WILLOUGHBY, Ohio — As soon as the first snow falls in Northeast Ohio, I run outside and yell, "I...LOVE...WINTER!...
But as a television news photojournalist and photographer, plus a wearer of glasses, I know one thing for sure: breathe the wrong way in the cold and POOF, your specs are a fogged-up mess.
For Creative Engineer and nature photographer Lori Diemer, necessity was the mother of invention.
While prepping for a Winter photography trip to Yellowstone in 2014, Diemer says, "I had a regular Columbia neck gaiter on and took a breath and I had ice on the inside of my glasses."
So, she went to work to solve the problem.
"I heard a local company was having a "Shark Tank" like competition so I applied and was a semi-finalist." Her design was a cold-weather face cover and neck warmer, "that's where I came up with the design for Cozy Noze."
Cozy is right.
It's made for cold weather and Diemer says, "The base is a polyester fleece, anti-pill, so you can wash it and it won't pull up on you and the trim is a sherpa fleece."
When you pull it up over your chin and nose, just pinch on the bridge and your breath will be directed down, not up into your glasses.
The Cozy-Noze is not rated medically and only meant to provide warmth and fog-free eyewear, but Lori says, "If you wanted to add the extra layer of a paper mask or cotton mask underneath, you certainly could."
Originally designed for outdoor photographers, the Cozy Noze list of wearers has grown to include construction workers, skiers, hunters, and fishermen.
It's a versatile way to keep your face and neck warm and glasses fog free in the worst or best weather Ohio has to offer.