It’s important to Choose a sun hat appropriate for your needs, and a hat that will be comfortable and enjoyable to wear. During daily activities, the head, face, and neck are often neglected in sun protection. It’s a fact that a third of all skin cancers appear on the face and around the neck and ears due to Ultraviolet Radiation damage. Sun damage is also the biggest cause of premature aging which starts as a child. Sun protection hats that shield as much of the head and neck as possible provide protection against these Ultraviolet rays.
There are 4 factors to consider when choosing the perfect sun hat, according to sunprotectionhats.com
1. Brim hat size
In order to ensure adequate sun protection from UV rays, choose hats that have a minimum brim (the projecting edge of a hat) of 3 inches all around. A 3-inch brim can block the direct UV rays to the sides of the face and ears. To achieve absolute maximum sun protection we recommend choosing a sun hat that has a minimum brim size of 4-inch brim. The intensity of the sun changes depending on the time of the day. At noon or in the middle of the day, the sun is directly overhead, and a 3-inch brim may provide maximum sun protection for your head. When the sun is either ascending or descending the sun’s UV rays can sneak under your hat and reach your face or neck. At these times of the day, it is important to wear a hat with a minimum brim size of 4 inches.
Fashion and sexy does not necessarily provide UV protection
2. Materials & Protection
Sun hats using UPF 50+ material will bock 98% of the damaging UVA and UVB components of sun rays. U.V. protection consists of any material or substance that absorbs U.V. radiation. If not labeled the hat should not allow sunlight to shine through when held up against a light. Physician Endorsed Hats takes great pride in their sun hat material and the hats are even endorsed by Dermatologists. It’s also important to consider the sun hat material when choosing the correct hat for the use and climate.
There are lots of material types excellent to use for sun protection:
• natural – straw, raffia, cotton, hemp
• synthetic – nylon, polyester fabric
Straw material offers great protection
3. Shape & UV Ray bounce
UV radiation is reflected or scattered by different surfaces, such as snow can reflect as much as 80% of UV radiation, dry beach sand about 15% and sea foam about 25%. The reflected UV rays can bounce underneath the brim of a hat and will often strike the chin, cheek, and nose. Brims that curve down and sit closer to the face will provide better protection. The shape of the brim is also important to consider when choosing a hat for the right activity. Are you going to be playing sports such as tennis, golf, and fishing? Are you going to be wearing the hat while driving?
4. Color & Relation to eyes
For maximum sun protection, Sun hats that have white tops will reflect the heat from the sun while darker colors underneath will absorb rather than bounce down the UV rays back to your face and eye. Also, a hat with a dark color under the brim is cooler than light colors. Of course, lighter colors are harder to keep clean, so a good choice would be khaki or beige, or an “off white color”. Your environment is also important to consider. Are you going to be in an environment that will produce high glare conditions, such as water or snow? A darker under brim would be ideal for these conditions. Or do you need a good hat for the City? It’s also good to select an appropriate color for the occasion, such as a wedding or a day to the race track.
Men’s hat is designed for different practicality to a woman’s hat
Aside from the four main factors, it’s also a good idea to consider the activities and climate you need a sun hat for. Are you going to be traveling? Do you need a sun protection hat that is crushable and packable?
