Last Updated on October 12, 2024 by Greg Head
Best Travel Hats – The hat I usually took with me when traveling was an old baseball hat. It was “broken in,” fit me well, packed well (I usually put socks inside it in my bag to save on space), and would keep the sun out of my eyes. It served it the purpose I needed. The baseball hat provided shade, looked decent, and covered up a bad hair day. These are all important qualities in a hat. But sometimes when you are spending a lot of time on a boat, in the rain forest, on the beach in the sun, hiking in the desert, or somewhere with lots of bugs and mosquitoes, you need something better than a baseball hat.
Here are the best travel hats for bug protection, sun, wide brim and more, based on hats in various categories. After getting attacked with bugs on our visit to the southeastern states, we made it our mission to never leave for a trip or even a day hike without a hat to keep the bugs away.
Best Travel Hats
Some popular options for travel hats include:
- Bucket hats – lightweight and packable, great for sun protection
- Baseball caps – also lightweight and packable, great for casual wear
- Sun hats – wide brimmed hats that offer more sun protection than baseball caps
- Trucker hats – mesh back allows for breathability and quick drying
- Panama hats – made from natural fibers and traditionally worn in tropical climates
- Fedoras – a classic hat style that adds a touch of sophistication to any outfit
- Wide-brimmed straw hat – great for beach vacations and other tropical destinations.
It depends on the type of trip, the weather and the personal style you are looking for.
Best travel hats for bug protection
These mosquito protection hats really do help keep the bugs away:
Olymstore Camouflage hat
This Olymstore(TM) 2pcs Camouflage Beekeeping hat is so affordable, I couldn’t believe the price was for two of them. And I sure wasn’t sure what to expect after I ordered them. Yet, they proved to do the job and then some. My hat was great at keeping the mosquitoes away from my neck — where I’m usually bitten — during my evening hiking excursions. I used it during the day another time and had rolled up the netting. It was there if I needed it. This is great for using during fishing, camping, hiking, gardening, and more. It provided excellent protection from mosquitoes and works great to prevent bees, pesky gnats and no-see-ums too.
ExOfficio BugsAway Mesh Cape Hat
This comes in two sizes so this hat is great for older kids as well as adults. It’s made from nylon. The mesh part detaches. It doesn’t completely cover your face but what’s nice is that it snaps in front so it covers better and won’t flap around. It’s so important to protect against mosquitoes, especially when traveling to other countries.
Best travel hats for bug protection wherever you are going
It is so important to wear a hat, even if you don’t particularly like wearing them. There are best travel hats for wherever you are going. Remember to pack one or two on your trip as the right kind of hat for your journey can be more effective than sunscreen alone to shield you from the sun’s harmful rays. And who knew there were hats to keep the mosquitoes away. Even if you think you don’t need one or won’t wear it, pack a hat before leave for your trip. You just might find it comes in handy.
Natural Mosquito Repellent Ideas ~ Plants and Other Tips
As a child in the 1970’s in the Chicago area, I remember going inside and watching from my living room when the mosquito control truck would go down our street spraying chemicals to prevent mosquitoes. Even then we knew those chemicals couldn’t be good for us to breathe in but we didn’t have many natural mosquito repellent choices. We sprayed Off! from aerosol cans and enjoyed our evenings. Wearing a hat seemed to help keeping them away from my head.
I haven’t seen those trucks in decades but they have to exist as without them in some areas, there would be even worse mosquito population problems. Increases in mosquito populations cause devastating public health issues, including increases in Malaria, West Nile, Lyme Disease, Yellow fever, Dengue fever, Encephalitis viruses, and more. There become more problems for livestock and wildlife as well.
Best Sun Hats: Wide Brim and Beach Hats
We love spending time in the sun. The best travel hats for sun protection include those that have wide brims or special neck coverings to keep the sun as much off your face and neck as possible. I’ve also included beach hats here:
- Dorfman Pacific Solarweave Mesh Trekker Hat
- Sahara Hat – Women’s
- White Rock Oasis X-Lite Bucket Hat
- Outdoor Research Oasis Sombrero – Women’s
Tilley Hats (and Tilley style hats)
Tilley Travel Hats
These hats are all in Tilley brand hats or in the traditional Tilley style. They have wide brims, tend to be breathable, and come backed with a brand name that says: This is an awesome hat – so awesome that we guarantee it for life.
Tilley LTM6 Airflo Hat
This Tilley travel hat floats if it falls in the water, offers 50 SPF protection, fits with a cord under your chin (for high winds or high speed boat rides), and comes with Tilley’s lifetime guarantee. Tilley also offers an aviator hat, a Tilley Winter hat, and a Tilley Hemp hat.
Tilley look-alike travel hats
They look much like the Tilley hats, but are cheaper in price. They generally do not offer the same breathability as Tilley’s hat, but they are usually similar in style. You may find some imitation brands that snap on both sides to keep the flaps up if you want them up instead of down.
Tilley Crushable Travel Hats
These crushable travel hats allow you to fold up or roll up the hat so that it doesn’t get crushed or wrinkled in your suit case while you are traveling. Our top picks include:
- Brixton – Gain – Comes in black crushable felt
- Dorfman Pacific All Season Crushable Hat
Related Content: Best Travel Pants for Women, pants that are Stylish and Comfortable?