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.

I'm often hiking on breezy days and the Tilly hat stays on with it's well designed chin strap. I travel with it in my carry on luggage and it is relatively light weight and doesn't take up a lot of room. I love how it looks too, because it doesn't look like beach attire.

I have been using a Columbia sunhat when outside in warm weather, for at least ten years. It has signs of wear. Another hat I have that I bought while far from home because I accidentally left my Columbia hat at home is a "Sun Day" brand hat: it was a waste of money because: it has two layers in the part that touches my head; it is polyester; the extra layer probably makes it durable but the hat makes my head too hot, it makes my head sweat a little; it is like having a plastic bag on my head. The Sun Day hat is a gross hat. The Columbia hat just has one layer and also some tiny ventilation holes. I probably would buy another Columbia hat or something quite similar. There is probably nothing wrong with Tilley hats; a fabric like hemp or cotton probably wouldn't make your head feel gross like the Sun Day two layer polyester hat

I always take a baseball cap when I travel. If you are concerned about sun on your neck, add a summer weight Buff neck gaiter. I use them at home in summer when I am on my horse and they are easy to pack for traveling. https://www.buff.com/us/neckwear.html

Easy a cap like this can be seen on the streets of places like Budapest every day: https://aheadusashop.com/cdn/shop/files/TexasA_MAggiesWhiteWashedTwillCap_R.png?v=1708961274

Or if you want to look like a European citizen: https://hatroom.eu/images/zoom/11157579-right2.jpg

Or a hip European citizen: https://www.rebelsport.com.au/dw/image/v2/BBRV_PRD/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-srg-internal-master-catalog/default/dwb9ba0e21/images/58382401/Rebel_58382401_black_hi-res.jpg?sw=750&sh=750&sm=fit&q=60

Or you are an American tourist and dang proud of it: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcShughA3S8j3DXXUpP3h-r8W6LAUTrDbIyz8A&s

I wear either a baseball cap or depending on the locale and season a Tilley Airflo hat. Wear what works for you.

Lots of recommendations for baseball caps. But the question concerned sun protection. What protection do they give for the ears and neck? None. Of course, if you have no concern about skin cancer, then wear what you like.

I wear a wallaroo brand hat that I’ve had for years. I’m not sure which model. A baseball cap does not shade the sides of my face where I have had pre-cancerous damage. The Wallaroo hat does not have a strap, so my next hat will have one. In Europe, I don’t see a lot of hats, but the protection is worth standing out from the crowd.

CJean, I'm a redneck. We wear these

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/910GchtYIyL._AC_UY1000_.jpg

Mr É that looks like it would be sooooo comfortable to wear in the city on a hot, sunny summers day. And no one would think you were a terrorist or robber....

If you get a nice Panama you won't look as much like a tourist. And they are not uncommon over here.

For those who like ball caps, but still want the full sun protection, just get one with a legionnaire flap and face flap.
Legionnaire cap

And on a really warm day you can soak the flaps in water and have your own personal swamp cooler.

CJean you must keep it moist with a nice Egri Csillag, then it's quite refreshing.

I recommend a hat from the following company which had its start in Oregon:
https://www.sundayafternoons.com
The Sunday Afternoon hats are great for sun protection, very lightweight, and “squishable.”
There are many styles from which to choose for men and women as well as kids.

I checked the label of my hat. Sunday Afternoon is the brand of my hat that I perceive to be gross because the two polyester layers make my head too hot and it has no tiny ventilation holes like my (worn but still intact) Columbia sun hat.

Edit: Perhaps one of the other Sunday Afternoon hats wouldn't make my head feel gross.

Check Duluth Trading Company.

They have size ranges, not as wide as Tilley, but I did find a women's hat that fit. Not as comfortable as my Tilley, but okay. And it packs better. Mine is the crushable, packable tulip hat. I roll it from left to right or right to left like an enchilada for putting in a day bag instead of how they show it or fold it like a taco shell left to right around the edge of a packing cube for packing. I wish they offered more colors.

Love my tilley hats but the nylon ones are like wearing a plastic bag on my head. The cotton versions are okay. They do make me look like an old geezer, or a Canadian.

I have found a couple of fedora style hats (Sunday Afternoons are great). Hats made from raffia fiber (basically paper) are breathable but do not do well in rain. Toquilla straw does very well but has to be very high quality to be packable. The last one I bought in France is hemp and it is fabulous. Packs well and doesn't fall apart when wet.

Don't be afraid to justbuy one there and pitch it at the end of the trip.

I'd happily rock a Kangol around town if I had more bottle. LL Cool J was an icon for me back in the day.

I can still recite every line of this, even though I was 13 when it came out - https://youtu.be/oVDfyc2lh4Q?si=zpR28tuBLlbT7oGr

I have this one:
https://ctroutdoors.com/products/wanderlust-breeze-crushable-straw-hat-ctr-style-1357
I have another one from the same brand with no cord that I got on clearance at a local fishing store. The cord is key if you want to keep the hat. It's lightweight and UPF, rolls up small. And comes in sizes (yay!).
This time of year, Costco starts selling sun hats in the store. I generally find them to be very heavy, but they are worth checking out.

I look like tourist and an outsider regardless, if that matters. I don't wear a baseball cap or any sort of cap at all.

G3rryCee, I agree the cord is essential. If my favorite sun hat doesn't have one I sew a colorful, but coordinating ribbon in to the hat to keep it on.

I like to use a Tilley-type hat with a wide brim to shade neck, ears and face and which can be pressed down flat to fit in my carry-on backpack. Neck strap is useful; I drive a convertible.

If protection from the sun is your main interest, then the link below may be what your are seeking.

https://www.sunprecautions.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorfBwy3ohAWySZnGF5_aPt3Qjb6mkFRUX_VsK0OGCREcBefHKJ6

Finally, a thread about something that we SHOULD be afraid of-the sun. Just ask your dermatologist.