PRODUCT REVIEW
Sun Hat UPF 50
A study of the top 20 sun hats sold online found their UPF labels cannot be trusted. A hat with holes is a hat with holes.
Key facts
Sun Hat UPF 50 at a glance.
UPF 50 (claimed)
Key active
Woven straw
Texture
Shade, if the weave is genuinely tight
Best for
$15–$30
Approximate price
What is it?
Top things to know about Sun Hat UPF 50
- A Sun Hat UPF 50 is a wide-brimmed woven straw hat, roughly $15 to $30. It is clothing, not a treatment, and the UPF on the tag is a fabric claim, not a measurement of the finished hat.
- The weave does the work. Ultraviolet light passes through gaps, so protection comes from how tightly the straw is packed and how far the brim reaches. A 2025 study of the top 20 sun hats sold online in the US found 25 percent had mesh panels, vent eyelets or crown holes. Judge a hat by holding it up to a light.
A wide-brimmed hat is worth the habit, since it never needs reapplying and it covers the ears and neck people miss. But the UPF number is not reliable. A 2025 study found a third failed stricter overseas standards and a quarter had mesh panels or vents. Judge the weave yourself, and wear sunscreen too.
— Dr. Schwarz
Skin fit
Is it right for your skin?
Sun Damage
Most facial aging is ultraviolet light that arrived a little at a time over decades. A hat never needs reapplying, so it covers the afternoon hours when sunscreen has worn off. Modeling suggests it cuts facial UV by around 76 percent at best, a partner to sunscreen rather than a replacement.
Actinic Keratosis
Rough precancer spots turn up where the face takes sun every day: the nose, the ears, the upper cheeks, the scalp along a part line. A wide brim shades all of them. Weave matters, because a loose straw weave is made of gaps.
Melasma
Melasma reacts to heat and visible light as well as ultraviolet, and it returns after a few unprotected days outdoors. Shade reduces all three. A brim of at least three inches does more for melasma than any extra product.
Texture
What it feels like on skin.
Texture
Woven straw is stiff and cool, and it breathes far better than fabric, which is why people keep it on in heat. Hold the crown up to a light before you buy. If you can see daylight through the weave, so can ultraviolet light. Mesh panels and vent eyelets are holes with a nicer name. Straw crushes. A packed or fraying hat protects less than it did new.
Alternatives
If this isn’t the right product for you
Men's UPF 50+ Sun Shirts
UPF is tested on fabric, so a UPF 50 shirt blocks about 98% of UV however you wear it. Buy it loose, since a stretched weave protects less.
Women's UPF 50+ Clothing
Same idea, and the Skin Cancer Foundation calls clothing the most effective sun protection there is. It only protects what it covers.
EltaMD UV Clear
A hat shades only part of your face, so you still need sunscreen. Oil-free, fragrance-free, 5% niacinamide, easy to wear daily.
How to use it
How to use it.
How to apply it
- WhereA brim of at least three inches all the way around, not just the front. A baseball cap leaves your ears and neck exposed.
- CarefulA hat shades only what sits directly under it. Sun reflects off water, sand and pavement at an angle, so your nose, lower cheeks and ears still need sunscreen.
- TipCheck the weave against a light, not the tag. The US test measures a flat piece of new fabric and ignores the finished hat, holes included.
What to expect
- What to expectProtection from the first minute, with nothing to reapply. It will not lighten the sun spots you have. It prevents more of them.
Questions
Common questions.
Can I trust the label on a UPF 50 sun hat?
No. Check the weave yourself; a study found hat UPF labels unreliable.
How do I test the weave on a UPF 50 sun hat?
Hold it up to a light. Less light through means better protection.
Is a straw UPF 50 sun hat worse than a fabric one?
Often. A loose straw weave is built of gaps, and straw was the worst offender in testing.
How wide should the brim be on a UPF 50 sun hat?
At least 2 to 3 inches all around. The Skin Cancer Foundation suggests 3 inches.
Do I still need sunscreen when I wear a UPF 50 sun hat?
Yes. A hat shades only part of your face, and the nose is poorly covered.
References
Sources.
- 1. Availability of Hats Online in the United States that Meet Sun Protective Recommendations (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12710866/) — This 2025 study (J Clin Aesthet Dermatol) found that although 90% of sun hats sold online made UPF claims, those claims are not a reliable indicator of actual sun protection, and recommends focusing on a circumferential brim of at least 2.75 inches and crown coverage rather than the UPF number. Link
- 2. Sun-Protective Clothing - The Skin Cancer Foundation (https://www.skincancer.org/blog/sun-protective-clothing/) — The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends a hat with a brim of at least three inches to shade the face, neck and scalp, and notes basal and squamous cell carcinomas often appear on the head and neck. Link
- 3. Sunscreen FAQs - American Academy of Dermatology (https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/sunscreen-patients/sunscreen-faqs) — The AAD recommends wearing a wide-brimmed hat as part of sun-protective clothing and highlights the neck, ears and top of the head as commonly under-protected sites that must be covered. Link