Boonie Hat

A boonie hat is a soft hat with a wide brim, a chin cord and a crown you can crush into a pocket. Everything else is a variation on that idea. The range here is new production built around that shape rather than surplus stock, so treat it as sun and shade kit first.

Sizing is where most orders go wrong

Sizes are not consistent here, so the product page is the only figure worth trusting. Most of these hats are sold by colour alone and cut to one size, held by an internal drawcord. Some list a head circumference instead, usually 54 cm, 56 to 58 cm, 60 cm or 62 cm. A few use S to XL. Measure yourself once: run a tape around your head just above the ears and across the middle of your forehead, keep it level, and note the number. Where no size is given, assume roughly 56 to 60 cm with the drawcord taking up the slack.

What each part is for

• The brim shades your face, ears and the back of your neck. A wide brim shades more and flaps more in wind. A short brim stays put but leaves your ears out in the open.
• The chin cord is the difference between keeping your hat on an exposed ridge and watching it leave. If it rubs, wear it behind the head rather than under the chin.
• Eyelets and mesh side panels vent heat out of the crown. Worth having in July, less useful in cold rain when you want the crown closed.
• A packable crown means the hat rolls into a jacket pocket, comes out creased and relaxes back into shape after a few minutes on your head.
• Add-ons such as a drop-down neck cover, a mosquito net or a face mask appear on some models. Read the option list, since on a few the mask is a separate choice rather than an inclusion.

What these hats will not do

None of them replaces a hood. Water-repellent finishes shed a passing shower, then wet out, and a soaked brim sags and dries slowly if the fabric is heavy cotton. None carries a certified sun protection rating, so read the brim as shade rather than as cover for your nose and ear tips. Colours run well past olive and khaki into pink, sky blue and white, which is ideal for a coastal walk or a festival and no use at all if you want to disappear into a hedgerow.

Keeping the shape

Hand wash cool, reshape the crown while it is damp and dry it flat, away from a radiator. Direct heat is what warps a brim permanently. A kinked wire-edged brim can be warmed in your hands and rolled back.

Nearby ranges worth a look: bush hats for a deeper crown, sun caps when you want a peak instead of a full brim, military caps for everyday wear, and hiking sunglasses to cover what a brim cannot.

Free UK delivery and 30-day returns

All orders ship free to UK addresses, fully tracked. Orders are processed within 3 to 5 business days and delivered within 10 to 20 business days, and that timeline is stated here rather than promised short and missed. Returns or exchange within 30 days of delivery, unused and in original condition, approved before being sent back, with the refund issued within 7 days of return acceptance.