Update March 14, 2016:
I continue to use the Diva-Do helmet liner as my go-to helmet liner when I want my hair to look fresh and good when Im out riding my motorcycle, like say when I have a business meeting or business lunch. I like that the owner/inventor of this, Anna Hood, is a rider with long hair like me. Over the years shes worked on perfecting the helmet liner so that it works even better than we users expect. Shes added neat colors and different fabrics too.
One thing I often get asked about is how one can justify the price. I will say this. Ive had my liner for more six years now and it still works great. The elastic has held up and the quality has maintained through many washes and drying. Its also made in the USA, which I really like. I also like knowing Im supporting a woman rider who had an idea to solve a problem and then set out to accomplish that.
If youve not visited Annas website lately (link at end of story) I encourage you to do so because she also sells neck warmers in lots of fun colors, and helmet liners that are cap-like liners to wick moisture and prevent head-itch under your helmet.
My original review here was posted on October 18, 2010.
I’ve tried many helmet liners and hair wraps over the years, all designed to conquer the dreaded helmet hair—hair that comes out of a helmet all jagged and spiky going this way and that. Most women riders and passengers throw on a baseball cap (yours truly included) as their way of going through the day with the unkempt hairstyle. Haven’t you noticed I’m usually wearing a cap in all my photos?
I tested a helmet liner called Diva-Do by Raci Babi (hard A as in racy baby). Inventor Anna Hood has really long hair, down to her waist, and was tired of dealing with tangled, knotted locks after a ride. She came up with an ingenious way to secure hair under a helmet that does not require the use of hair bands and leaves ones hair in great shape after a ride.
The liner I tested is made of stretchy polyester designed to wick moisture away, which it does. I never felt “hot” while wearing it under a helmet. I chose a shiny red design. There is a large variety of fun colors and designs to choose from. On one edge of the Diva-Do there is an elastic band that creates a pocket where the long part of your hair is held. The non-elastic part covers your hairline in front. There are two straps you tie that essentially hold the elastic pocket that’s holding your hair.
There are six simple steps outlined on Raci Babi’s Web site that explain how to properly tie the Diva-Do to your head. I tied my hair incorrectly the first time I used it and wondered why the “bun” got loose in the wind. Anna told me I needed to tie the ends on top of the bun instead of under it.
Once I tied the Diva-Do correctly, it worked great. Riding to and from the Sturgis Rally going 75 mph on the highway, the helmet liner stayed in placeYh and the part hanging out from under the helmet stayed put.
Over time, with other helmet liners and do rags, knots develop in my hair at the nape of my neck. I had just a few knots riding with the Diva-Do on for several hours, but I could run my hands through my hair to get them out.
When I wore the Diva-Do with my 3/4 helmet, which has the same back part as a full face, I pushed the “bun” part down a bit so as not to create an annoying bump in the back of my neck.
I wore the Diva-Do on a quick 30-mile ride from Sturgis to Rapid City for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum’s Hall of Fame breakfast. I wanted my hair to look as good as it did that morning after I washed, dried and curled it with a curling iron. When I wash, dry and style my hair before going on a ride I find the style is still so fresh that when I put several hair bands around my long ponytail, my hair has crimps where the bands were when I take them out. I found this doesn’t happen with day-old hair, by the way. With that said, I wondered if the Diva-Do could keep my freshly styled hair looking good. You be the judge.
I’d say that Diva-Do did its job and banished helmet hair for me. The Diva-Do does its magic best on women with shoulder length hair or longer. Anna says she is working on a Raci Babi do-rag for shorter than shoulder length hair.
The Diva-Do helmet liner price starts at $34.95 depending on the type of material. It can be ordered by clicking here:Raci-Babi.com.
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I bought two. Love them! I keep one on the bike and one in my convertible, they stay in place without the helmet. My hair fluffs out nicely when I get to my destination. I will be buying an extra for variety.
How about something for shorter hair?
I haven’t tried it with shorter hair, but technically, if you follow the same rules for putting it on your head, it can reduce knots and flyaway hair.
Living in a no-helmet law state, I often to choose to ride without one. I’ve yet to see any reviews about this product and how it stays put without a helmet on, and at high speeds. I recently purchased one and am waiting for the weather/roads to support the ride. I’ll definitely share my review once I get to test this product. I have waist-length hair and I look forward to not having to rip out knots.
I bought two of these hoping they’d be awesome, but my hair is thin and the material is very slippery so it was impossible to keep it in position on my head, and then it slipped around as I pull on a helmet. These now spend time in the drawer, replaced by a tube-shaped thingy. The tube is great, I just roll my hair up on my head and then pull the tube back over it. Hair stays good-looking and out of my way.
With the Raci-Babi Diva-Do the bulk of the hair sits outside the helmet in a hair pocket, therefore not interfering with the fit and impact absorption of the helmet.The key to not having it slip is placement and comfortable tension.For very thin hair , I would like to send you a matte material that is not slippery at all! It works great with the hair type you are describing. Please contact me directly at Anna@Raci-Babi.com. I know the matte one would work great for you.
I have thick long hair and wear a full face helmet, and I am looking for something that won’t pull off my head when I remove my helmet. Does anyone know if it works for this?
The Raci-Babi in the Matt Black or the Brown are an “uber” stretchy material— they may solve this problem. It really depends on how tight your helmet fits. I was at the IMS show and was fitted by a Shoei Helmet rep. He educated me on how a helmet should fit. In a single word — tight! It was a shame because my loose helmet was so comfortable. He informed me that in case the helmet comes in contact with the pavement it should be tight to absorb the impact. If it is loose, one’s head becomes the instrument to absorb impact. That being said, if you get a Raci-Babi and it does not meet your expectations for any reason, we will always refund all your money including any shipping and handling you may have paid. With a Raci-Babi you hair will look beautiful at every stop. It only takes seconds to put on too! Even with my new tight helmet it stays on when pulling my helmet off 80 percent of the time.
I had one of those long leather hair wraps and it was a pain. Then I saw a show on these women riding cross country and one of them used three or four scrunchies to hold her hair—one placed every few inches. I’ve done that for years, so I’m all for trying a hair wrap!
I loved the idea of this as I have tried many methods of protecting my hair which is very thin and brittle (probably should cut it, but that’s not gonna happen!Anyway I bought one of these several years back, the first time I heard about them. hey are very comfortable and took just a bit of practice to tie it on. However, a word to the wise: Even though my hair is below my shoulder blades, it is also very thin and “slippery,” and no matter what I tried, I could not keep this on my head. I think this is a great idea and product, but if you don’t have much hair, it’s probably not going to work for you. But kudos to Anna for bringing us a solution that seems to work for most people!
The key to not having it slip is placement and comfortable tension albeit for very fine thin hair. We have a matte material that is not slippery at all! It works great with the hair type you are describing. Please contact me directly at Anna@Raci-Babi.com. I know the matte one would work great for you and I would be happy to send one out as well.
I bought my zebra print Diva-Do at an event the Harley-Davidson of Columbus, SC, back in 2009 or maybe 2010. My hair is half-way my back. When I first started riding with my then boyfriend, now husband, he bought a leather hair glove for me to try to protect my hair. It pulled my hair where it clipped onto the ponytail holder and was too much trouble to remove once we got to our destinations. So I would end up walking around wearing it even though it felt heavy. The ends of my hair hung out the bottom of the long, hair glove and my bangs were loose inside the helmet, so it still got dirty and tangled. But since I bought the Diva-Do, I’ve only used it since. (I also have a teal one I bought later). My hair stays clean, tangle free, and damage free even inside my new full face helmet as well as my half helmet.
Where did you find it for $19.95 excluding shipping on her site? I see more like 35 dollars and up.
This story is a few years old. The price has gone up due to production costs we’re told.
Just checked out Raci-babi. You may want to update the price in your article. It’s now $39.95 to $44.99.
Thank you for letting us know about this updated price. This story posted in 2010 so the price was current then.
Where can I buy one? Can’t find it anywhere.
There is a link at the end of the story to the company’s website that makes and sells the Raci Babi helmet liner. So please revisit the story to find that link. All our stories contain links and contact information for the products we feature.
My wife and I were about to cut into the foam of her helmet…so much hair. First thought was equestrian hair buns — snooky, clips and such. We ride off road in tandem on a Beemer, and muck is everywhere. We talked about my kerchief — 20 years plus and I am still using it. Covers my neck and such. My wife then thinks she need something better. So if the equestrian set has not handled it, the Harley folks must have.Turns out the Harley gal got it. Thanks. Order for the black with hot pink trim is on the way.
I first ordered a Raci Babi after a bunch of research. My hair, while not quite as long as Anna’s, is close. Once I got it I was 100 percent hooked. I ride a lot with a full-face helmet on my own Harley none the less. Anyhow I love that I can whip off my helmet and my hair is down but with my helmet on it is protected. For me I added two fake pony tails to the back of my full face helmet so I get the look of my hair in the wind but my real hair is 100 percent protected. I also had the pleasure of meeting Anna at the Rumble On The River in PA the summer before last. I walked up to the booth and said I love my Raci Babi. Anna was so great in person, which made me like her product even more. I rave about it all the time. I now have four: a black one (which I use most of the time), a red stretchy one, a silver one, and a patterned one.
After reading this article I thought – I have got to give this a try. =I’ve tried everything else. I have used a hair glove now for the last four years or so and have been happy except if I don’t wear something over my head I get fly aways around the face. Well, I have to say – I LOVE MY RACI BABI DIVA DO! We rode more than 500 miles in the last two days and it was comfortable, easy and I loved when we got to our stop and “let my hair down” which is something I had never done before because it was too much to put it back in the braid and then put the glove on. One of the girls I ride with even commented she had never seen my hair down before and didn’t realize it was as blonde as it is. As far as rider gear it did not hinder me moving my head to see around me as I have felt wearing the glove had done and especially when adding layers for those chilly rides. Highly recommended!
I’m anxious to try it and the colors look great!
I just got one of these on your recommendation and I’m very pleased. I generally sport a Dallas big-hair kinda do and there’s nothing that’s gonna keep that style intact under a helmet but I’ve worn the Raci-Babi Diva-Do on my hour-long ride to work two days in a row and have shown up with perfectly work-acceptable curled hair afterward with just a quick shake-out and toss as I took it off (which yesterday earned hoots and hollers from a nearby construction crew — something that’s never been a “problem” with my normal fresh-from-the-helmet head).
Yay! I’ve been looking for something like this for years! Wish I was the one who invented it. Can’t wait to try one – thanks so much for letting us know about it!