Some top brands to consider are Columbia Sportswear Bora Bora Booney II Sun Hats, Camo Coll Outdoor Sun Cap Camouflage Bucket Mesh Boonie Hat, and DDY Outdoor Fashion Summer Outdoor Sun Protection Fishing Cap Neck Face Flap Hat Wide Brim.
It’s essential to protect your skin from the sun, especially with the ever-increasing cases of skin cancer being reported. Fishing hats come in various styles that offer varying forms of protection. While some provide full protection, others just cover the eyes.
Learn more from this article about choosing the best hat for your next fishing expedition.
5 Best Fishing Hats for 2023 Reviewed
- Best All-Around Fishing Hat – Columbia Sportswear Bora Bora Sun Hat
- Best Mesh Boonie Hat – Camo Coll Boonie Hat
- Best Fishing Hat with Neck and Face Protection – DDY Fishing Cap
- Best Women’s Fishing Hat – Muryobao Women’s Fishing Hat
- Best Unisex Fishing Hat – Solaris Outdoor Fishing Hat
1. Columbia Sportswear Bora Bora II Booney Sun Hat
Best Fishing Hat
The Columbia Sportswear Bora Bora II sun hat features built-in UPF 50 sun protection, an ultra-sweat-wicking headband that helps keep sweat from getting into your eyes, and a mesh vent panel for plenty of air circulation to help keep you cooler and allow heat to escape.
The Columbia Sportswear Bora Bora II features Omni-Shade UPF 50 that protects you from the harmful sun rays.
Omni-Wick sweatband and mesh venting actively breathe and pull moisture away from your skin to keep you cool.
Adjustable drawcord and toggle at back mean that even on the windiest days, you do not have to worry about losing your fishing hat.
Omni-Shade 100% textured nylon poplin on top, sides, and brim, means a very durable fabric that will last. It’s the perfect fishing hat.
Pros
- Very lightweight, easy to carry
- Collapses to a small size for packing and storing
- Very good sun (UV) protection
- Adjustable fit with elastic drawstring
- Extremely breathable
2. Camo Coll Outdoor Mesh Boonie Hat
Best Mesh Boonie Hat
This one size fits all fishing hat is a perfect fishing hat for anglers of both genders, since it easily accommodates any head size.
The materials used are good quality polyester and cotton that offers the perfect combination of a product that is comfortable, as well as easy to wash and maintain in top-notch condition.
Proper ventilation is ensured by a mesh section, so you will never have to deal with overheating when you are spending days in the sun.
An adjustable string makes this versatile fishing hat perfect for any angler wishing to try it on.
The range of colors available makes it a good choice for both genders.
The camo coll hat is a combination of polyester and cotton, each fabric with its own advantages and downsides.
Polyester is highly durable and ensures that the hat will not lose its shape. It is also resistant to stains, so you do not have to worry about various spills and accidents that may dirty your hat.
Cotton, on the other hand, is good at absorbing moisture, which is something polyester cannot do. All in all, this is a very comfortable good fishing hat that will keep your head cool and comfortable during your days out.
The mesh section this hat comes with is not just a design element. Actually, it has quite an important functionality, since it is geared towards providing good ventilation so that your head does not overheat and you do not risk suffering a heat stroke.
Pros
- One size fits all
- Fast-drying material
- A stiff brim that does not flop
- The stitching is very good and the stitches are close together
3. DDY Fishing Cap with a Wide Brim
Best Fishing Hat with Neck and Face Protection
Featuring UPF 50 sun protection to block out 98% of harmful UVA and UVB rays. The long neck flap protects your neck from sunburn, and the hidden neck flap is formed as a bucket hat for daily use.
The DDY outdoor fashion sun protection hat is great for any outdoor activities: fishing, hiking, camping, traveling, hunting, gardening, etc. Suitable for both men and women.
Mesh side panels, with two large mesh brass eyelets for better ventilation.
Windproof / UV protection / Quick-drying nylon material
The DDY outdoor fashion sun protection hat is collapsible and foldable for easy storage and transport, and comes in a one size fits all design.
Pros
- Full head, neck, and face protection
- The material is very breathable
- The mask and neck drape tuck into the wide brim of the hat when not in use
- Sweatband wicks away moisture very well
- Has a wide brim
4. Muryobao Women’s Ponytail hat
Best Women’s Fishing Hat
The Muryobao sun hat fits most women’s head circumference, the material of the hat is soft and will conform slightly to the shape of your head. High-quality polyester material. Windproof, breathable, quick-drying, ultra-light.
The Muryobao sun bucket hat with a wide brim keeps the sun from your face and neck and offers great protection from damaging rays. Also, the cap comes with an adjustable drawstring to keep the hat from flying off in the wind.
The hat is extremely light and comes with a mesh side panel and sweatband to keep you cool during long summer days. It’s one of the best packable sun hats for women.
Adjustable
The visor hat is adjustable on the back. It is open in the back, which means it will fit with a ponytail.
The buttons beside the hat can be buckled and become western immediately. The sun hat still keeps in good shape after being folded up and down many times.
The fishing hat can be folded, which is very convenient to put it in your bag, lightweight, and easy to carry.
A casual-style bucket hat like the Muryobao is perfect for people who are engaged in outdoor recreation such as fishing, camping, hiking, gardening, traveling, boating, hunting, safari, beach, pool, or any other outdoor sports activity.
Pros
- Has an opening for a ponytail
- Has button snaps to hold the brim up when not in use
- High Quality
- The band is very soft
- Wide brim hats
5. Solaris Outdoor Wide Brim Fishing Hat
Best Unisex Fishing Hat
The Solaris unisex fishing hat is foldable, convenient to carry and keep, and perfect for men and women’s camping, hiking, kayaking, gardening, traveling, fishing, boating, hunting, safari, beach, pool, cookouts or sporting events, and working outside.
Made with: UV protection lightweight, breathable mesh performance micro-fiber., which features 100 SPF/ UPF 50 sun protection, blocks 97.5 percent or more of sun UV rays. Windproof, breathable, quick-drying, ultra-light.
The Solaris fishing hat is large enough to shade the forehead, neck flap provides great protection for the neck and ears. The breathable mesh on both sides lets the breeze through very well and keeps your head cool.
Chin Strap
An adjustable chin strap drawstring for fitting the hat snugly, especially on windy days, helps keep the Solaris fishing hat in place.
And another drawstring behind the Solaris fishing hat is for adjusting the hat circumference to fit your head size.
Built-in moisture-wicking sweatband keeps you cool in summer. The Solaris fishing hat also makes a great saltwater fishing hat because of its coverage that can protect against harsh winds.
The Solaris fishing hat size is a head brim of 4″, overall diam 17″, head diam of 8, and head circumference of 24″. Please measure your head circumference first before purchase even though it comes in one size that fits most.
Pros
- Floats if accidentally dropped in the water
- Very lightweight
- The brim is wide enough to cover the whole face
- Excellent coverage for the neck and ears
- Adjustable chin strap
- Has a wide brim
Why It Is Important To Block Out the Sun
With the ever-increasing cases of skin cancer (melanoma) being reported, it is of the utmost importance to protect exposed skin from the sun.
A fishing hat come in a variety of styles that offer varying forms of protection. For example, a sun visor will provide shade for the eyes but offers no protection to the top of the head, face, ears, and neck. While a hat with flaps and/or a fishing facemask offers full protection.
A wide-brim fishing hat is a good choice for anglers who are in the direct sun and do not want to use a fishing face cover or a fishing neck cover.
A boonie fishing hat, for example, offers a wide 360-degree shading, while allowing you to simply fold them up when not in use and store them in your pocket when convenience is important.
Most often, the face is the first part of the body to suffer sunburn. For anglers who prefer baseball caps, a fishing cap may be a better choice.
Keep in mind fishing caps alone do not provide full protection for the ears and neck, for this reason, sunscreen should be applied often.
Fishing Hats or Baseball Caps?
What sets fishing caps apart from standard baseball caps is their material and design. Fishing caps are designed with fishermen in mind.
Most fishing caps, as well as fishing hats, are made of breathable, antimicrobial material. They allow air to circulate freely to help keep you cool, the antimicrobial material helps keep sweat and odor from becoming a problem.
Breathability or air circulation is very important. Since most body heat escapes through the head, a fishing hat that does not have proper ventilation can cause you to overheat and risk heat stroke.
The most critical times of the day to be sun aware is from midday to late afternoon. However, a good rule of thumb is to make sure you have sun protection anytime you are going to be out for periods of 3 hours or longer.
Can It Handle Abuse?
Boonie fishing hats are made of a nonstiff material that allows them to be folded small enough to fit in a pocket and still come back to their original shape.
Fishing caps require more care when packing as well as cleaning. If a fishing cap is stored in a manner that bends the brim or bill, the fishing cap will require reshaping. Washing a fishing cap in a conventional washing machine requires a form to help the fishing cap hold its shape.
A bucket hat, much like Boonie hats holds its shape very well.
Fishing Hat Materials
Most fishing hats are made of a combination of polyester and cotton. This allows for flexibility and overall comfort.
Material that wicks moisture the best is cotton. Polyester, while breathable and flexible, does not absorb moisture.
Most fishing hats such as bucket hats, have a mesh that allows air to circulate keeping you cooler. Caps can actually retain heat especially if worn with other head covering.
Opt for Lighter Colors
When it comes to color white is the best choice for keeping you cooler. This may not be the first color you would think of in a fishing hat but as a rule, the darker the color the more heat it draws, while the lighter the color the better it repels heat.
Fishing hats that have material made of microfiber help repel odors associated with perspiration.
Over time and with heavy washing, colors can fade, The type of material
Plays a role in how fast colors can fade. For example, cotton will usually fade before polyester.
The UV sun factor dictates the amount of sun protection the fishing hat offers. The higher the rating the more protection.
Fishing Hat Sizing
One size fits all vs Sizes
Fishing hats come in two basics when it comes to size.
One size fits all (most) and Sizes (fitted).
One size fits all is a good choice for fishermen that want an adjustable fit where fitted fishing hats are designed to fit the fishermen’s heads snugly.
When measuring for your fishing hat, should you decide on a fitted style, measure from the center of your forehead around your head just above the ears and back around to where you started. If your hat size does not match the fishing hat that you are shopping for, it is ok to go up a half size.
Over time a fishing hat will mold to the shape of your head.
Boonie Hat vs Bucket Hat
A bucket hat is sometimes referred to as a fisherman’s hat. A Boonie hat is a form of wide-brim hat commonly used by military forces.
Its design is similar to a bucket but with a stiffer brim. Some have a chin strap to provide stability, especially on a windy day.
Sometimes there is a series of loops around the crown of the Boonie hat. These loops are there to hold leaves etc as additional camouflage.
The crown of the hat may be vented with eyelets or small mesh panels.
Bucket Hat
The bucket (variations of which include the fisherman’s hat, Irish country hat, and session hat) is a hat with a wide, downward-sloping brim. Typically, the hat is made from heavy-duty cotton fabric such as denim or canvas, or heavy wool such as tweed, sometimes with metal eyelets placed on the crown of the hat for ventilation.
Many anglers have a “lucky fishing hat” that they just can not go fishing without.
More than just a place to display prize lures or for luck, fishing hats provide valuable protection from the sun, wind, and rain.
Buttons, Chin Strap, and Other Features
Most fishing hats come with a chin strap that allows you to adjust your hat to your comfort level, these also help prevent losing your fishing hat on windy days.
Some brands of fishing hats are equipped with buttons on the side, such as Boonie hats and bucket hats, that allow you to fasten the brim to the sides of the hat when you do not need full-brim protection.
The button side feature is also handy for brands that have flaps, when not in use they can simply be attached by the button and loop closure design.
Most fishing caps have an adjustable band on the back that will either be plastic with notches for adjusting or velcro.
Fishing caps will either be mesh or fabric with vent holes. The mesh variety allows for more air circulation.
How to Care for Your Hat
For the Boonie hat or straw hat, a simple hand wash with mild detergent and warm water will suffice.
Fishing caps can be hand-washed but require more care as they can easily lose their shape.
The fishing Boonie hat and the bucket-style hat can be machine washed in the event of heavy soiling but it is best to have a form for a fishing cap before machine washing.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a couple of options, you can sew a fish hook on with a few cross stitches, or you can purchase a fish hook bent to fit your hat bill if you are using a fish hook for decoration.
There is a fish hook made just for this purpose by eagle claw, available at most retailers.
Use caution when attaching hooks to the cap section of your hat.
Push the hook point down through the cap.
Rotate the hook and push the point upward through the top of the cap. The double point of entry stabilizes the hook and the upward angle of the point protects your skin.
Use a metal file to dull the hook point if you do not plan on using the hook in the future.
Insider Advice
If you don’t wear a hat while you’re fishing, you’re insane.
Huge Fly Fisherman
A fishing hat is one of the most important fishing gear you can have along on your fishing trip.
With the many different styles of fishing hats, there is sure to be one that fits your needs. We feel the Columbia Sportswear Bora Bora II Booney hat is the best due to its versatility, UV protection, and style.
Sun protection is something we need to take very seriously. Whether you prefer a fishing hat or fishing mask, there are many brands on the market today that offer great protection so you can not only enjoy your fishing trip but take care of yourself in the process.
Plus, fishing hats are synonymous with fishing. When you think of fishing don’t you imagine an angler wearing a fishing bucket hat with fishing lures attached to it and a fishing pole over their shoulder?
Which hat do you like the best? Let me know in the comments below!
Founder & Angler 
Facebook
YouTube
