Best Hiking Hat – 12 we love for year round walks

Wide-brimmed sun hats: These sun hats typically have a wide brim that goes around the entire head. These hiking hats are ideal if you need shade on your neck, top of your head, and part of your face. You should choose a sun hat that doesn’t obstruct your vision though. Since their wide brim tends to get caught in the wind, buying a sun hat with an elastic and adjustable drawstring closure would be good. 

When buying these hiking caps, you should ensure they’re comfy, breathable, and water-resistant. Since the British weather is unpredictable and it can rain without any notice, buying a waterproof sun hat would be wise. If you’re looking for the best men’s sun hat, I recommend our best buy – the Outdoor Research Men’s Seattle Sombrero.

Baseball caps: Though these hiking hats offer you the least sun protection on their own, they’re the most versatile ones. These baseball-style caps have a large brim on the front side, not around the hat like sun hats. Most hikers prefer mesh-backed baseball caps as they provide good ventilation. You could combine these trekking hats with a bandana or buff to have a DIY neck cape or wear it with a sun hoodie for optimum sun protection.

Caped hats: You can call them ball caps, which have an additional piece of large fabric attached to the back that drops down to cover your neck. Consequently, these caps provide optimum sun protection because the cape prevents the sun rays from hitting your neck and even the ears.

Beanies: These insulated hiking caps are ideal for protecting your head and ears from the cold weather. They could be made from merino wool, spandex, acrylic, or a blend of these materials.

Balaclavas: When you go hiking or trekking in winter, these hiking caps will offer protection and warmth to your head and face while leaving your eyes, mouth, and sometimes, the nose exposed. If you buy a balaclava with a full-face opening, you could roll this hiker’s hat up to just cover the top of your head or fold it down to use it as a collar around your neck. If you’re looking for the best balaclava, I recommend the Montane Punk Balaclava.

Waterproof Gore-Tex hats: If you need a hat that’s entirely waterproof, you can buy a Gore-Tex hat. But such hats usually produce extra heat because they don’t ventilate much. This could make them uncomfy to wear, especially when the temperature soars.

Tubular buffs: These trekking hats are shaped like long tubes of material and come in varying lengths. They’re usually used in cold weather and can be worn in different ways. You can use them as neck gaiters, half/full face mask, balaclava, and so much more (even headbands in summer!).