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Because sun protection is always in. Custom Straw Visor Cap Sun Hat
Whenever you add a sun hat to your cart (online or in person), you should ask a few key questions: Does it look cute? Does it have enough coverage to protect me from the sun? Will it work with multiple items in my closet, like my sandals and sundresses? Perhaps the most important factor to consider is whether your pick can survive a good amount of wear and tear, especially if you plan to travel with it. Enter the packable sun hat, which you can throw in your suitcase and find in perfect condition on the other end of your journey. A good one can also withstand being thrown in and out of beach bags for days on end.
Now that we’re well into winter, there’s never been a better time to stock up on at least one of these hero pieces. Find the perfect option for your needs below, with our 10 best packable sun hats and expert advice on choosing the right one for you.
Why We Love It: This easy, breezy design meets all our criteria for an ideal sun hat. It’s lightweight, resilient, and thick enough to shield you from the sun. An extra perk? It costs less than $100 and comes in a gorgeous white color. We love the adjustable rope under the chin too.
Who It’s For: This packable hat is a no-brainer for anyone seeking a stylish piece with plenty of sun protection, and it’s neutral enough to work for multiple purposes. You’ll get a lot of use from this versatile design during a beachy vacation, and it’ll also serve you well on hot summer weekends.
Material: Paper straw | Size: OS
Why We Love It: For less than $50, this topper has it all: an interior stretch band, chin strap, UPF50 protection, and a malleable material (perhaps the most impressive of all). Made from a blend of paper straw and polyester, it’s durable enough to withstand being rolled and flattened during a long journey. It doesn’t hurt that the silhouette has a charming cowboy-cool edge. Think of it as an accessory that makes all your sundresses and vacation ensembles more interesting. Plus, it comes in three handsome shades.
Who It’s For: The traveler who blew most of their budget on the flight and hotel but still wants a photo-ready accessory worth making room for in their suitcase. Luckily, this hat will shade your face—and look amazing while doing it.
Material: Paper straw and polyester | Size: S–L
Why We Love It: If you’re going to drop nearly four figures on a hat, it should be practical but also leave a lasting impression. This design does that and more. Its dramatic brim and ribbon are straight out of a romantic period piece, and its tightly woven construction blocks your head from the sun’s rays. Despite its bold silhouette, the design is surprisingly packable thanks to its soft structure. This means you can artfully layer your clothes around it in a suitcase without snapping or chipping anything.
Who It’s For: If this hat is within your budget, it’s perfect for a vacation you plan to document fully. It’s basically impossible to look less than glamorous in this timeless, statement-making piece.
Material: Beige straw and navy grosgrain | Size: OS
Why We Love It: Handmade in New York City, this beautifully structured raffia hat won an Accessories Council Design Award for its resilient construction. Each hat has grosgrain ribbon sandwiched within crochet raffia straw that holds its structure. Another benefit? Having the fabric between the woven material keeps harmful sun rays from reaching your scalp.
Who It’s For: Those who want a chic beach hat that also works in other situations. Since this design is more well-constructed than your average straw topper, you can throw it on while exploring towns or villages (or while running weekend errands when you return home from your adventure).
Material: Hand crochet raffia straw and grosgrain ribbon | Size: XS–XL
Why We Love It: Admittedly, boater hats can be tough to pull off—some look straight out of a Music Man costume. However, this elegant version’s minimalist shape and netted trim give it a modern twist. Its wired brim keeps it straight and sleek, and the hat’s compact design prevents it from taking up too much space in your suitcase. Because of its structured shape and light color, we suggest saving this one for activities away from the beach to avoid sand damage (although it would look amazing styled with a bikini if you’re sitting poolside).
Who It’s For: The traveler who wants a hat they can wear while lounging at a cabana, shopping in a nearby town, and enjoying extended cocktail hours. This hat looks great in pictures, but we caution you against haphazardly throwing it in a canvas bag.
Material: Panama straw and cotton grosgrain ribbon | Size: XS–L
Why We Love It: Unless you’re prepared to carry a hat box on your travels, any wide-brim hat you bring needs to be extremely resilient. You can flatten this option in tight quarters, and it still bounces back to its original shape. Reviewers praised how much it retains its structure after rolling around and getting compressed and said it offers ample shade. Made in black and tan colors, it also looks incredibly sophisticated with pretty much any outfit, be it a string bikini or breezy dress.
Who It’s For: This wide-brim hat is worth ordering if you’re planning to visit a super hot climate and don’t want to spend the whole time hiding under an umbrella to escape the sun. And while you should still couple it with a healthy dose of SPF, this hat will make your midday reapplication less urgent.
Material: Crocheted, braided paper | Size: OS
Why We Love It: Wearing this visor, with its extra-wide brim, is such a chic way to keep your face out of direct sunlight. (Although, if you’re in an extremely sunny destination, it’s worth applying SPF to the part in your hair to avoid a sneaky burn.) Eugenia Kim uses a combination of paper, hemp, and polyester to make the hat, and it’s a piece of cake to fold in a suitcase and spot clean. The back is adjustable, making it suitable for a variety of head sizes.
Who It’s For: The hat-averse person. This visor offers more breathability around your head than a full-coverage hat while still protecting your face from the sun.
Material: Paper, hemp, polyester | Size: OS
Why We Love It: Made from a super tight raffia weave that keeps sun rays from poking in, this relaxed bucket hat is easy to throw on and always looks good. It has a slightly longer brim than traditional alternatives, and the raffia weave feels more elevated than materials like canvas. Although you won’t damage its flexible shape by crumpling and folding it in your carry-on or crowded suitcase, you may want to keep it in your purse so you can throw it on the second you arrive.
Who It’s For: Grab this hat if you're a last-minute, messy packer. Because the material is so flexible, it doesn’t require any extra work or attention to secure it in your bag.
Material: Raffia straw | Size: S–L
Why We Love It: We usually go for hats containing exclusively natural materials, but this Eric Javits piece is a rare exception. Crafted from the brand’s Squishee material, which is man-made with recycled fibers but looks and feels like raffia, this fedora has a smartly engineered design that keeps it from cracking or splintering. The tightly woven fabric blocks 95 percent of UVA/UVB rays and has a UPF rating of 50, and the integrated open weave band around the crown promotes airflow on hot days. It has a slightly longer brim than traditional fedoras and comes in three neutral colors that go with everything.
Who It’s For: If you’re fedora-curious but scared of looking like a Hollywood scenester, this Eric Javits design is a wonderful entry point into the style. The wider shape makes it classic and elegant without being over-the-top or kitschy.
Material: Squishee material | Size: OS
Why We Love It: Most unstructured sun hats read as overly casual, but this one leaves you looking pulled together due to its thick canvas material (smart for sun protection) and dark, polished color. It also comes in an array of other hues, like pistachio and dusty rose. Appearances aside, this hat is highly functional. It has a comfy interior sweatband and a long chin strap, which is helpful when you want to push the hat off and let it hang down your back.
Who It’s For: This option is fantastic for anyone who doesn’t like the look or feel of a straw sun hat. It has all the same benefits with less of a vacation-specific vibe.
Material: Cotton canvas | Size: S–L
Burris suggests using the “donut packing method,” which involves leaving a hole in the middle of your hard suitcase as you arrange your belongings. From there, place the hat so the crown side is facing down in the empty space and fill it with soft items like bathing suits and underwear before placing a folding garment on top to keep everything in place. Another option? “Wear it on the plane,” she says. “There isn’t a more festive way to start a trip, and all the other passengers will look at you with envy.”
Not all fabrics are the same, especially when it comes to how much they protect your skin from the sun. To determine how effectively a garment shields the skin, check its UPF (also known as ultraviolet protection factor) rating. UPF indicates how much UV radiation (both UVB and UVA) light a fabric allows to reach the skin. The highest a garment or accessory can rank is a UPF of 50, which blocks about 98 percent of the sun’s rays, reducing your exposure significantly. So, when shopping for a sun hat, it’s helpful to pick one with built-in protection.
Mens Straw Beach Hat Alison Syrett Cleary is a fashion editor and writer with over a decade of experience in the industry, covering everything from shopping recommendations to emerging trends. She also burns incredibly easily and makes it her personal mission every summer to find the best possible hat for sun protection that doesn’t cramp her personal style. For this story, she consulted the following milliners: