...From the sun that is. For those of us that are blessed with extra strength livers but lacking in the melanin protection leaving us to burn like vampires under the sun rather than tan (put another way, those of us that are of Irish heritage)- a proper hat is important.
Luckily for you- I've spent more on hats for such occasion over the years than many of the folks here have in their most prized scopes. So pull up a chair and let's talk. When it comes to a proper summer hat, you're looking for fabric, breathability, and coverage. Plenty of styles out there but if you take sun protection seriously, you may need to put your personal style on the side. If you're tough enough to not worry about sun damage, just as a PSA- they quite literally have to cut out a portion of your skin for the biopsy and sew it back together. And that's just where the fun begins.
So as for the better options I've come across- if you don't mine looking like a dork, one of the best options I've run across for the money is one of the Sunday Afternoon's Adventure hats. They incorporate a semi-rigid brim in the front and a cape in the back. They're relatively inexpensive, are lightweight, and breath quite well. They also have a boonie style hat with similar breathability/fabric but less coverage.
One of the more popular brands is Tilley- they're expensive and I've got a few of them and if that's more to your liking, think of them as a 'fancier' boonie, between the LTM5 and LTM6 models you get to choose your brim size. The 'Airflo' design works pretty well but it's important to size the hat properly (it should be slightly loose and they seem to run small in their hat sizing for what it's worth) but the nylon fabric the LTM5 & LTM6 come in doesn't breathe as well and while durable inhibits the Airflo venting somewhat if performing physical activity. If that's your intention and you're still digging the Tilley style- I'd recommend looking at their Airflo models made out of Organic Cotten for extra breathability. The LTM5 Organic is comparable to the standard LTM5 but if you want the bigger brim of the LTM6 with organic cotton fabric- check out what they call the hiker's hat, the brim should be comparable to the LTM6. It also has a 'cooling pad' in the crown- that can be tossed or used (haven't had a chance to fully explore how effective that may be).
Last option that I've had good luck with (and is a bit less traditional) is the Shelta hat line. They're what I'd consider, mid priced but what makes them a bit unique is in the front brim, they have a rigid insert that keeps the front structured while the remaining 2/3's or so of the brim is more traditional. I have the firebird & condor models which the only difference is basically the crown of the hat- but both are part of their 'wide brim' models because, again the sun hurts me. Otherwise- I've been pretty happy with them for the money as well.
So to wrap things up- in my experience, avoid the ball caps- prioritize fabric, breathability, and coverage & if it isn't rated for UPF 50+ it's not worth your time or money and move onto to some other brand/model.
Hopefully that helps some of our fair skinned members this summer.
-LD
Luckily for you- I've spent more on hats for such occasion over the years than many of the folks here have in their most prized scopes. So pull up a chair and let's talk. When it comes to a proper summer hat, you're looking for fabric, breathability, and coverage. Plenty of styles out there but if you take sun protection seriously, you may need to put your personal style on the side. If you're tough enough to not worry about sun damage, just as a PSA- they quite literally have to cut out a portion of your skin for the biopsy and sew it back together. And that's just where the fun begins.
So as for the better options I've come across- if you don't mine looking like a dork, one of the best options I've run across for the money is one of the Sunday Afternoon's Adventure hats. They incorporate a semi-rigid brim in the front and a cape in the back. They're relatively inexpensive, are lightweight, and breath quite well. They also have a boonie style hat with similar breathability/fabric but less coverage.
One of the more popular brands is Tilley- they're expensive and I've got a few of them and if that's more to your liking, think of them as a 'fancier' boonie, between the LTM5 and LTM6 models you get to choose your brim size. The 'Airflo' design works pretty well but it's important to size the hat properly (it should be slightly loose and they seem to run small in their hat sizing for what it's worth) but the nylon fabric the LTM5 & LTM6 come in doesn't breathe as well and while durable inhibits the Airflo venting somewhat if performing physical activity. If that's your intention and you're still digging the Tilley style- I'd recommend looking at their Airflo models made out of Organic Cotten for extra breathability. The LTM5 Organic is comparable to the standard LTM5 but if you want the bigger brim of the LTM6 with organic cotton fabric- check out what they call the hiker's hat, the brim should be comparable to the LTM6. It also has a 'cooling pad' in the crown- that can be tossed or used (haven't had a chance to fully explore how effective that may be).
Last option that I've had good luck with (and is a bit less traditional) is the Shelta hat line. They're what I'd consider, mid priced but what makes them a bit unique is in the front brim, they have a rigid insert that keeps the front structured while the remaining 2/3's or so of the brim is more traditional. I have the firebird & condor models which the only difference is basically the crown of the hat- but both are part of their 'wide brim' models because, again the sun hurts me. Otherwise- I've been pretty happy with them for the money as well.
So to wrap things up- in my experience, avoid the ball caps- prioritize fabric, breathability, and coverage & if it isn't rated for UPF 50+ it's not worth your time or money and move onto to some other brand/model.
Hopefully that helps some of our fair skinned members this summer.
-LD
