best hat for hiking

When looking for a hiking hat, one must always keep in mind that such a hat shouldn’t just be protective and comfortable but also pleasant to look at. In fact, it is quite common for people to wear their hiking hats in social situations, especially if they’re particularly good-looking hats.

Still, you shouldn’t base your decision on aesthetics alone, which is where our list comes into play. After taking into consideration everything the market has to offer at this point in time, we put together a list of the ten best hiking hats money can buy.

Best Hiking Hats – Reviews

10Olive W10S30F Hat

buy buttonComfortable and stylish, Olive W10S30F is much more than just your average outdoor hat. It is also Ideal for all ages and suitable for a variety of head sizes including size S, M, L, XS, 2XL, and 3XL. This hat is made using quality cotton to give you a comfortable feel not to mention its subsequent lock fitted chin cord that allows you to safely secure it even on windy weather. What’s more, it has a reversible style and roll-up shape that give you a spellbound feel not to forget air holes that exclusive air holes for optimal ventilation. Finally, aside from its secured stitching feature, this hat comes in several color options including Olive, Beige, Khaki, Black, and Navy.

9Summer Outdoor Sun Protection Cap

buy buttonThis is a versatile, stylish and multifunctional hat that suits all outdoor activities. It comes with an easily detachable shield that not only protects your neck, face etc but also allows it to double as a typical casual hat. Available in 4 distinct colors mainly: rose red, blue, dark gray and light gray, this particular hat also boasts an easily foldable and lightweight construction that eases its portability. Finally, its crown’s rear sections are easily adaptable to suit your needs.

8Home Prefer Sun Hat

buy buttonMade of polyester and nylon material, this unisex sun hat is not only quick drying but also amazingly lightweight. Besides protecting you from harmful UV rays courtesy of its UPF 50+ feature it is also good for everyday use. Moreover, it features a classic belt design that gives it its stylish look and with the chin strap and adjustable Velcro, it offers the best fitting possible. Finally, this unisex bucket hat features a concealed neck flap that protects you from cold winds and harmful sun rays.

7Home Prefer Unisex Quick Drying Hat

buy buttonProviding an ideal fit for virtually anyone, this might just be the ideal cap for any outdoor activities involving spending a lot of time in the sun. Not only is durable, it is also quite comfortable courtesy of its characteristic air holes that offer adequate ventilation. Amazingly, it allows multi-purpose use and with the option of 4 distinct colors and an ensuing 2-in-1 shape, it is perfect for any age. It has a wide brim that protects you from scorching sunlight not to mention a conveniently adjustable chin lock that allows you to fasten it during windy conditions.

6Sun Blocker Sun Hat

buy buttonSun Blocker’s Sun Hat is a foldable, unisex, and lightweight hat that is easy to move around with besides offering protection against harmful UV rays courtesy of its UPF 50+ feature. It also has an 8-inch back flap (longest available) with a 4-inch wide side and a front brim that safeguards both your neck and ears. It has a 34-inch diameter not to mention boasting an underlying material that is muck, water, and dirt resistant. This classy floating hat is moisture wicking making it ideal for outdoor activities particularly in warm weathers and is among the best when it comes to protection against harmful UV sun rays.

5Boonie Bush Military Brim Hat

buy buttonClassy and perfectly ideal for typical outdoor activities, Boonie is an outdoor hat which features a neck flap that safeguards your neck against sun rays. It also comprises 3-inch brim edges that perfectly fit your head not to mention an exclusive material composition of polyester and cotton. What’s more, besides being unisex, it comes with a characteristic chin strap with an adjustable cord for easy fastening.

4Sunday Afternoons Adventure Hat

buy buttonThis is a stylishly designed Nylon hat that comes with a patented and innovative design that offers exclusive sun protection (UPF 50+). Its signature feature is its characteristically strategic ventilation and customizable sizing. It has a 7.5-inch neck flap not to mention a 4-inch wide front brim. In addition, it boasts moisture-wicking characteristic that makes it an amazing option for humid weather.

3Large 4-Panel Flap KHAKI Hat

buy buttonThis is a cool, comfortable, and adequately ventilated and sun protective flap hat that is ideal for outdoor activities. It is equipped with a flap that protects your ears and neck and a wide brim for face protection against damaging and harmful sun rays. Moreover, it comes with a clip and string for windy days and with an exclusive sweat band, it effectively absorbs heat perspiration for optimal comfort. What’s more, this particular hat is easily foldable, hence an added degree of portability for users to enjoy.

2Lethmik Camouflage Boonie Hat

buy buttonFashionable and durable, this should be considered an ideal outdoor cap for almost any hiker. Why? Besides protecting you from harmful UV rays, it also remains comfortably secured on you even on windy days courtesy of its adjustable hat chin drawstring and WIND ROPE provisions. Additionally, with the durable, comfortable, yet thin material, it also subsequently allows easy fitting even in your pocket.

1Outdoor Sombriolet (Research) Hat

buy buttonAvailable in a crown style, this hat comes in 9 different cool color options not to mention 3 distinct sizes. It is made of polyester and nylon materials which inspire its lightweight characteristic. Additionally, it has a nylon covered wide brim-on its lower side to give you a cool feel along with an exclusive Solar Shield build that offers comprehensive sun protection (UPF 50+). What’s more, besides its adjustable chin cord that allows secure fitting, its brim edge is made using piping that gives it its stylish and classy look. Lastly, this unisex hat is ideal for any outdoor or research activities.

 

Can’t Find What You’re Looking For? Check these suggestions:

 

What To Look For When Buying A Hiking Hat

hiking hatAlthough choosing a hiking hat shouldn’t be seen as a major life-changing decision, it still pays to get one that best suits your needs. It is important to remember that your personal needs determine if a hiking hat will meet your requirements and not its features or comfort levels. We say this because some people naturally assume that expensive or overly comfortable hats will do the job by virtue of being expensive and cool to look at.

In reality, there are a number of things to consider when buying a hiking hat of any kind:

Types Of Hiking Hats

As far as style goes, you should perhaps determine which style of hat to get depending on what type of hiking you tend to do. With classic sub hats, for instance, you get a good UV protection and a minimal amount of comfort along with a good air flow. Thicker hiking hats, on the other hand, offer a much better protection in changing weather, not to mention the warmth and durability they tend to enjoy. To be more precise, here are the main types of hiking hats you might be poised to choose from:

Classic Sun Hats – With classic sun hats, like the name would have you think, you get a typical sun-shading hat to keep you cool underneath the summer sun. Equipped with a wide brim, this hat is designed to offer lots of coverage for your face, ears, and the back of your neck. It also keeps the sun out of your eyes while you’re trekking through nature so that you can focus on the trail ahead. Not only that but these hats are also often equipped with a chin cord for a tight fit.

Hiking Caps – Although not as common or widespread as sun hats, hiking caps enjoy an increasingly larger popularity worldwide. Interestingly enough, some people prefer to go hiking wearing regular baseball caps. For the most part, there isn’t a lot wrong with wearing a baseball cap as long as it does the job of keeping you safe from UV rays, even though a specially designed cap will also offer a greater standard of comfort overall.

Beanie Hats – Whenever you’re going hiking during the cold season, you should always ponder about your headwear and what best suits your route. If you plan on spending a reasonable amount of time outside in the cold, then perhaps a cotton beanie hat should be your first choice. If comfort is what you look for, then you should probably go for a flexible beanie hat, or at least one that you are guaranteed to enjoy wearing for hours at a time.

Winter Hats – You should only invest in a winter hiking hat if you are 100% certain that you will be spending a lot of time out in the cold. Given their thick construction, these hats aren’t exactly comfortable to wear indoors and should be used only when trekking in particularly cold weather. When buying such a hat, you should always look for the hat that offers the greatest insulation and/or thickness for obvious reasons.

The Material Question

sun hiking hatAesthetics aside, you should always judge a hiking hat based on its comprising fabrics.

While the material used in a hat’s making mostly depends on its style and intended purpose, there is no reason why a hiking hat shouldn’t be both flexible and comfortable at the same time.

Nor should its design determine the level of protection it offers, especially when it comes to thinner, summer hiking hats.

When it comes to summer hiking hats, you must always look for a hat that boasts a breathable, well-ventilated fabric construction, one that will not only block out harmful UV rays, but one that will do so without causing you any discomfort when worn for long periods of time. In this respect, check out its UPF protection levels. In general, anything over a 30+ UPF level is usually the type of hiking hat to invest in, no matter how expensive it might be.

Another thing to consider when buying a hiking hat is how easy it is to maintain in the long run. A good hiking hat should not only boast high-quality fabrics but it should also have a good ventilation along with quick drying properties. For this reason, a nylon hiking hat should surely be considered instead of anything cotton-based. On the other hand, cotton should be your go-to material when it comes to choosing a winter hiking hat.

Size Matters

Size is the last thing to consider before making up your mind on what to buy. Now, we cannot stress enough just how important it is to only wear a hat that fits your head’s circumference perfectly.

Anything other than a perfect fit will surely cause a big deal of discomfort in the long run, or even headaches if you’re the type to wear a hat for hours at a time. If possible, look for hats with adjustable settings, be they cord-based, velcro, or simple straps.

Last but not least, you should also keep in mind that some fabrics tend to shrink in humid weather, so pay attention to what your preferred hiking hat is made of.