UPF Headgear Review (5 Sept. ‘20)
Unlike with my sunscreen review, I didn’t spend a ton of time researching UPF headgear. I went straight to REI.com, since I trust their product selection. I noticed that a big percentage of their sun hats were from Sunday Afternoons (21 of 89 products). So that’s where I started my research. I briefly considered Coolibar, Mission, and Tilley. But in the end, I felt Sunday Afternoons had the better product technology, options, and customer service for my purposes (and Tilley would have bankrupted me!). But, as I said, this was a limited research expedition, so let me know if you’ve found some other great options.
Selection Criteria: My basic criteria at this point are: (1) high UPF rated gear; (2) the coolest possible coverage for my head, because I overheat easily; (3) caps and hats that are reasonably affordable; (4) high quality construction and design; and (5) good customer service.
Where I landed (for my first attempt): As I said, my first foray into headgear has been somewhat limited by my quick decision to purchase from Sunday Afternoons. Still, I think they’ve delivered on my criteria. I bought two products from them for my initial test:
I started with the Eclipse cap. This will be my everyday cap, when I’m walking Bodie (the dog), having lunch on the patio with the Wendy (the Mrs.), or watching a Cardinals game at Busch (if I ever get to do that again). The Eclipse is UPF 50, with fold-up flaps that expose mesh air vents (which are not UPF rated). The brim is a clamshell design, so you can fold it up and put it in your back pocket. The fabric is a moisture-wicking micro-fiber, with a wicking sweatband. Although baseball caps tend to look dorky on me, I’m OK with this design. I went with the Slate color because it goes with most other colors, and customer service assured me it won’t be warmer than other colors. We shall see. In any case, the literature says darker colors provide better UV protection, and I was concerned about keeping the White one clean. I bought this directly from Sunday Afternoons for $25 and free shipping during their 20% “Endless Summer” sale, which I believe goes through Labor Day. It’s $27 with Amazon Prime.
I knew the Eclipse wouldn’t be sufficient to handle everything for which I need UPF protection, especially long and high-altitude hikes in the Colorado mountains and snowshoeing in bright sun in the winter. So, I reluctantly bought a hhhaaa… a hhhaaa…. a HAT. Ugh!!! Technically, a bucket hat. This is like buying a minivan for me. I am now SUCH a dad, no denying it. But having a little brush with skin cancer is a persuasive antidote to my male vanity! So, after reading lots of reviews, zooming in on a ton of photos, and bugging SA’s customer service ad nauseam, I settled on their Overlook Bucket (it’s not this “Olive” in real life; more like olive-grey… like an olive that’s spent too much time at the bottom of a martini). It’s also UPF 50. 100% ultra-light polyester. Crushable. Lots of gizmos (covered vents, utility strap for dry flies, shock chord cinch, floating brim if you get dumped on a float trip, chin strap, safari style side snap). I bought it directly from Sunday Afternoons on sale for $29 plus free shipping. It’s $36 with Amazon Prime.
Initial Thoughts: Both of these are really comfortable. The fabrics are soft. Both are really lightweight. The fit is perfect on both (SA’s sizing chart seems accurate). Construction and design appear to be high quality. SA offers lifetime guarantees on materials and workmanship. I like the look of the Eclipse, for a baseball style cap. I still need to get used to the “style” of the Overlook. On the other hand, I wasn’t expecting much style from a hhhaaa… a hhhaaa… a HAT! Maybe with a little camo gear and body armor I could get a Navy Seals kinda’ look!
Eclipse Performance Note: I’ve been keeping the Eclipse in my truck and wearing it when I go on quick day trips around town, walking Bodie, social distancing “happy hours” with the neighbors, etc. It’s a little warmer than I’d like (i.e., no cap at all), but not as warm as other baseball style caps I’ve worn. It’s super lightweight. I’m accepting it as a good compromise between comfort and cancer.
Overlook Performance Notes: I took the Overlook a few days ago on a 90-minute hike in the hills with lots of sun exposure. I was generally pleased. To be fair, it was only 60 degrees out, so it wasn’t a rigorous thermal test. But I don’t do much hiking (or anything else outdoors) above 65 degrees, so it was a practical test for my purposes. When the breeze picked up, I could feel the covered vents doing their job; the hat definitely seemed cooler then. Still, my head was definitely warmer than without a hat, but I don’t think the latter option is viable anymore. I wore the Overlook yesterday morning on a 13er hike to the summit of Mt. Sniktau (13,240'), mid-50s to high 60s, full sun, light breeze most of the way (7–10 mph). The Overlook performed really well. I didn’t feel any extra heat on the way up the mountain, and no sweat. The vents and sweatband did their jobs, especially when I loosened up on the cinch. Also really lightweight, like the Eclipse. It got a little warm on the way down the mountain, but that was my fault for lolly-gagging at the top while the sun got hotter. I didn’t wear the Eclipse on this climb, but tossed it on at the summit for a photo op. The twenty-somethings at the summit said both of these looked “beast”, so I’m going with that. Besides, I realized watching other climbers yesterday that nobody cares how you look. The important point for outdoor activities like this whether you’ve got gear that works!
Sunscreen Review Update: Here’s a quick performance update to my recent Sunscreen Review. I decided to use the Summer Lotion SPF 30 Zinc sunscreen on my face and neck for the Mt. Sniktau hike (I skipped my scalp because I wore the Overlook the entire time). You can barely make out the white cast in the photos above. But, as with the hat, who cares when you’re climbing a 13er? I reapplied it after 2 hours per specs, and it kept the sun at bay and never got oily or caused me to sweat. Really happy with this sunscreen for longer, high-altitude, full sun applications.
Overall, I’m very happy with these two pieces of UPF headgear from Sunday Afternoons. It’s early in my testing, but at this point I’d recommend both the company and these two specific pieces of gear. I’ll update this review with any future findings, surprises, disappointments, new products, etc. Also, I’d love to hear your recommendations for UPF headgear and clothing.
To your health,
Scott
