baseball hats do a poor job for sun protection?

[StillShaving]

I highly recommend a Tilley T3. It also helps to slather ears, neck, and sides around ears. I like Coppertone Sport.

When looking for a Tilley one should take a look at their various offerings to see which style and brim size they like best. I have a Tilley LTM6 (T6?) that is good for full sun but found it a little wide for stuffing into a backpack. So I now mostly use a T5 as the brim is narrower but more than enough for the brightest part of the day. I believe the T3 And T5 have similar brim widths, with the T3 slightly wider on the sides.

A couple of years ago I went through every page on their website to try and make sense of their hat numbering and letter scheme (T1 vs T3 vs LTM5 ...) and brim sizes. I wrote it down on a scrap piece of paper but wished I had published what I found here, as their website is not very customer friendly in that aspect and I lost my secret decoder ring. I think they rely on a person buying one of their popular styles at some retail outlet or ordering some hat they have heard about.

 

[CANES]

I was in my early 30's when my hair started thinning and I noticed some spots. They had to get zapped off, which made the hair not grow back in those spots, and I started shaving my head so I didn't look ridiculous. In my case, there was a benefit to thinning hair and it may have saved my life.

Since sun protection is now super important in my life, I went with a hat similar in @Toothpick s picture. This is from American Hat Makers. I wear it year round, work outside most of the day and love it. It doesn't get as hot as you'd expect (and I'm in Georgia), is a fantastic rain hat and once or twice a year I'll hit it with mink oil or something similar and it should last for many more years. I've had this one for two years now. 100% leather and the best SPF rating out there.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

I wear a ball cap to keep the sun out of my eyes, sunscreen to keep it off my skin. I've had boonie style hats over the years that I loved, both for sun and rain, need to get another. I like to put the chin string at the back of my head and tighten it, seems to be much more secure in high winds.

I have a big head and a lot of hair so finding a hat that fits well can be a challenge.

 

[Rhody]

I wear a ball cap most the time but when I’m going to be out out in the sun all day (mowing the yard) I’m in a wide brim hat.

View attachment 1664724

Great hat advice on this thread. I’ve been meaning to get a new sun hat for awhile.

Are you hatching chicks there?

 

[DesertIguana]

Well some folks are allergic to UV Light aka Sunshine. Rare disease called Xeroderma pigmentosum.

Peace of trivia I picked up at work one day, interesting story, sad ending.

 

[Toothpick]

Great hat advice on this thread. I’ve been meaning to get a new sun hat for awhile.

Are you hatching chicks there?

Yup. Got 22 of them cooking.

 

[Rudy Vey]

When I go fishing, I wear a baseball haw with a neck flap. The flap provides sun protection to my neck and ears. I also wear a face/neck buff that covers my nose and the front of my neck. Over my eyes, I wear UV-400 rated sunglasses to prevent UV damage.

The rest of my body is also very well covered to prevent sun damage. The only thing exposed to the sun are my fingertips!

Same here, I got a few of the caps with the neck flap, and the buffs. In some areas you need them for fishing. I also use spf fishing gloves where only the fingertips are exposed.
But here in NJ, I wear mainly a base ball cap only and stay out of the sun, maybe a hat when the sun blasts down when I do yard work.

 

[anoop]

I’m thinking of getting this.

Grand Canyon Mesh Safari Hat

The Mesh Covered Safari Hat is constructed of nylon and features an interior coolmax sweatband, covered underbrim and chincord offering excellent breathable, sun protection. 100% nylon. Imported.

stetson.com

 

[watercolour]

I think it’s best to get an adult hat like a fedora. Something with a decent brim and made of a good quality felt so that it can protect you from sun, rain and snow. Much more convenient than carrying an umbrella. Akubras are excellent and very hard wearing. Great value too.

I always thought baseball hats were good for sun protection, but now in my 50's I realize they have probably done a really bad job all along. First there is no protection for the back of neck (but that is obvious). However, I also have noticed that the visor tends to be so shaped that it doesn't even protect the skin on the cheeks and possibly even the eyes all that well. In that style of had, maybe a truckers had might do a better job because it tends to have a bigger and wider visor.

What do you guys think?

I have been using a wide brimmed hat for a few years but misplaced it and tried to get by with a baseball hat and realized it was for all practical purposes useless, maybe protects the nose at most.

People don’t realise that the sun attacks your ears (check out the web ). It starts with a little dry patches around and in the ears, if not addressed this dryness can turn into cancer, parts of ears or all the ear may have to be removed. Do not hesitate go to the doctors. I was lucky.

 

[RayClem]

I have very sensitive skin. Due to my Celtic heritage, I have rosacea which makes my skin and eyes highly sensitive to sunlight. My skin is also sensitive to heat, cold, brush burn and razor burn and various chemical sensitizers.

Because of my skin sensitivity, I am a prime candidate for skin cancer. I have to go to a dermatologist every year to get pre-cancerious spots frozen from the tips of my ears, my cheeks and my hair line. The dermatologist tells me that I should never go outside even for a few minutes without wearing a hat and applying sunscreen. I hate wearing hats and I hate the smell of sunscreen, so I do not always follow doctor's orders.

My two favorite hats for when I go outside for more than a few minutes at a time are a Stetson straw hat for summer, and a Tilley
LTM8 for cooler weather. A baseball cap does protect my receding hairline from exposure, but it does nothing to protect my cheeks, ears, and neck.

 

[Dogrescuer]

, I wear UV-400 rated sunglasses to prevent UV damage.

I never knew it went that high .

 

[hairless wonder]

I never knew it went that high .

TBH, I think most sunglasses with full UV protection are UV-400 rated. My preference is for Maui Jims (most other brands are too narrow and the arms are too short for me). But I use a pair of sunglasses I picked up from Walmart when I go fishing.

 

[linty1]

Hello, have a TIlley tm10 that I enjoy, wish I had gotten a size bigger as my noggin has grown a bit over the years (from bulbous to "you're gunna have to pay for an extra seat for that") but after a wash I stretch it out on my knee and it works ok. But no, a ball cap won't do, get a big brimmed hat. Sometimes I feel like fedoras, while having a brim all around, don't give you enough coverage (the ones with the small 1 inch brims, and are even folded up at the back). Skin cancer is very real and very not good. My friend had to lose the tip of their nose because of that.

Has anybody tried that wicker/straw material in hats? Is it cool?

 

[Sherlock40]

Solbari hats are what I prefer. I have multiple Legionnaire style hats and also an Outback Travel hat. The Outback is a little bigger and is my go to hat for the beach. The Legionnaire style is what I wear playing pickleball. Cannot recommend these enough.

Best Sellers for Men

Shop UPF50+ Best Sellers for Men. Our wide selection of hats, shirts and accessories offers everything needed to stay protected from the sun while also maintaining style and comfort.

www.solbari.com

 

[musicman1951]

Most of my sun time is spent on a golf course. I use a Tilley or a very wide brimmed golf hat (unfortunately no longer in production) which offers even more protection. Baseball hats are good for the bald spot and the forehead, but don't do much of anything for the cheeks, nose or ears.

 

[GNR]

I’ve always worn a boonie hat with the draw string tied on the back of my head or a baseball cap.

But I just had an aggressive form of skin cancer removed from my nose. Luckily they caught it early, my Doctors are Rock Stars, and I’m still amazingly handsome in the pitch dark.

Now I wear an Outdoor Research Sombriolet Sun Hat. It’s SPF 50+, wide brimmed, and lightweight. The brim has a stiffness to it so it holds its fedora like shape.

The drawstring keeps it on my head in my Jeep with the top down.

You can even use it for Boar Hunting.

 

[ByMyBeard]

I’ve always worn a boonie hat with the draw string tied on the back of my head or a baseball cap.

But I just had an aggressive form of skin cancer removed from my nose. Luckily they caught it early, my Doctors are Rock Stars, and I’m still amazingly handsome in the pitch dark.

Now I wear an Outdoor Research Sombriolet Sun Hat. It’s SPF 50+, wide brimmed, and lightweight. The brim has a stiffness to it so it holds its fedora like shape.

The drawstring keeps it on my head in my Jeep with the top down.

You can even use it for Boar Hunting.

Looks like your boar hunting has been quite successful!

I've wondered about these hats, as they are certainly more cost effective than a Tilley. I also have a hat from Coolibar that I typically wear while near the pool or just doing more yard work. I've gotten some compliments on it, so it must be decent. Of course, I can't recall which exact model it is, so there's that....

 

[Dogrescuer]

Skin cancer is very real and very not good. My friend had to lose the tip of their nose because of that.

Your absolutely right about that. This is why , when I cut grass no skin is exposed. I always say that I'd rather be hot, than have cancer.

 

[Dogrescuer]

I’ve always worn a boonie hat with the draw string tied on the back of my head or a baseball cap.

But I just had an aggressive form of skin cancer removed from my nose. Luckily they caught it early, my Doctors are Rock Stars, and I’m still amazingly handsome in the pitch dark.

Now I wear an Outdoor Research Sombriolet Sun Hat. It’s SPF 50+, wide brimmed, and lightweight. The brim has a stiffness to it so it holds its fedora like shape.

The drawstring keeps it on my head in my Jeep with the top down.

You can even use it for Boar Hunting.
View attachment 1673377

Great hat and company, I guess I'm obsessed with hats, I have many more than I needs.
OR

 

[hairless wonder]

Hello, have a TIlley tm10 that I enjoy, wish I had gotten a size bigger as my noggin has grown a bit over the years (from bulbous to "you're gunna have to pay for an extra seat for that") but after a wash I stretch it out on my knee and it works ok. But no, a ball cap won't do, get a big brimmed hat. Sometimes I feel like fedoras, while having a brim all around, don't give you enough coverage (the ones with the small 1 inch brims, and are even folded up at the back). Skin cancer is very real and very not good. My friend had to lose the tip of their nose because of that.

Has anybody tried that wicker/straw material in hats? Is it cool?

When I was a young boy, I tried straw cowboy hats. I wasn't fond of them as they made my head itch. I haven't tried them since.