Whether you want to go for a walk in nature, go fishing, or spend time gardening, there will always be a need for the best golf hats for sun protection.
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After all, a hat is still the best tool to protect you from the sun, and there is nothing more damaging to your skin than a high-rise sun.
For this reason, I have put together a list of the ten best current sun protection hats on the market.
Contents
- The 10 Best Golf Hats For Sun Protection On The Market
- GearTOP Premium UPF 50+ Hats for Men & Women
- EINSKEY Sun Protection Wide Brim Bucket (for Men/Women)
- Tilley LTM6 Broad Brim Airflo Bucket Sun Hat
- Simplicity Hats for Women UPF 50+ UV Sun Protective
- Dukars Unisex Wide Brim Sun Hat
- Henschel Hats Aussie Breezer 5310
- Muryobao Women’s Outdoor Foldable Mesh Hat
- Columbia Unisex Bora Bora Booney
- Coolibar Matchplay Golf Hat
- NoSweat Sweat Liner Golf Hat
- How To Pick The Best Golf Hats For Sun Protection
- FAQs
- Conclusion
The 10 Best Golf Hats For Sun Protection On The Market
GearTOP Premium UPF 50+ Hats for Men & Women
Rarely can I decide on a single best product, as there are always things that one option does better than the others.
However, that is not an issue this time with the GearTOP Premium. Due to its multifaceted features, there is no option more suitable for the title best all-around.
First of all, this hat is wholly designed for outdoor activities. No matter what you are doing, golfing, fishing, gardening, etc., the GearTOP Premium will stick to your head thanks to the adjustable drawstrings and elastic band chin strap.
Next, as this is a list of the best golf hats, the UPF rating is a genuinely vital aspect. In this department, this hat scores an amazing UPF 50+, meaning it can protect you from the most harmful rays.
If I have to find a weakness in this incredible product, then there is only one thing. Once you cinch the elastic drawcord in the back a little too tight, the hat will look crumbled, ruining its wholesome look.
Pros:
- Adjustable elastic drawcord
- High UPF score against UV rays
- Perfect for outdoor activities
- Elastic band
Con:
- Doesn’t look as good once cinched too tight behind.
EINSKEY Sun Protection Wide Brim Bucket (for Men/Women)
The biggest advantage that the EINSKEY Sun Protection Wide Brim Hat holds over other options is none other than its waterproof nature.
As a matter of fact, this hat can protect your hair from even the harshest rain, thanks to its water-repellent polyester material.
Additionally, there is another advantage to the polyester material, its incredible lightweight. As a result, you can wear this hat for a whole day without feeling uncomfortable.
The one thing that I am not pleased with is, undoubtedly, the fact that it’s drawstring cord cannot tighten enough. Thus, whenever there is a strong wind, there is a chance of the hat flipping.
Pros:
- Waterproof
- Lightweight
- Durable
Con:
- Drawstring cord unable to tighten completely
Tilley LTM6 Broad Brim Airflo Bucket Sun Hat
Anyone who has worn a hat before knows just how hard it is to wash a hat without damaging them. About 90% of brimmed hats on the current market require you to wash them by hand.
However, you will not have this issue with the Tilley LTM6 Broad Brim Airflo Bucket Golf Hat, as it is made of nylon.
You see, being made of 100% nylon, this hat has the strongest resistance against wrinkle without damaging its stretching capability.
Of course, there is also the fact that nylon is among the most durable material for brimmed hats.
There are some weaknesses within the Tilley LTM6 Broad Brim Airflo Bucket Golf Hat. Of those, the most glaring is none other than its ventilation system, as the holes are not breathable enough.
Pros:
- Resistant against wrinkle
- Easy to wash
- Durable
Con:
- Bad ventilation
Simplicity Hats for Women UPF 50+ UV Sun Protective
Despite having quite a huge brim, the Simplicity Convertible Beach Visor Hat has a smart design that allows it to be folded easily without changing its shape.
Consequently, its portability is unrivaled as its compact size after folding means you can carry it anywhere
This hat can also serve as two products: a traditional hat or a golf visor. All you need to do is use a zipper to remove the hat’s top to turn it into a visor and vice versa.
As such, you can use the hat for numerous outdoor activities like golfing, picnicking, hiking, etc.
As far as I can see, the only problem with the Simplicity Convertible Beach Visor Hat is that there is a high chance of your hair getting snagged in its velcro.
Due to this reason, it is necessary to keep both velcro pieces perfectly aligned.
Pros:
- Foldable
- Compact size
- 2-in-1 design
Con:
- Hair easily stuck in the velcro
Dukars Unisex Wide Brim Sun Hat
If we are talking about protection from the sun, there is nothing better than the Dukars Unisex Wide Brim Sun Hat.
After all, this hat has a fantastic rating of UPF 50+, among the highest amongst the available options, meaning you can be sure that it can block out at least 98% of all harmful UV rays.
If you are doing outdoor activities, there is also a temperature issue, especially during sunny days. In this aspect, this hat can handle even the hottest days, thanks to its two-side air vent and mesh panels, ensuring your head is cool and ventilated.
For the most part, I’m happy with what the Dukars Unisex Wide Brim Sun Hat offers.
Nonetheless, there are still things I hope they can improve for the next product, like the hat being too hard on arrival. I had to wash it numerous times to soften it up.
Pros:
- High UPF rating
- Good ventilation
- Lightweight
Con:
- Too hard at first
Henschel Hats Aussie Breezer 5310
With just one look at the Henschel Hats Aussie Breezer Mesh Hat, you will see that there is nothing better than it when it comes to ventilation.
The whole hat is covered with mesh, so its entire body is a ventilation system, which none of the other options on this list is capable of.
That is not all there is to this hat, as it is also packable and foldable. Thus, this hat is utmost easy to take with you anywhere.
Moreover, this mesh hat has a chin cord, helping the hat securely fit on your head.
Nonetheless, the Henschel Hats Aussie Breezer Mesh Hat still has a weakness.
Frankly, the breathable mesh providing this hat its strongest advantage is also its biggest disadvantage. Due to the mesh’s delicate nature, you cannot wash it in any way other than dry cleaning.
Pros:
- Best ventilation
- Portable
- Chin cord
Con:
- Dry cleaning only
Muryobao Women’s Outdoor Foldable Mesh Hat
Being made completely of breathable and quick-drying polyester, the Muryobao Women’s Outdoor Foldable Mesh Hat has, undoubtedly, the best material on the market.
Aside from the two mentioned advantages, polyester is also quite durable, adding another pro.
As this hat is primarily for women, it has quite a genius design choice that we all know of but rarely think about. Yes, the hat has an opening specifically for ponytails in the back.
As a result, people with long hair can now tie their hair back without worrying about the hat not fitting.
Naturally, there must be some drawbacks in getting the Muryobao Women’s Outdoor Foldable Mesh Hat.
This time, despite having mesh in its name, the hat’s ventilation system is not truly up to par. For this reason, your head will get hot on sunny days, despite it stopping almost all of the harmful rays.
Pros:
- High-quality materials
- Durable
- Ponytail opening
- Elastic band
Con:
- Bad ventilation
Columbia Unisex Bora Bora Booney
Being made from pure nylon with expert stitching, you can expect only the best durability out of the Columbia Unisex Bora Bora Booney.
While other hats can last two years at most, this hat can last at least three, even if you participate in extreme outdoor activities all day.
Furthermore, you will notice that this hat has a mesh vent inducing breeze to your head due to the incredible craftsmanship. Hence, you will feel cool even while hiking or golfing under the summer’s blazing sun.
Due to the high-quality material or the expert craftsmanship, the Columbia Unisex Bora Bora Booney is much higher in price than its competitor, the only flaw I could find regarding this hat.
Pros:
- Durable
- Long-lasting
- Ventilation mesh
Con:
- Relatively pricey
Coolibar Matchplay Golf Hat
The easiest characteristic that you can spot on the Coolibar Matchplay Golf Hat is its huge brims. This hat has the biggest brim on this list, with 4 inches in the front.
These brims are of perfect sizes, enough to stop the sunlight while not interfering with your vision.
Despite its main material of polyester, Coolibar has utilized an unknown recipe to make the fabric ultra-soft.
Consequently, the hat has a cotton-like feel, is breathable and lightweight, all of which are not possible for a pure polyester sun hat.
However, I’m not impressed with the thick metal wire surrounding the hat’s brim, keeping it in shape.
This wire has a sharp end, which can poke into the fabric and make contact with your sensitive skin. Believe me, it is not a particularly pleasant experience.
Pros:
- Huge brim
- Durable
- Comfortable
- Elastic band
Con:
- Metal wire poking through the hat
NoSweat Sweat Liner Golf Hat
Whoever has gone golfing or hiking under a blazing sun knows how much of a pain when sweats get into their eyes.
However, with its patented sweat-lock design and technology, the NoSweat Sweat Liner Golf Hat can easily solve this problem.
Aside from the amazing moisture-wicking feature, this hat can also help in ventilating.
Due to the hat’s mesh, you will not feel the heat, even if you are golfing in Arizona. As such, you can completely focus on what you want to do.
Nevertheless, as this hat is too good at absorbing the sweat, it is also quick at releasing odors caused by the bacteria from your sweat.
But you can easily solve this odor issue by replacing the hat’s liner each time the scent becomes noticeable.
Pros:
- Moisture-wicking design
- Good ventilation
- Comfortable
- Elastic band
Con:
- Prone to smell
How To Pick The Best Golf Hats For Sun Protection
After going through my recommendations, are you overwhelmed with too many options?
Ultimately, all of the ten choices have their pros and cons; some of them are the best women’s golf hats, while others are the best mens golf hats.
I will be guiding you on how to pick out the most suitable golf hat for your particular situation.
Golf Hat Styles
There are quite many hat styles in the world of golf, but the two most used ones have always been golf bucket hats and golf caps. Now, let us delve into the differences between these two most used golf sun hats.
- Golf Bucket Hats
There is no point denying that golf bucket hats provide the best protection against the sun out of all typical golfing hat styles.
These hats’ brims will block the sunlight from making contact with your neck, nose, and cheek.
This protection is never entirely, but surely much more useful than what a golf hat can offer.
However, these hats’ brims are uncontrollable, so you never know where they will lie. As a result, your eyes will never receive as much protection as a rigid golf cap.
- Golf Cap
As I have mentioned above, a golf cap offers far less protection for any place other than your eyes. However, they have much better visibility, are more sturdy and rigid against the wind.
Also, there is almost no chance a golf cap can obstruct your view while swinging.
As caps are typically made from polyester, they tend to offer a much snugger fit and feel much better in quality.
Nonetheless, this may not be much of an advantage when you are playing during a hot summer day. Essentially, the snugger fit will make you sweat even more.
Materials For The Best Golf Hats
Nothing is limiting you from picking just anything as the primary material for a golf hat. However, if you want sun protection, the best fabrics are, generally, polyester and cotton.
- Cotton Golf Hat
Not the best nor the worst at protecting your head against the sun, cotton typically requires some additives to improve its resistance.
On the other hand, cotton is quite breathable and light, so they are more fitting as the primary materials for bucket hats.
- Polyester Golf Hat
Most high-end golf caps are made out of pure polyester or a mixture between polyester and other fabrics. All in all, it is undefeatable when we talk about sun protection.
Sweat Management In Direct Sunlight
Sweat can easily break your concentration, something unacceptable for any serious golf player.
Thus, you need to manage or keep the sweat from drenching your face, either through bucket hats’ ventilation systems or golf caps’ built-in sweatbands.
How To Pack Golf Sun Hats Properly
Most of the time, golf bucket hats are difficult to pack. You need to stuff the hat’s crown with folded items like underwear or socks.
Then, you arrange them into the crown, creating a filler to keep its shape. Afterward, you only have to place the hat in your bag or luggage.
FAQs
Golf Bucket Hats vs. Golf Caps, Which Offers More Protection?
As stated above, when it comes to protecting against the sun, there is no other golf hat style as good as golf bucket hats.
A good golf bucket hat can protect not just your face but everything from your head to your neck with its wide brims.
On the contrary, golf caps can only protect your eyes and a part of your face.
Indeed, this golf hat style can protect these places much better than the brim golf hats while providing additional visibility, but it does not offer more protection in general.
How to Pack Golf Hats for Sun Protection ?
I have mentioned that you need to keep the brim golf hat’s crown in shape, but that’s not all there is.
Believe us, if you want protection against the sun, then the brim is even more important than the crown. So, you need to take care of your hat like it is the centerpiece of the case.
Remember, though; different hats require different ways of placement. Most caps need to be placed with their brim down, but there are cases where you must set the crown down.
Our recommendation is to observe the shape of the hat’s brim.
What To Look For When Buying A Golf Bucket Hats?
As always, the very first thing that you need to take into account is how good of protection that golf bucket hat can offer you.
Ultimately, our goal is to find the best golf sun hats, so the brim’s size is vital.
Next, you need to see if it fits on your head correctly.
Generally, golfers sweat quite a lot, especially during the intense heat on sunny days. Thus, the very last thing you want to worry about is the hat sliding out after a backswing.
Conclusion
After going through my carefully prepared buying guide, I hope you now know precisely which out of the best golf hats for sun protection is most suitable for your particular situation.
However, my best recommendation is the GearTOP Fishing Hat and Safari Cap if you are still uncertain.
While some options do specific things better than this cap, it is truly the best all-around.
Further reading: Sun hat on wikipedia
