive above, your veil and your hat should not limit your vision.
Comfort
To work effectively you need a veil with good ventilation and allow you to move comfortably. Either with drawstrings or straps, it should not come in the way of your movement.
Affordability
If you are a professional, you probably treat this as an investment so affordability is obviously important. And if not, you still perhaps need to stay within your hobby budget.
5 Best Beekeeping Veils to Fend Off Bee Stings
Below are our top choices in five categories. We hope that there is one for you there.
Goodland Bee Supply Beekeepers Hat Veil – Best Overall
The first place belongs to Goodland Bee Supply Beekeepers Hat Veil. This veil is a balance of protection, visibility, comfort, and affordability.
All requirements of a good beekeeping veil are satisfied with this product thanks to its materials and design. The hat is made from cotton and hemp. This natural cotton lightweight fabric is just as protective as other heavy-duty ones.
You can see and breathe easily through the veil. The round configuration provides a 360- degree view. Plus, it stays at a comfortable distance and doesn’t fall on your face or your neck.
The item has a fedora-esque look, so convincing your friend or family to get into your hobby/work and be your assistance for a day won’t be a hassle. The underarm straps are also more handy and approachable for non-professionals compared to traditional drawstrings.
For such a well-rounded product, this veil has a pretty nice price. Beginners won’t have to think twice about buying this item.
As we said, this is our best overall pick, so there is no downside for you to worry about.
What do we like?
- Solid protection
- Clear visibility
- Great ventilation
- Fashionable design
- Affordable price
What can be improved?
- None
Natural Apiary Beekeeping Suit with Fencing Veil – Best Full Suit with Veil
If you are seeking head to ankle protection, this beekeeping suit is for you. Natural Apiary Beekeeping Suit is a smartly designed product that comes in various sizes and colors.
The best feature of this item is its smart design. The veil is made from non-flammable material to protect you from accidents with smokers. The sudden flash flame is an existing risk of using smokers – an essential tool of beekeepers. You can trust this non-flammable veil in unfortunate events.
Another innovative feature of the suit is two elastic stirrup straps. These straps run around the bottom of your feet to prevent the legs from riding up. Combined with a zipper on each leg, the straps will keep the legs stay snugly around your ankle.
There are also two large pockets on the chest area so you can keep your tools right next to your body. You will find these two pockets very handy because working with thousands of tiny creatures can be quite chaotic sometimes.
The suit comes in eight sizes and six colors. You can choose the one that fits you no matter if you are petite or bulky with a detailed chart from the manufacturers. The colors range from white to pink and to camouflage.
One thing that can be improved with this product is its ventilation. The suit will be pretty hot to wear after a while. And if you don’t like the narrowed view of a fencing veil, that will be another problem.
What do we like?
- Non-flammable veil
- Elastic stirrup straps
- Additional pockets
- Various sizes and colors
- Comprehensive size chart
What can be improved?
- Limited ventilation
Foxhound Beekeeping Jacket with Round Veil – Best Beekeeping Jacket with Veil
You will feel secure once you put on this Foxhound Beekeeping jacket. The nice weight cotton fabric is stronger than any bee stinger and elastic waist and cuffs prevent bees from crawling up inside your jacket.
With a round veil and large brimmed hat, the product ensures visibility and ventilation. You can comfortably work in this jacket in a long session.
The item comes in two sizes, large and extra large. But thanks to its neatly unisex design, you won’t be annoyed by extra fabrics come in your way while you are working.
Two other notable features of the product are pull ring zippers and an additional velcro patch. The pull ring zippers are designed to be easily pulled up and down with gloves while the velcro patch covers the zippers for extra safety.
One minus point of the jacket is its veil zipper. It is not particularly easy to attach the veil to the jacket the first time you try.
What do we like?
- High-quality material
- Excellent visibility
- Splendid ventilation
- Unisex design
- Pull ring zippers
- Velcro patch
What can be improved?
- Non-intuitive veil zipper
Read more: How To Clean Beekeeping Gloves: For All Types of Gloves
Forest Beekeeping Jacket with Round Veil – Best Round Veil with A Variety of Sizes
If you are looking for a beekeeping jacket with a veil but have a small build, this product may suit you. There are five different sizes from Small to 2XL that can fit all kinds of builds. The manufacturer even provides detailed size descriptions for reference.
The round veil keeps the mesh away from your face, unlike the fencing ones. That means more ventilation and less risk. The mesh is flame resistant too.
Two other plus points are strong metal zippers and thumb straps. The brass heavy-duty zippers work very smoothly and reliably. And the thumb straps are there to prevent the sleeves from running up and exposing your wrist.
About the jacket, it is made from thick, sting-proof material. The cotton canvas will have you covered even under the heaviest rain of bees.
But you might want to wear a baseball cap under the hat while shaking down a tree. The reasons are that the hat is quite flimsy and the veil will fall on your face when you are looking up.
What do we like?
- Multiple sizes
- Decent visibility
- Flame resistance mesh
- Strong metal zippers
- Thumb straps
- Sting-proof material
What can be improved?
- Flimsy hat
BeesNise Beekeepers Hat – Best Price
The last item is the most affordable one. If you want a quick replacement for the veil of your suit or a multiple-purpose veil, this can be an economic choice. It can be used in beekeeping or against bugs and insects in general.
Even though it comes with a relatively low price, this is still a decent product. The mesh and the hat are durable enough and allow great air flows.
Unlike many veils sold alone, this product does not have two drawstrings to tie around your waist. Instead, it has a unique handy mechanism of two under-arm straps. Plus, there is a chin strap and flexible bands for adjustment.
There are two downsides to this hat. It has only one size and is kind of small. The other drawback is the under-arm straps can be uncomfortable, especially if the hat is not your size.
What do we like?
- Affordable price
- Multi-purposes
- Decent quality
- Handy straps and band
What can be improved?
- Only has one size
- Relatively small
- Short under-arm straps
Frequently Asked Questions
Now we will answer some FAQs regarding beekeeping in general and beekeeping veils in particular. We hope that that information will help you and your friends and family stay safe.
Are Bee Stings Dangerous?
Bee is a venomous insect. That means they inject venom into your body when they sting you. The reactions of the body to the venom vary from person to person.
Swelling or redness and itchiness are some normal healthy reactions. If the person is allergic to bees, things can be more severe. For example, he or she may feel lightheaded, have stomach cramps, diarrhea, or vomit.
Anaphylactic reactions, even though they are rare, can be dangerous. The symptoms include swelling of the mouth or throat, shortness of breath, difficulty in swallowing, and shock. In this case, it is wise to seek medical attention immediately.
If you just start your beekeeping hobby or try to remove a hive in your home by yourself, every safety measure is necessary.
How to Put on A Beekeeping Veil?
It depends on the type of your beekeeping veil. It is pretty straightforward if your veil connects to your jacket or your suit via a zipper or your veil has under-arm straps.
In the case of a stand-alone veil with drawstrings, it is recommended to wrap the drawstrings around your torso then tie them together at your stomach area.
It is advisable to tighten up every adjustment device so bees can’t crawl upon you. A securely put veil shall not fall on your skin or wobbly around when you move.
What Are Other Necessary Equipment for Beekeeping?
Other necessary safety equipment include but is not limited to a jacket and pants or a suit, gloves, duct tape to secure waist, wrist, and ankle areas. All of the above items should be adequate in quality and fit you.
For beginners, some tools that they need to get are hive bodies and supers, frames, foundation, nails, pollen and propolis traps, feeders, and feeding supplies and many more.
Conclusion
The best beekeeping veils are the ones that can provide you with protection, visibility, and comfort while still fitting your wallet. There are many types of beekeeping veils for various degrees of beekeeping, from hobby beekeeping in your garden to catching hostile swarms. The trick is to know what you need and find the one that fits you the most.
Our overall top choice is Goodland Bee Supply Beekeepers Hat Veil because it excellently meets all of our criteria on protection, visibility, ventilation, and affordability. We also recommend the Foxhound Beekeeping Jacket with Round Veil, a jacket with exceptional qualities all around. And if you want even more inclusive protection, Natural Apiary Beekeeping Suit with Fencing Veil with many smart designs like a non-flammable veil and stirrup straps may satisfy your needs.
