Ben's InvisiNet Insect Head Net Review

Overview

The Ben’s InvisiNet is a drop-front head net with a drawcord closure, elastic crown, and high-visibility mesh — and it’s earned a recommendation as a high-performance head net, all for less than an ounce.

Its defining trick is a 20-denier fiber knit that’s genuinely close to invisible in use, making it a strong option for hikers who can’t stand the dark, gauzy screen that most traditional head nets put between them and the scenery. At 20g and a ~$15.99 retail price, it’s one of the most cost-effective pieces of bug-season gear you can throw in a pack.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Weight	20g (0.7 oz)
Fabric	20 Denier fiber knit
Fabric Weight	14 gsm
Pore Size	1.0 mm
Pore Shape	Rhombus
Closure	Drawcord elastic neck
Crown	Elasticized
Includes	Pull-string stuff sack
Price	~$15.99
Comparison	See how Ben’s InvisiNet compares to similar gear

Performance

Visibility

This is where the InvisiNet stands apart. The 20 Denier fiber knit, 14 gsm fabric with its rhombus pore shape and 1.0mm pore size is described as “nearly invisible.” That’s not just marketing copy — users consistently report that vision is not hindered in the slightest after a slight adjustment period, and that the netting is well made and very easy to see through. If you’ve ever tried to navigate trail in a traditional dark hex-mesh net, you’ll appreciate what that actually means on a long descent.

It’s worth being honest about the trade-off, though: Ben’s own UltraNet head net uses pores only 0.05mm wide, keeping out even no-see-ums, midges, and black flies. The InvisiNet’s 1.0mm pores are what give it that clear view, but if your bug problem is primarily no-see-ums, the InvisiNet may not be the right tool. For mosquitoes, gnats, and black flies, it gets the job done.

Fit and Compatibility

The elasticized crown is designed to keep the net in place no matter your movement or wind speed, and the extra room means you can easily fit it over a hiking, gardening, or fishing hat.

In practice, though, hat compatibility is where opinions start to diverge.

With a ball cap, the InvisiNet shines. Compared to the Sea to Summit Mosquito Headnet, the InvisiNet secures around the tops of caps — such as baseball caps and Tilley hats — more effectively. The elastic crown cinches over the bill and stays put even in a stiff breeze.

With a wide-brimmed hat, it’s a different story. The elastic crown bunches up on top of wide-brimmed hats, reducing neck and upper chest coverage. The elastic band wraps around the round part of your head when you wear a billed cap and is designed to keep the net centered — but many users find it uncomfortable because it squeezes the head, and the pressure increases with larger hat sizes.

Going completely hatless is possible, but comes with a specific caveat: it’s best used with a brimmed hat to keep the mesh away from your ears, because wearing the net over a bare head allows the mesh to contact the ears — and while mosquitoes can’t fit their bodies through the net, they can bite through the pores at contact points. A ball cap solves this entirely.

Drop-Neck Design and Ventilation

The drop-neck design covers unzipped shirts and jackets to allow maximum ventilation in hot, buggy conditions.

This is genuinely useful — being able to leave your shirt collar open while still having neck coverage is a real comfort advantage in warm-weather bug season.

The neck area also has an elastic drawstring to keep it tight

, sealing out insects even when you’re moving around.

Protection Scope

The InvisiNet repels mosquitoes, ticks, ants, flies, chiggers, and midges (no-see-ums)

when combined with a repellent. As a physical barrier alone — without permethrin treatment — it stops anything that can’t squeeze through a 1.0mm pore. For a permethrin-boosted option, Ben’s sells the InvisiNet XTRA with Insect Shield,

which adds permethrin technology that both repels and kills bugs on contact.

That version runs about $5 more.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Near-invisible 1.0mm rhombus mesh is genuinely easier to see through than any traditional head net
• 20g is featherweight — you won’t notice it in your pack or on your head
• Elasticized crown holds securely on ball caps through wind and movement
• Drop-neck design enables shirt ventilation without sacrificing neck coverage
• Drawcord neck closure seals tightly
• Stuff sack included; packs down to almost nothing
• Hard to beat at ~$15.99

Cons

• Struggles with wide-brimmed hats: the elastic crown bunches up and reduces coverage
• Elastic band can squeeze uncomfortably on larger head sizes
• 1.0mm pores do not block no-see-ums — step up to the UltraNet for that
• Mesh-to-skin contact at ears or neck allows bites through — a hat is basically mandatory
• No permethrin treatment on the base model (the InvisiNet XTRA adds that for $5 more)

Who Should Buy This

The InvisiNet is the right call for ultralight backpackers and thru-hikers who spend bug season in mosquito and black-fly country and primarily wear a ball cap on trail. It’s also a solid emergency-weight addition to any pack — 20g is cheap insurance for a blueberry-bog section of trail you weren’t expecting. If your headwear is a wide-brimmed sun hat, skip this one and look at the Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net instead. If no-see-ums are your primary nemesis, step up to Ben’s UltraNet or a similarly fine-mesh option.

Verdict

The Ben’s InvisiNet gets one thing exactly right that almost every other head net gets wrong: visibility. At 20g and $15.99, it’s a nearly effortless piece of kit for anyone whose bug season is mosquito-dominated and whose hat has a bill. The wide-brim hat limitation is real and worth knowing before you buy, but for its intended use case, it’s a well-engineered, honest-value piece of gear. Rating: 8/10.