The Top 5 Summer Hats to Keep Your Head Cool

Summer is here and along with it the hot, bright summer sun. Keep you and your family's heads and faces protected with the best summer hat this season. My family and I live in the very sunny southwestern area of the United States which will see the sun on average at least 320 days per year. We all have a selection of hats in our closets to wear when going about our business outdoors everyday.

There are lots of hats that are very good in keeping the hot sun off the top of your head which in turn will keep your body temperature just a bit cooler. Plus many summer hats are made of materials to block the harmful summer rays. The top 5 summer hats I have found are the sunscreen hats, baseball caps, bucket hats, straw hats with wide brims and flap-style hats for neck protection too.

I work both inside and outside just about everyday in my career as an activity director. Sometimes I find myself outside preparing for a barbecue or on the tennis courts discussing tournaments with our Tennis Club members. I keep at least 3 styles of summer hats in my office just for this reason. I will grab a hat like my wide brim straw hat or a ball cap, and put it on when I know I will be outside for more than just a few moments. The sun here in the southwest is hot, pure and can be damaging. We desert dwellers are always aware of protecting ourselves from the sun's harmful rays.

As seen in this photo taken by my son, my grandsons wear their summer sun hats all the time. They have fair skin and their hats protect their precious faces from the sun's burning rays. This photo was taken at the beach in San Diego, California, and these are the best summer hats for kids that I recommend. More about the best summer hats of the season coming up!

Photo by LilMonkey's Son, Chris

The best summer hats for men women, children and babies are the ones made of fabric that keeps the burning rays off our delicate faces. The material should be lightweight, preferably cotton with wide brims to shade the face and neck.

Men, if you work in jobs that keep you in the sun for hours at a time such as landscaping, construction, and other careers where your workplace is outdoors, wearing a good summer hat is a must. My special man worked for years in construction and landscaping in the southwest desert areas of the United States resulting in a scare of skin cancer on his nose. I can't recommend a good sunscreen and hat to shade your face!

Thankfully, today there are many great summer hats to choose from that fit this description. For those who work outdoors, I recommend the sun hats that have wide brims, air holes for circulation and even a chin strap.

The styles for children come with rating of up to 50 UPF to protect your young one's skin. My grandchildren who live nearby in the desert ALWAYS have their sunscreen hats on when going outdoors.

Photo from amazon.com

The best ball cap for summer are the ones made of cotton since cotton "breathes" and these caps have brims to shade the face. When my eldest grandson was young, the baseball hat was his favorite one to wear. As you can see from the photo, it has a nice bill that shades his face from the hot summer sun.

I think the baseball cap style has to be one of the most popular hat today. There are numerous ball caps adorned with product or sport logos, they come in a huge array of colors and many can be found in a lightweight cotton blend of fabric.

Having lived with 3 "men" in my home for many years, we had a large selection of baseball hats laying around. I remember getting a hat rack for the boys' room to hang them all. Most do come with instructions on washing since I can say they need it after constant wear. The band inside the hat does absorb the sweat on the forehead. My sons always bought a baseball cap with their favorite baseball team logo on it. Now my grandson is collecting baseball hats with his favorite team's logo on them.

Photo by LilMonkey's Son, Chris

Popular with the ladies are the floppy, large brim straw hats. They really shade your face while being stylish at the same time. These hats look great with a cute sundress and sandels in the summertime. Straw hats are very light, airy to keep your head cool and come in lots of colors to match whatever outfit you are wearing. I have a couple floppy straw hats and one that has a rolled brim which is a bit more stylish that I wear when dressing up.

There are several styles of straw hats which include the cowboy hat. During the summer in the southwest, I see the cowboy-style straw hats coming out and being worn by men, women and children alike. The cowboy hat is designed for practicality and comfort. The crown fits the head so it doesn't fly off in a slight wind and the brim is pointed to really cover the whole face. The back of the hat has a brim that is large enough to cover the skin on the neck. Straw cowboy hats also come in lots of different colors.

Photo from amazon.com

A bucket hat? What is that? It actually is one of the top 5 best summer hats that you can buy, especially for young children and babies. I have a bucket hat and love just plopping it on during a casual run to the market.

My bucket hat is reversible and waterproof. Being waterproof is important for those summer rains that come quickly. My bucket hat is made of cotton and can be thrown into my tote bag without worry about being damage. It is so easy to take with you on trips since it packs well in suitcases, backpacks or tote bags.

If you have young children, there are many bucket hats to pick from. My youngest grandson has several bucket hats that he likes to wear. As seen in the photo at the beginning of this article, both my grandsons are wearing their white bucket hats which are perfect for a trip to the beach. Little girls can have bucket hats in a variety of colors and pretty patterns. Bucket hats are made of cotton. Some are reversible and some come with a moisture absorbent terrycloth lining.

Photo from amazon.com

The flap-style hat is the best summer hat for someone who plays or works outdoors in the sun for hours at a time. The flap is attached to the back of a cotton or cotton duck hat which hangs down over the exposed neck. Some flaps are large enough to cover the top of the shoulder and have hooks to clip to your clothing.

I see this style hat being worn by hikers, fishermen, birdwatchers, outdoor photographers and landscapers, especially in the desert areas of the country. They make flap hats for men and women, plus a few for children. Most are made of fabric with airholes to breath, have a UPF rating up to 50 and are lightweight. For the extreme summer sun, this is the best summer hat that I can recommend with the most protection.

Photo from amazon.com