Winter Baselayer - Integrated Balaclava Hood. Why?

All the cool kids seem to use winter baselayers with integrated hoods like the Patagonia R1. I have tried on a few varieties, and I don't know if it's my melon head or giraffe neck, but they are uncomfortably tight in the "y dimension". They feel like they're pulling down on my head such that I can't really stand to wear them for very long.

So what's the virtue of these relative to a stand-alone balaclava and a baselayer? The only thing I can think of is that a standalone balaclava could shift around (I've used a separate balaclava a lot and never had this happen personally but concede that it could and if it did it might be obnoxious).

Assuming I have a balaclava that doesn't obstruct my breathing / eating / drinking (e.g. it has a more open 'face' area), what am I missing out on besides emulating the climbers I see in pictures?

A balaclava can't be unzipped to vent neck/chest, it cannot be removed in such a way as to be readily accessible at the next belay, it twists around and strangles you while you sleep, and it makes you look like a nerd.

I personally love having a hood while climbing. Hoods are easy on-off and can never be dropped while climbing. Huge fan of the R1, but have several balaclava-style hoodies and only wear a true balaclava or face mask when in consistently cold/windy conditions for long periods (Mt. Washington,NH). The fact that they fit under a helmet, can be stretched over a helmet (some better than others), and can be zipped to cover the lower part of the face makes these pieces convenient and multi-functional. They can be pricey, but my R1 is 7 years old and going strong. I recently started wearing a Buff during winter, which I find a good alternative/addition to this style hoody.

I have the Mountain Equipment (the British company) version of the R1 and it's my favorite piece of new gear this year. I've used it a lot for splitboarding, trail running, climbing, riding the chairlifts, just about everything outside. I like it better than seperate layers since I don't have the extra bulk around my neck inside my collar and I don't get any gaps in coverage to let cold air and snow in. I have the opposite problem though, my neck seems a little short so I still end up with a wrinkle in my zipper. I tried on a few different sizes to get the torso/neck length right and the rest of the shirt stretched enough to make up for the different sizes.