The Best Hats for Sun Protection
With May now in full swing, warmer weather is on the top of everyone’s mind. At L.U.V., we completely understand the excitement to get out of the house and enjoy the warmer weather, but we want you to make smart decisions for your health and wellness when doing so. Today, we are introducing our new Cabo Sun Hat, Kiawah Sun Hat, and Amelia Sun Visor and explaining why not all hats are created equal when it comes to sun protection.
Hats are the perfect edition to help protect your scalp and face from unwanted UV rays. In addition to helping to prevent skin cancer, hats also work hard to help prevent signs of premature aging. As mentioned above, not all hats are created equal. Two important things to keep in mind are the brim and weave of the hat.
Brim
Sun hats with a brim of at least 3 inches provide optimal, 360º coverage. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, “the best hats for sun protection have a brim of at least three inches to shade the face, scalp, neck, shoulders and upper back, along with easily overlooked places like the tops of the ears and back of the neck.”
The Kiawah Sun Hat offers a brim of 3 1/4 inches and can effortlessly be packed for your next getaway. This sun hat can be crushed and packed without losing its shape.
The Cabo Sun Hat offers a brim of 4 inches and can be easily accompanied by your favorite UPF 50+ Gaiter for additional protection. The Amelia Sun Visor also offers proper coverage as stated by the Skin Cancer Foundation with a brim of 5 inches.
The Amelia Sun Visor is the perfect essential for women who want to wear their hair up, but still want sun protection on their face. Because the visor does not offer protection to the upper back and neck, we recommend pairing it with a UPF 50+ Gaiter around your neck.
Weave
The weave follows common logic, the tighter the weave, the more sun-protective benefits the product offers. Denim has one of the highest UPF ratings with a UPF of about 1,700, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. However, if you’ve ever tried to wear denim in the summer month, you’ll know it isn’t a breathable, comfortable fabric to wear in the summer heat.
The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to the weave of a garment or hat is that the holes between fibers allow sunlight through.
TIP: Your sun protection is optimized while wearing a UPF 50+ wrap, gaiter, sunscreen, and visor while also sitting under an umbrella.
At the end of the day, wearing any hat and visor is better than not wearing one at all. However, to optimize your sun protection, it is best to seek out protection with a brim of at least 3 inches and a tighter weave.
