Best Hiking Hat: The Best for Outdoor Adventure

In our hunt for the best hiking hat out there, we sought a model that is lightweight, breathable, tough, and with enough protection to keep our skin safe on super-sunny days. The OR Sombriolet ticks all those boxes.

The Sombriolet has a brim that measures 3.125 inches at the front and 4.125 inches at the back. This varied width means you get plenty of sun protection for your neck but won’t have to worry about your vision being impeded at the front.

The Sombriolet is also one of the most comfortable and durable options on our list. It’s made with double-weave ripstop fabric and has a super-soft, high-wicking headband for comfort. An internal mesh structure holds the crown on your head, while mesh vents on the sides provide a little A/C on hot days.

All versions of the Sombriolet have a dark gray underside that absorbs light and lessens glare, and have a UPF 50+ rating.

An adjustable strap at the back lets you customize the fit and a removable chin cord ensures it stays put when hiking in windy conditions. This wide brim hat also includes foam inserts that will keep it afloat if it falls in the water.

We aren’t normally big fans of cotton in outdoor attire, but for the REI Explorer we’re prepared to make an exception to the rule.

The Explorer’s main fabric is organic cotton, which tends to soak up rather than wick sweat, which can cause all kinds of problems – extra weight, dripping sweat, and serious chills when you stop moving and the sweat cools down. However, the Explorer’s chunky, high-wicking headband is so effective that none of the above is an issue.

Truth be told, cotton fabric is more of a benefit than a drawback. It makes the Explorer super-soft and crushable, highly breathable, and gives it a UPF 50+ rating. For added airflow, the Explorer incudes a duo of large, polyester mesh side vents that keep your head cool in high temps.

Other nice features include a 3-inch brim, brass snaps that let you pin the brim up on either side, an adjustable chin strap, and a stash pocket in the crown.

The name kinda gives it away, but the Coolibar’s main selling point is that it crushes down into a tiny bundle, thus making it one of the most compact and portable women’s or men’s sun hats out there.

Crushability aside, the Coolibar has a lot going for it. It had a good-sized brim (3 inches), a 50+ UPF rating, mesh sides to prevent overheating, and a protective liner and elasticized headband behind the mesh to provide a comfortable and secure fit.

Looks-wise, the Coolibar might be an, um, “acquired taste”, but this really depends on what floats your boat.

Arc’teryx is famed for creating top-of-the-line rain shells, hiking pants, softshells, and hiking footwear, but the Calvus Cap shows that its design team is pretty handy when it comes to headwear, too.

The Calvus is made with lightweight, breathable, water-resistant socora polyester fabric and has mesh side panels and a spacer mesh, moisture-wicking sweatband to keep your head cool and sweat out of your eyes when hiking hard.

The short brim on the Calvus won’t protect all of your face, but is large enough to shield your eyes from the sun. Unlike most other hats on our list, it also has a DWR finish, so it will keep water out of your eyes when hiking in the rain.

Looking for a simple, stylish baseball hat with a few dialed-in, hiking-specific features? If so, stick the Buff Pack Trek Cap somewhere on your shortlist.

The Trek Cap is kinda pricey for what it is, but earns a place on our list on account of its awesome comfort. It’s made with two-way stretch fabric, which means it remains comfortable on your head even after an epically long day on the trails. If you’ve ever worn a cap for 10 hours straight, you’ll know this is a big deal!

The Trek Cap also has a cushy sweatband for added comfort, offers UPF 50+ protection, and has a series of air vents in the crown and sides to up airflow.

The Outdoor Research Sun Runner Cap is a great pick for hikers who like their headwear light and multifunctional.

Multifunctional? Yep! The Sun Runner is, essentially, two hats in one – both a simple but high-quality baseball cap and a full-blown, legionnaire-style sun hat. In cap mode, the mesh side panels and large brim help keep sweat and glare to a minimum, whilst also protecting your face. In sun hat mode, you get full face and neck protection from the extended neck cape.

The Sun Runner has a healthy UPF 50 rating. An external cinch-strap lets you customize your cap’s fit while a removable chin cord offers extra security on windy days.

Made with entirely recycled materials, the Horizon Breeze Brimmer is our top pick for the eco-conscious hiker.

Eco credentials aside, the HBB is a great hat in its own right. Its wide brim provides ample coverage for your face, ears, and neck, while a TurboDry® sweatband provides added comfort and wicks away sweat without the use of chemicals. Small grommets in the crown also provide a touch of airflow and an adjustable chin strap keeps it in place on windy days.

While the HBB only has a UPF 40 rating, it is recommended by The Skin Cancer Foundation.

This high-performance fishing hat has qualities that will be appreciated by any outdoors person. The Columbia Bora Bora Booney II features quick-drying UPF 50 nylon fabric with mesh panels and an Omni-Wick sweatband that guarantee your head is protected from the sun while also staying cool.

It comes in a wide variety of colors but is available in only one size. The headband has a toggle in the back and an adjustable drawcord, allowing it to fit heads with a circumference between 21 ¼ to 24 ½ inches. Both the toggle and chinstrap are adjustable, allowing you to customize the fit to your head.

If you want more protection than a cap but feel uncomfortable wearing a wider brim, the OR Sun Bucket is well worth considering.

The Outdoor Research Sun Bucket features a shorter, 2 ¾-inch brim and UPF 50+ sun protection rating. The brim is completely crushable and features a slight angle so that it slopes down from the top giving you better protection from the sun as it moves throughout the day.

An adjustable drawcord ensures it stays firmly on your head on those windy days, while its crushable design and light weight mean it can easily be stuffed in a pocket when not needed.

On the trail, we found the Sun Bucket to be one of the most comfortable items we tested. We particularly loved the side vents and the rear cinch cord that allowed us to customize the fit. We were also big fans of the narrower brim, finding this allowed us to stomp onward at speed without any fabric impeding our view.

One of the more recognizable caps on the market, the Sunday Afternoons Adventure Hat is worn by adventurers everywhere.

No matter where your adventure takes you, this will keep you covered and protected with a 50+ UPF breathable sun rating, 4” brim, strategic mesh ventilation, and a 7 ½-inch neck flap that includes a lift-up tab.

Other endearing features include a wired brim that prevents the fabric flopping into your eyes, a floatable foam core, and moisture-wicking fabric that helps keep you sweat-free when hiking hard on hot days.

For a slightly more performance-oriented version of the Adventure, check out the Sunday Afternoons Ultra Adventure Hat.

The Tilley LTM6 Airflo Hat is our pick of the bunch for stylish adventurers seeking full-head protection from the sun.

The Tilley Airflo offers great protection from the sun with a UPF rating of 50+ that blocks out 99% of the sun’s rays. The wide brim also provides plenty of protection for your face, eyes, neck, and ears, though is stiff enough that it won’t impede your view.

In terms of comfort, the Tilley is a winner. It includes a soft sweatband with foam padding and a ventilated crown that provides plenty of airflow for your dome. A wind cord on the back ensures it will stay snug on your head in breezy conditions.

Despite the stiffness of the brim, the Tilley is crushable, so can easily be stored away in a pocket or the “brain” of your backpack when not in use. And if you want to store small items inside the hat itself you can do so thanks to a handy little zippered pocket in the crown.