Sun protection is always a prominent topic in summer, including chemical sunscreen and physical sun protection. Sun hats are one of the most popular physical sun protection, which can add a style to your summer outfits, and also provide sunshade for your head and neck. They come in many styles, some are practical and others are stylish. In order to keep the sun rays from reaching your neck, eyes, and face while strolling on the beach, or for long hours of fishing, you have to take into account many factors to find the right style. We’ve done all the research to help you save time with details.
Best Sun Hats
1. FURTALK Womens Sun Straw Hat Wide Brim
Free shipping
Amazon.com
- Provide good sunshade with a densely-wovened paper-straw brim
- Adjustable and removable chin strap
- Allow to customize size through the adsorbent sweatband
- Occasional fitting issues.
2. Simplicity Straw Hats
10 used from $11.24
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Amazon.com
- Easy to roll up for storage
- Adjustable head size
- and elastic band on the stylish bowtie closure
- Wide front brim for keeping sun off the face.
- Not suitable for long time strong sunlight exposure
3. SUN CUBE Wide Brim Sun Hat with Neck Flap
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Amazon.com
- Provide all-angle sun protection for head and neck
- Breathable and lightweight quick-drying polyester fabric
- Adjustable chinstrap
- Foldable for packing
- The size is on the large side.
4. Muryobao Women Ponytail Summer Sun Hat
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Amazon.com
- Breathable and quick-drying inner mesh layer and polyester
- Considerate ponytail opening in back
- Adjustable chinstrap
- Easy to roll up for storage
- May be a bit tight for head size over 22″
5. Columbia Unisex Bora Bora II Booney Fishing Hat
Amazon.com
- Keep you cool with the mesh design
- Adjustable chinstrap and toggle for best fit
- Washable and fast-drying material
- The chinstrap is not removable.
- A bit soft to keep the shape
6. Furtalk Wide Brim Straw Panama Hat
Free shipping
Amazon.com
- Timeless accessory for outfits
- Adjustable and removable chinstrap
- Easy to fold for storage
- Occasional fit issues. It’s better to choose the right size according to your head condition.
7. Camptrace Womens Hiking Fishing Hat
Free shipping
Amazon.com
- Features wide brim and extra back coverage for outdoor activities
- Easy to clean and dry with stain-resistant nylon fabric
- Mesh side and sweatband for increased comfort
- Ponytail hole for girls
- Packable and lightweight for carrying
- It may be a bit hot for hiking but provides good coverage.
8. JAN & JUL Breathable Summer Girls Sun Hat
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Amazon.com
- Cute pattern
- Made from lightweight and durable fabric
- Adjustable toggle and chinstrap
- Easy to fold for storage
- The price is a bit high for growing kids.
What to Consider When Buying Sun Hats?
Sun hats are versatile and suitable for everyone, from children to adults, of all ages, and of all genders.
UPF rating
UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) is similar to SPF (sun protection factor). SPF is the sun protection rating of sunscreen while UPF refers to the sun protection rating of clothing. The rating indicates how effective the hat is in blocking the sun’s radiation.
Sun hats made from fabrics with a high UPF50+ rating mean that only 1/50 of the sun’s rays can penetrate the fabric. Fabric with a UPF50 rating stops 98% of potentially dangerous UVA and UVB radiations from reaching the skin. Hats with high UPF ratings can be found on high-quality hats.
However, if you have no idea about the garment’s UPF rating, the main UPF rule is probably this: Dark, dense weaves, and synthetic materials offer greater sun protection than lighter-colored, looser weaves, and natural fibers.
Brim width
The width of your sunhat brim will determine how well you are protected from the sun. The sun hat combining a broad brim and sun-blocking material helps keep the sun from your face, neck, shoulders, and ears.
A sun hat brim should be at least 2 inches, but you can go as far as 8 inches to get more coverage. The wider the brim, the more protection the hat provides. A 3-4 inches brim can provide both comfort and protection in outdoor activities. Some bucket-shaped brims can provide additional protection for the neck and face. Sun hat wide brims can be bent to provide targeted coverage or for a particular look on sunny days.
Therefore, it’s best to choose wide-brim sun hats, bucket sun hats, or legionnaire style sun hats. Baseball caps do not provide enough protection for the forehead and neck.
Materials
Straw and synthetics
Braided sun hats are usually made of straw, synthetic straw, or a blend of paper and straw. Straw and other woven sunhats are often more fashionable than fabrics. They look great with casual warm-weather attire, such as sundresses, or swimsuits. They are less durable than fabric sun-hat. Faux straw hats and woven straw hats are available in neutral colors like beige, white, tan, and black.
Fabric
Fabric hats are made from cotton, canvas, and synthetic materials such as nylon or polyester. They can be worn for more strenuous outdoor activities, like running, fishing, and hiking.
Some fabric sun hats look just as good as straw and can be paired with any summer outfit.
Unlike straw hats, these soft, flexible sun hats made from nylon, polyester, or canvas are best for traveling because they don’t lose their shape when folded and put in a bag.
No matter what the material is, the most comfortable sun hats are usually lightweight and durable. This is rather important if you travel a lot.
Color
Sun hats are available in a variety of colors. Sun hat lovers prefer lighter colors to protect their heads. But light-colored sun hats may not be practical for heavy-duty outdoor activities because they can show dirt and stains quickly. They can be worn outdoors when the style is more important than function. They look great with shorts and summer shirts.
Darker-colored sun hats absorb more heat and UV rays than lighter shades. They block UV rays but can get a little hot in prolonged sun exposure.
Size
Sun hats have multiple sizes ranging from 21″ to 24″ for most people. You can choose a sun hat that is specifically made for you or a unisex style to get the best fit. Consider the age range that the sun hat is designed to fit when choosing the right sun hat for your child.
A sun hat with an adjustable toggle or interior band is helpful if you’re wearing it on windy days or when you are sharing the sun hat with family members or friends.
Chinstrap
Are you a frequent outdoor person who is often exposed to windy conditions? Sun hats can be tailored to your needs with removable drawstrings or chinstraps that can be adjusted to keep the hat on your head no matter the weather.
Sweatband
Do you sweat easily? Consider a sun hat that has an interior sweatband to absorb your sweat. Some hats have an adjustable sweatband to fit different head sizes.
Can I Wash My Sun Hat in The Washer?
Sweat can get your sun hat wet, and dirt in the air or on the beach can stain your sun hat. You should follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to clean a sunhat. If not stated, the following washing tips are based on the material of your sun hats.
For durable fabric sun hats, you can easily hand wash or machine wash with mild washing mode. Some synthetic materials require hand washing as they are easy to clean up and fast-drying without getting torn in the machine. However, if your hat is not heavily stained, then spot-cleaning is sufficient. Washing your sun hat too often can lead to fade and fray.
For straw braided hats, they just need spot-cleaning. Because submerging a straw hat into water will destroy the structure of the sun hat.
How to Fix a Bent Hat Brim?
If it is a straw sun hat, you can steam the entire brim with a steamer, or place it over the steam of boiling water for five minutes. Then reshape the brim on a flat surface, and place heavy flat objects on the brim for 24 hours. Your hat will bounce back to its original shape.
If it is a fabric hat, you can iron the brim until it regains its original shape.
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