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Are Cowboy Hats Good Enough to Protect People from the Sun?

By: Author Grace

Posted on  - Last updated:

Are Cowboy Hats Good Enough to Protect People from the Sun?

In the past, cowboy hats are born to protect cowboys from the sun and rain. However, with the appearance of many new stylish hats today, sometimes people just wear them for beauty, not necessarily for function.

Therefore, some quite funny questions were born, mainly from young people. For example, “are cowboy hats really good enough to protect us from the sun?”

The answer is certainly that cowboy hats can give you great protection from the sun, no doubt. Today’s article will explain to you in detail why this is so. And why is this question so funny?

Key Takeaways

  • The wide brim of the cowboy hat is the most important thing to create shade to protect your face from the sun.
  • The crown of the cowboy hat is slightly higher than the top of the head and provides room to prevent your head from contacting the hat’s top. Thus, your head won’t feel hot.
  • Durable and strong materials also prevent you from getting sunburned.

Logically speaking, cowboy hats are certainly capable of protecting the wearer from the sun very well compared to cap types. They were born to serve that function.

The western cowboys are the ones who regularly roam the vast ranch in bright sunlight. This is the major reason for the presence of cowboy hats – they are very excellent for sun protection.

Perfect structure

When looking at this type of hat, you will see a very wide brim which is its distinctive and conspicuous feature. It creates a wide shade to cover the entire front and back, part of the shoulders.

With wide-brimmed hats like cowboy hats, besides being aesthetically pleasing, they are also very useful.

A hat with a wide brim like a cowboy hat can ensure you do not get sunburned on your neck, face, or ears.

a boy wears a cowboy hat in the sun

In addition, another feature of the cowboy hat is several holes on the side. Those holes have the effect of wicking moisture and ventilation, thereby ensuring that the wearer is more comfortable in the sun and heat.

With the crown higher than the top of the head, the cowboy hat provides more room, so your head is not exposed to the heat outside.

Materials

Just talking about the structure is not enough, to know how well cowboy hats protect, we need to talk about the material that makes up them.

There are 3 main types of materials that make up this hat: leather, fur-based felt and straw.

leather, felt and straw cowboy hats

Leather, felt and straw cowboy hats (left to right)

Felt or leather materials are both soft and durable, while straw is affordable and lightweight. In addition, these materials all have good breathability.

Besides the ability to create shade to protect the wearer from the sun, cowboy hats are also very comfortable when worn.

High durability

Durability is often judged by materials, construction, machinability, and most importantly, user experience.

The structure of the cowboy hat is simple and sturdy. Their materials as mentioned above are very strong with the dense woven structure. Logically, they are very durable.

old man wears The Ranchman white cowboy hat from Tecovas

The Ranchman | Click image for more info | Image copyright Tecovas Boot Company | #CommissionEarned

But more importantly, you will see many people using only one cowboy hat in their whole life. Simply put, if you use cowboy hats only for sun protection, they can serve that purpose well (provided you keep them in good condition).

Cowboy boots are one of a hat’s friends, they are also durable compared to other types of work boots. If used for the same type of work, cowboy boots can completely last longer (3 to 4 times other types of boots).

In general, endurance against external forces is a key factor of western accessories products.

Some notes

However, don’t think cowboy hats will give you all-around protection because the light around you is likely to reflect. Reflection of light from the ground or ponds will still cause a certain amount of heat, which can make the face, neck, or surrounding areas in your body feel hot.

Therefore, if you want to get rid of the heat, get yourself a protective scarf that covers almost your entire face.

Before you leave

If you just want to find the best hat to protect you from the sun, I wouldn’t hesitate to point out the cowboy hat.

A cowboy hat, with its durable build and wide brim, provides extensive shade while ensuring breathability and comfort. These key aspects not only offer protection but also make it a practical, cost-effective choice for both comfort and budget.

Don’t hesitate, just pick your favorite cowboy hat and put it on!