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As wonderful as it is to get outside for your dose of vitamin D – especially on a day at the beach – protecting your skin from the sun is extremely important. While sunscreen and sunglasses seem to get all the attention, another key component of your summer sun protection is a hat. When you’re doing your 2023 vacation planning, you’ll want to add a hat to your packing list.
Like all hats, beach hats come in a variety of styles, so you can choose accordingly to stay trendy while still being sheltered from the sun’s rays. Whether you’re looking for fashion, practical factors like added UV protection, or a packable option – or maybe all of the above – finding the right hat for your activity is key.
The Top Beach Hats for 2023
U.S. News editors researched dozens of review sites, including Amazon, online retailers, travel industry review sites and more, to come up with this selection of the best beach hats.
(Note: Prices and availability were accurate at the time of publication; they may fluctuate due to supply chain issues.)
Best Beach Hat for Women: San Diego Hat Company Signature Women’s Packable Ultrabraid Large Brim Visor
What sets this hat apart: This packable style – which comes in plenty of color options – has a visor with UV protection. It rolls up easily for packing and can be worn when your hair is up or down, and both the 4-inch brim and UPF 50 protection ensure your face is safe from the sun’s rays.
Travelers appreciate: Those who have purchased this hat praise the extra protection your face gets, as well as the hat’s ability to easily roll up.
Best Beach Hat for Men: Quiksilver Men’s Pierside Straw Lifeguard Hat
What sets this hat apart: Made with 100% raffia straw fiber, the Pierside Straw Lifeguard Hat from Quiksilver is a must-have for men. This classic style features a wide brim to ensure full protection, and a chin strap provides security in windy weather. It is available in three sizes including XXL.
Travelers appreciate: Recent beachgoers love the extensive coverage they get from the wide brim, but as it is a real straw hat, they caution not to smash it into your bag or suitcase.
Best Straw Beach Hat: FURTALK Women’s Straw Foldable Hat
What sets this hat apart: This foldable and packable UPF 50 sun hat has an adjustable interior band, removable chin strap and moisture-wicking sweatband so you won’t have to worry about sweat dripping into your eyes on the hottest of days. Available in three sizes, the large hat can fit over a head of thick curly hair.
Travelers appreciate: Several wearers of the style say they love having finally found a hat that fits their bigger heads.
Best Floppy Beach Hat: Lanzom Women’s Big Bowknot Floppy Foldable Sun Hat
What sets this hat apart: Made with straw that’s soft, lightweight and breathable, this hat will keep your head cool and comfortable under the hot sun. It comes in a variety of colors and features a stylish bow to keep you looking good in the heat of the day. The 5.5-inch brim offers maximum UV protection and the design makes it easily packable.
Travelers appreciate: Reviewers love how this floppy beach hat kept its shape after being packed in a suitcase, making it an ideal choice for a seaside vacation.
Price: $24.99 or less
Shop now: Amazon
Best Oversized Beach Hat: ZCrave Theresa Oversized Straw-Hat
What sets this hat apart: This oversized style in beige makes a fashion statement – and the hat is also available in black. Made from 100% straw, this floppy hat offers plenty of shade with its 39.3-inch size; it will keep you shaded while also ensuring you look fashionable.
Travelers appreciate: Buyers of this hat note it’s a major statement piece, sure to bring you lots of compliments as you laze on the beach.
Price: $349 or less
Shop now: ZCrave
Best Packable Beach Hat: Wallaroo Hat Company Women’s Scrunchie Sun Hat
What sets this hat apart: This ultralight packable hat easily rolls up for convenient transport in a suitcase or bag of any size, whether you tuck it into your carry-on luggage or your beach bag. It features breathable UPF 50+ material and a 4.5-inch wire brim to keep you protected from the sun during a long day at the beach, in the garden or walking your dog.
Travelers appreciate: Beachgoers love how versatile and stylish the hat is, as well as the nine color choices.
Price: $49 or less
Shop now: Amazon
Best Beach Bucket Hat: Somaler Women’s Packable Beach Bucket Hat
What sets this hat apart: This UPF 50+ bucket hat folds easily for travel and is made with a soft and breathable cotton and polyester material.
Travelers appreciate: Reviewers say you can crush this bucket hat in a suitcase and it still looks good when you arrive at your destination.
Price: $19.99 or less
Shop now: Amazon
Best Kids Beach Hat: Outdoor Research Kids Rambler Sombrero Hat
What sets this hat apart: Little ones have a tendency to lose things, so the drawstring on the Rambler Sombrero Hat from Outdoor Research comes in handy. Made with a lightweight UPF 30 fabric, this beach hat for kids offers sun protection without being bulky, whether your child wears it at the shore, pool or playground. Along with the choice of three sizes and 10 colors, this hat has the ability to float, for the times it (inevitably) falls off in the water.
Travelers appreciate: Parents like the breakaway removable chin cord that will give way under too much pressure, to prevent accidental choking.
Price: $47.95 or less
Shop now: Amazon
Best Baby Beach Hat: i play. by Green Sprouts Baby Sun Hat
(Courtesy of Green Sprouts)
What sets this hat apart: Infants aren’t typically supposed to wear sunscreen until they are 6 months old, and many babies don’t have much (if any) hair, so protecting their little heads and faces is extremely important. This hat from Green Sprouts is lightweight, extends down the neck for added coverage and has an adjustable toggle. A chin strap adds extra security and a wicking liner keeps your child cool. This sun hat is available in four sizes and nine colors, including white, pink and aqua.
Travelers appreciate: Parents like that it’s adjustable, so babies can continue wearing it even as they rapidly grow bigger.
Price: $15 or less
Shop now: Amazon
Best Toddler Beach Hat: Sunday Afternoons Kids’ Play Hat
(Courtesy of Dick’s Sporting Goods)
What sets this hat apart: This hat helps keep toddlers safe from the sun while they enjoy time outside. Not only is this cute hat available in multiple sizes, but it has DermaSafe UPF 50+ material so you can rest easy knowing your child is protected. What’s more, the hat is resistant to water and stains, so it can be worn in the water and – when the typical toddler spills happen – easily wiped clean. This toddler beach hat comes in a variety of solid colors, along with several fun patterns such as butterflies or reptiles that will let your toddler’s personality shine through.
Travelers appreciate: Parents love the durability of this hat, noting it lasts more than one summer and for multiple beach vacations.
Best Black Beach Hat: Coolibar Women’s Brittany Beach Hat
What sets this hat apart: This classic black sun hat from Coolibar has UPF 50+ fabric technology that is designed to block 98% of the sun’s rays and never wash out. This hat features a fully lined crown and a grosgrain sweatband to keep the sweat out of your eyes on those hot days. Comfortable and packable, the linen/cotton blend hat is available in six additional colors and patterns besides black.
Travelers appreciate: Recent purchasers love the full coverage that this hat provides.
Best White Beach Hat: Simplicity Convertible Beach Visor Hat
What sets this hat apart: This convertible white beach hat can be worn with a ponytail as a visor or zipped up on top to make it into a hat. It has a packable design, making it convenient to include on any trip to the beach. The cotton and polyester fabric is lightweight, breathable and quick-drying. In addition to white, there are 10 other color options as well.
Travelers appreciate: Wearers of this hat love how the wide brim does a good job at keeping the sun off their face.
Price: $19.99 or less
Shop now: Amazon
Best Beach Cowboy Hat: San Diego Hat Company Raffia Cowboy Hat
What sets this hat apart: Made with lightweight raffia, this San Diego Hat Company option is breathable yet still provides the protection your head and face need from the sun’s rays.
Travelers appreciate: Recent buyers love the way you can shape the brim into whatever style you like, as well as the toggle chin strap to keep it from blowing off your head.
Price: $31.85 or less
Shop now: Amazon
Best Beach Trucker Hat: Gill UV Tec Trucker Cap
(Courtesy of Gill)
What sets this hat apart: This trucker/baseball cap has a few added bells and whistles. Its water-repellent fabric has built-in sun protection, so you can wear it into the water. The cooling mesh panels on the side and on the back mean your head won’t get too hot, no matter what the temperature reaches, and the adjustable clasp in back ensures you can fit it to your head for ultimate comfort.
Travelers appreciate: Wearers of this hat like the classic style and quality construction.
Price: $21 or less
Shop now: Amazon
How to Pack a Beach Hat
Whether you want to pack your hat for a day at the beach or for a weeklong tropical vacation, you’re going to want to know how to pack it so that it keeps its shape. Depending on the material it’s made of and its durability, if you pack it properly, it should come out of your beach bag, carry-on or checked bag with little maintenance needed to make it look wearable. Here are the best tips for a crush-free hat in different styles:
- For straw hats: If the hat is fragile, pack it upside down in your suitcase and fill the crown of the hat with clothes. Then, pack clothing around the hat to cushion it.
- For “packable” hats: Typically, hats that are made with polyester can be rolled and securely stored to prevent creasing.
- For canvas hats: A canvas hat can usually be folded – unless it has a stiff brim. If creases appear, use a steamer to remove them. For baseball/trucker hats, fill the hat with clothing and lay flat in a suitcase.
- Hang your hat: Another alternative is to purchase a magnetic hat clip that can be attached to a purse for hands-free carrying.
- Wear your hat: If you don’t want to take the chance of your hat getting crushed in your bag, wear it on the plane.
Why Trust U.S. News Travel
Sharael Kolberg is a U.S. News & World Report contributor. Having lived in Hawaii, Southern California and Australia, she has spent countless days trying to keep the sun off her face at the beach. Kolberg has extensive experience testing beach hats at the beach, at the pool and in her garden, as well as packing them in her suitcase for tropical vacations. To curate this list of top beach hats, she used her own experience with the FURTALK Women’s Straw Foldable Hat and Somaler Women’s Packable Beach Bucket Hat, as well as her research skills.
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