Sunsetter Pro Bucket Hat

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A great fishing hat ensures you will be protected from the sun, rain, and, to some degree, wind while you fish. Ideally, it is comfortable enough to do its job, and you’ll forget it is there. We tested various styles to find the best fishing hats 2024 has to offer.

The right fishing hat is a critical piece of gear for a successful day out on the water. While a ball cap might have sufficed in the past, your fishing experience will be better with the sun, wind, and rain protection only a quality fishing hat can provide. That doesn’t mean you have to ditch the familiar ball cap, as several good fishing hats we’ve handled are modeled after the classic ball cap. But, if you want to compare all the best options, read on.

Our experts have been landing fish for decades, testing a wide range of angling products from the best fishing glasses to the best hunting knives. Our lead tester, Ben Hickok, has over 2 decades of outdoor experience, including rock climbing, backpacking, and his great passion for fishing.

He lives on a few acres in Central Wyoming with his wife and daughter, enjoying unfettered access to Wyoming’s hunting and fishing opportunities. His combined experience and informed opinions let us narrow product selections to great products, separating mediocre products, gimmicks, and casualwear.

Finding a comfortable and useful fishing hat can be difficult, especially when shopping online and without the ability to try any on. Still, when you find the right one, you’ll wonder why you’ve waited so long to get one. We analyzed brim sizes, materials, fabric treatments, design pros and cons, special features, comfort, and fit to help you narrow your search and graduate from casual to performance wear.

Below are the top fishing hats based on our testing and evaluations. We have highlighted hats that fit different anglers and needs. We’ve also included a thorough buyer’s guide, a comparison chart, and an FAQ section for those who are trying to understand the what and why of fishing hats.

The Best Fishing Hats of 2024

Best Overall Fishing Hat

Shelta Seahawk Performance Sun Hat

Specs

• Style

  Boonie

• Brim Size

  Medium

• Weight

  3.8 oz.

• Materials

  100% Recycled Polyester body; Polyester mesh

• UPF Rating

  UPF 50+

• Floats

  Yes

• Adjustable Headband

  Yes

• Adjustable Chin Strap

  Yes (Removable)

• DWR Treated

  Yes

• Extras

  Rigid Bill

Pros

• Great ventilation

• Comfortable

• Rigid bill

• Removable chin strap

Cons

• A bit pricey

• Heavier than other Boonie hats

Ben Hickok

Best Budget Fishing Hat

Columbia Bora Bora II Booney

Specs

• Style

  Boonie

• Brim size

  Medium

• Weight

  2.6 oz.

• Materials

  Nylon

• UPF rating

  UPF 50

• Floats

  Yes

• Adjustable headband

  Yes

• Adjustable chin strap

  Yes

• DWR treated

  Yes

• Extras

  None

Pros

• Inexpensive

• Great ventilation

• Lightweight

• Comfortable

Cons

• Floppy brim

Ben Hickok

Best Fishing Hat for Max Sun Protection

Grundens Waterman Straw Hat

Specs

• Style

  Straw Hat

• Brim Size

  Large

• Weight

  4.6 oz.

• Materials

  Natural Straw, Cotton underbrim

• UPF Rating

  None

• Floats

  Sort of

• Adjustable Headband

  Elastic

• Adjustable Chin Strap

  Yes

• DWR Treated

  No

• Extras

  Dark Underbrim

Pros

• Lots of sun protection

• Comfortable

Cons

• Not waterproof

Ben Hickok

Best Minimalist Fishing Hat

Simms Superlight Flats Cap

Specs

• Style

  Cap

• Brim Size

  Large (bill)

• Weight

  3.68 oz.

• Materials

  Nylon and Polyester

• UPF Rating

  UPF 50

• Floats

  No

• Adjustable Headband

  Yes

• Adjustable Chin Strap

  None

• DWR Treated

  Yes Teflon

• Extras

  Extra long bill

Pros

• Super light

• Extremely comfortable

Cons

• No ear or neck protection

• Looks a bit goofy

Ben Hickok

Best of the Rest

Are you interested in learning more about long billed baseball hats? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

Patagonia Quandary Brimmer hat

Specs

• Style

  Boonie

• Brim Size

  Medium

• Weight

  4.8 oz.

• Materials

  99% Recycled Nylon, 99% Recycled Polyester

• UPF Rating

  UPF 50

• Floats

  Yes

• Adjustable Headband

  Yes

• Adjustable Chin Strap

  Yes

• DWR Treated

  Yes

• Extras

  Uses recycled materials and fair trade certified

Pros

• Flexible brim

• Eco-conscious

• Fair trade

Cons

• Small ventilation holes

• Thicker sweatband

• Bowl-shaped crown

• Expensive

Ben Hickok

Orvis Solid Performance Sun Hat

Specs

• Style

  Boonie

• Brim Size

  Medium

• Weight

  3.2 oz.

• Materials

  Polyester

• UPF Rating

  UPF 50

• Floats

  Yes

• Adjustable Headband

  Yes

• Adjustable Chin Strap

  Yes

• DWR Treated

  Unknown

• Extras

  None

Pros

• Large neck coverage

• Cinching chin strap

• Lightweight

• Comfortable for long periods

Cons

• Small ventilation hole

• Crown-shaped like a bonnet

• Floppy brim

Ben Hickok

Fishing Hats Comparison Chart

We tested a wide range of the top fishing hats including boonies, ball caps, and straw hats in a range of conditions and locations to determine the absolute best for any need; (photo/Ben Hickok)

How We Tested Fishing Hats

Our team of outdoor anglers have decades upon decades of collective fishing experience, from baitcasting and spinning, to fly fishing, Tenkara, and even trapping bait and mudbugs. That experience culminates in a lot of different preferences and opinions, but one thing is always clear, staying safe and comfortable with a fishing hat is a must.

A fishing hat can help prevent dangerous health issues, add comfort, and potentially give anglers a small edge with glare reduction. Thus, we focused heavily on the importance of protection from the sun’s UV rays while testing fishing hats.

Author Ben Hickok has put in the time, energy, and mileage, to have a voice when it comes to fishing. He mostly enjoys freshwater fishing in almost every imaginable location and loves to seek out some of the most remote fishing locations to hook beautiful fish.

Pursuits of fish often mean full days in the sun at higher elevations and little shade, floating along in a kayak while getting beat down by the elements from multiple angles, walking high desert creeks looking for a good hole, or fishing through freak mountain storms. Regardless of the pursuit, a fishing hat can be either an indispensable piece of gear or an aggravation you want to stuff into your pack.

Fishing hats have come a long way from the quintessential waterproof, rubbery bucket hat, to incorporate more practical designs and higher performance materials. When you wear a modern fishing hat, you should expect protection from the sun, adequate shedding of rain, and a high level of comfort.

We held hats to those demanding standards when we brought them along on our fishing adventures at different locations in the foothills of Wyoming’s Wind River range this spring. Wyoming’s weather, well-known for a snowstorm one minute and classic blue skies minutes later, provided us with a great environment in which to speedily put hats to the test.

We tested six different fishing hats, from casual to purpose drive, and tried them all on hot, overcast, windy, and even rainy days across various fishing environments. We wore them with backpacks, frame packs, and waders. To further evaluate comfort, we even left them on for the drives to and from fishing spots and to run errands and go to social events.

Some hats we forgot about, some got in the way, and others earned some funny looks, but we put in the time in and out of the field to bring you the most unbiased evaluations of some of today’s best fishing hats. If you’re looking for some other fishing gear to keep you out there longer, check out our guide to Best Fishing Waders.

The Shelta Seahawk has a near-perfect sized brim providing adequate