There’s still plenty of sunny days left in the summer and fall to make use of quality sun hats for you and your family. OR (Outdoor Research) has a couple models that work well for casual wear and travel. The women’s Radar Cap has a nice flair of urban style while still being lightweight, flexible to pack with its foldable bill, and colorful.
You get 30 SPF sun protection with the Radar, and a ‘Transaction’ headband absorbs sweat. It comes in the bright (very bright!) pink shown, or a much more understated khaki or black. It’s made of 100% Supplex nylon, and weighs just 1.8 oz. My only complaint: it runs a bit big, and is not adjustable, so check the OR size chart before purchasing. (Hats are available in S, M, and L.) Pick up a Radar cap for $26 at Outdoor Research or for a little less at Backcountry or Amazon.
If you have kids old enough to keep a hat on their heads without use of a chin strap but young enough to want to wear a bucket hat (that’s a small margin in my house), the Solstice Bucket is a nice, no-frills, economic option. It’s super lightweight, so my 10-year-old barely remembered he had it on (he normally dislikes hats), and we both liked that the brim is short: just wide enough for sun protection without being bulky or getting in his way.
The Solstice comes in a rusty orange or a ‘glacier’ blue, and the design along the outside is a fun but understated (read: not babyish) outline of mountains and trees. This hat would work for girls, too, but if yours wants something more ‘girly’, there’s aSolstice especially made with girls in mind. The fabric is SPF 30, and has a wicking headband like Mom’s. Weight is 1.2 oz, and it comes in sizes XS-L. Like the Radar, they run big in our experience, so order accordingly. Pick one up for $24 at Outdoor Research or the other usual gear store suspects: Amazon, Backcountry, and Altrec.
