Types of hats for sun protection

Look at Tilley hats. Many styles to choose from

What's wrong with baseball caps?

I see a lot of baseball caps all over Europe. It seems ones with a NY Yankees logo are popular. These are definitely not Americans. How do I know? Most of the caps are in some shade of red. Red is not a Yankees color. The official ones are navy blue.

I second Tilley hats. My husband has worn them for years and they still look good.

I know baseball caps are not good

Meaning not good for sun protection or the wrong fashion statement?

What do you normally wear? Does it not pack well?

I travel with this hat which has UPF 50 sun protection. It is cotton and breaths. I bought mine in San Diego, but I think the brand is available elsewhere. They say not to machine wash, but I do and then put it over a bowl that fits in the head section to dry & keep in shape. https://www.villagehatshop.com/products/lanikai-cotton-sun-hat?collection=sun-hats-cotton

What's wrong with baseball caps?

They offer very little protection from the sun. For shading your forehead? Fine. And perfectly good for playing baseball (easy to shield your eyes from direct sunlight). Beyond that - they're not much help reducing your dose of solar radiation, keeping you cool or dry in a rainstorm.

I always wear my Tilley

I bought this hat back in 2022, and it has served me well. I've packed it on many trips. It lays flat, so I can slide it into a backpack or toss it on top of my clothes in a suitcase. I've washed it in the washing machine a few times, and I've had no issues. I put it in a delicates bag and throw it in with the other clothes. I let it air dry.

My husband has a floppy hat I bought for him off of Amazon 7+ years ago. It is one of his prized possessions, and he always keeps it in his carry-on bag. In fact, he's worn it so much, that the inside and outside of the hat are completely different shades now!

I like my Marmot baseball style hat, it’s waterproof, if it rains it keeps my raincoat brim out of my face and dries quickly. If it’s hot, it’s lightweight and keeps the sun out of my eyes. My husband likes his Tilley hat, he’s had it for years. I have one, too, for hiking but I really don’t want to look like I’m ready for a hike walking around a city in Europe.

Bring whatever hat you would wear to protect yourself from the sun. If it's a baseball cap and you're not worried about the back of your neck or ears, wear a baseball cap. Tilley hats are good , as are SPF sun hats that roll up, I've seen packable straw hats. No one will think you're stupid for avoiding skin cancer.

Another Tilley fan. Very opaque for good protection but easily washable.

In Germany I would wear a ball cap with sunscreen since it’s rather far north.

I buy the same hat as LaurieC. So lightweight you don't even know you're wearing it, but you're getting sun protection all the way around with the brim. I've also bought other styles of hats from them. I hand wash mine. If you have a small head, buy a kids' Large.

I don't care if I look stupid. Skin cancer is no joke.

I agree that Tilley hats are great and also agree that Sunday Afternoons is a great alternative, assuming you catch sales at either shop.

Note that this is yet another reason why the recently discontinued RS civita shoulder bag is so util -- the clip rings on the strapholder are easy to clip the string of your Tilley etc so it's out of your hand and yet not inside the bag when you are indoors.

I also agree that the urban-sombrero style hats are not an easy look to get away with if you aren't in the Northwest of the USA. They are great for sun and rain protection, though. I have one from Columbia that is PU-coated for rain and has vents for sun and is marketed as a substitute for an umbrella/parasol, but if you aren't also wearing rain pants the water streaming off of the hat will soak your legs that much faster.

When it's windy, I am very glad to have a hat I can cinch under my chin. I know it looks utilitarian, but having to walk down the street with one hand on top of your head to keep your hat from blowing off isn't such a great look, either.

Don’t avoid baseball hats for fear of looking like a tourist. You’ll look like a tourist in any city wearing a hat. Especially Tilly hats. Oh well.

I’m very pale and burn within 20 minutes. I wear a packable sun hat. https://a.co/d/f3XTzKY

https://www.costco.com/orvis-mens-tech-hat.product.4000288339.html

Looks a lot like the hat Lauren has; $15 vs $40+

Actually, travel4fun is right: Most people I see on the streets in Europe are not wearing hats. Probably in most case they're locals who're going to be outdoors only briefly. A tourist's day is very different. Too bad if you stand out because you're wearing a hat; you still need to do that.

This is a bit like the high heels you see on fashionable women in Europe's cities. Those folks are not going to be on their feet all day, sightseeing.