Until about a month ago I thought I had an irredeemably odd-shaped head, at least when it came to sport headbands. Every sweet strap promised a sure fit in the store, only to slowly slide off in the face of sweat and high-intensity movement—or worse, shoot backward off of my obviously defective pate onto the person working out behind me. So what caused this change, this sudden burst of scalp-confidence? Three words: Portland Headband Company.

Whereas other headbands, from Lululemon to REI to Gap to Lucy to Athleta, use a few sticky grips (or what seems like the power of prayer) to stay put, Portland Headband Co.'s hand-sewn headbands use velvet—yes, the same material as the unicorn poster in your college dorm—to grab on to every hair comfortably. I've done everything in these bands—CrossFit, cycling, even aerial yoga—and they've yet to let me down.

Founder Marissa Martinis is a firefighter, home canner, mushroom hunter, and mother of two—a few demanding jobs that require a lot of sweating and running around. In response to the demands of her physical lifestyle and the needs of her kettlebell-swinging, Tough Mudder-ing friends (see above), Martinis designed a line of affordable—about $12 a pair—headbands in 2014. The bands come in three different widths and a veritable rainbow of prints and colors (check out all of the offerings online) and Martinis will even make custom bands for local gyms, sports fans, or special events. I'm thinking of ordering a pair for my office's karaoke team.

As if being awesome, cheap, and machine-washable weren't enough, 10% of proceeds from all Portland Headband Co. sales go to Bark, a nonprofit aiming to transform Mt. Hood National Forest into a place "where natural processes prevail, where wildlife thrives, and where local communities have a social, cultural, and economic investment in its restoration and preservation." 

Maybe you're training for a half marathon. Maybe you want to show some hometeam pride. Or maybe you've got a weird head like me. Whatever your need, Portland Headband Co. is about to rock your world.