Updated March 18, 2024
Sunscreen and sunglasses aren’t enough to shield travellers from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. A sun hat is an essential item on every traveller’s packing list. But what is the best packable sun hat for packing light travel?
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What is the best packable sun hat for travel?
What makes the best packable sun hat for travel? You’re packing light, so the one hat that’s packed needs to work for as many scenarios as possible. The hat for looking cool strolling down the Champs-Élysées on a sunny day in August probably won’t be a good fit for hiking New Zealand’s Bank Track in February. Nor will it work for running around an outdoor tennis court in Australia during the southern summer or spending hours on a beach at a resort in the Dominican Republic.
Let’s begin by looking at some of the key features of the best packable sun hat for travel.
1. Comfortable and versatile
It should be comfortable to wear, looks decent, and works for all activities.
It must be lightweight, dry quickly, and be easily laundered.
2. A firm, wide brim
The hat needs to not only shade the scalp and face but ears and neck as well. This can be accomplished with a full-circumference brim, or a partial brim and a legionnaire or neck flap.
The brim should be at least 3 in / 7.5 cm wide. It needs to be firm, so it doesn’t bend or flop in the wind, exposing the wearer to the sun’s rays.
3. Sun-impenetrable material
The hat must cover the entire scalp with lightweight, breathable, sun-impenetrable material. This means no open areas such as those typically found in visors. The same applies to holes in mesh or straw that expose the scalp to dangerous UV rays.
The material should have a clothing UPF rating of at least 50. UPF 50 means that less than 2.5% of the UV rays can penetrate the fabric.
4. Adjustable
Being adjustable translates into a good fit and that it’s capable of remaining on the head during many types of activities.
It needs to stay on the head during windy conditions. This usually means a drawstring chin strap or some other feature that keeps it in place.
5. Packable
For travel, it needs to be packable. Is it crushable? Can it be rolled or packed flat? Do wrinkles disappear when it’s removed from a bag and returns to its original shape?
6. Moisture-wicking
A moisture-wicking sweatband helps draw sweat from the skin and prevents moisture from dripping into the eyes.
My choice for most trips: a cap with a legionnaire flap
My search for the best sun hat for travel (for me) ended with the Columbia Schooner Bank™ Cachalot III. A cap with a legionnaire flap might not be the ‘coolest’ hat on the planet, but I find it has many advantages.
(i) What are the advantages of a legionnaire or neck flap?
- I love the coverage. The flap, when needed, covers the ears and back of the neck to the collarbone. At the side, the flap meets the brim to protect both sides of the face. When the flap isn’t needed, it tucks away in the crown.
- It worked for the soldiers of the French Foreign Legion in the deserts of Northern Africa, and more recently, as part of the school uniform of young Australians under the ‘no hat, no play’ rule in school playgrounds. I’ve also felt encouraged by tennis players who are able to keep their hats in place during a match.
- Some folks think the design is dorky; I think it’s my best protection against sunburn and melanoma.
- Another factor relates to my interest in combining cycling and travel. A cap with a legionnaire flap is compatible with a helmet. That’s not possible with many other designs of sun hats.
(ii) The Columbia Schooner Bank™ Cachalot III
I hope Columbia continues to make this cap. It has many attractive features:
- It’s lightweight at 65 g / 2.3 oz and packs flat.
- The lightweight fabric has a UPF 50 rating.
- The legionnaire’s flap tucks under the crown when not in use. It extends from both sides of the brim to a length of 8 in / 20.3 cm, offering excellent coverage to the ears and neck.
- The 3-in / 7.5-cm brim slants downwards, offering protection for more hours of the day while the sun is ascending or descending.
- The Omni-Wick sweatband is comfortable, covers all but the back of the head, and does an excellent job of wicking away moisture.
- The sweatband dries quickly when the hat is removed during rest breaks in the shade.
- It’s adjustable with the drawcord and toggle at the back.
- The Columbia label is unobtrusive. The company’s name is relatively small at the back of the hat, and a tiny logo is at the front.
(iii) An accessory
A Croakies lid latch has a clip at each end. One attaches to the adjustable drawcord on my cap and the other to clothing or a bag. Both clips have performed well.
When the Columbia cap isn’t on my head, it remains attached to clothing or a bag, allowing me to go hands-free. It’s helpful when hiking between sunny and shady spots when one quick flick of the brim removes the hat from my head, yet it remains safely attached to clothing or my bag.
The adjustable drawcord results in a comfortable fit, even in windy conditions. The cord with a clip is extra security in case of strong gusts.
Other options in packable sun hats
An alternative to a cap with a legionnaire flap is a hat with a neck flap. Toppers makes a rollable hat in a UPF 50+ fabric with a wide brim and removable, adjustable chin strap. The women’s version has a slot and bow for a pony tail.
Another alternative to a cap with a legionnaire flap is the Sunday Afternoons Ultra Adventure hat. It offers wonderful sun protection and is packable, lightweight, quick-drying, and breathable. It comes in a variety of colours.
Companies and agencies that specialize in sun protection can be a reliable source of hats and other items of clothing.
- The Cancer Council in Australia has a huge online inventory of hats in various styles, colours, and sizes. Store locations can be found throughout the country.
- Based in Minnesota, USA, Coolibar is a source of clothing with UPF 50+ protection.
- Wallaroo was inspired by visits to Australia where the threat of skin cancer has been understood for some time. Most of the hats in Colorado-based Wallaroo’s collection have UPF ratings attached, many with UPF 50+.
If it is more convenient, both Coolibarand Wallaroo hats are available at Amazon.
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Based on a review on OutdoorGearLab, my go-to site for unbiased gear reviews, I bought the Sunday Afternoons Ultra Adventure. Dorky looking but foldable, adjustable, great coverage and glare reduction, etc. In intense sun and wind, it’s what I need to protect my neck, ears and bald head. In less intense conditions I have a SA ball cap, which has a wide brim with dark colouring on its underside to help cut glare.
Thank you, Geoff, for adding value to the post. The Sunday Afternoons Ultra Adventure ticks many of the sun-protection boxes, and the packable boxes. Impressive. Also, I’m pleased to see that someone else likes a hat with a flap in back. All the best.