Reviews You Can Rely On

Sunday Afternoons Adventure Hat Review

This hat has great coverage and is a good choice for any sunny activity, although it is not the most stylish
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sunday afternoons adventure hat sun hat review
Credit: Sunday Afternoons
Price:  $42 List
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Manufacturer:   Sunday Afternoons
By Jessica Haist ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  May 14, 2021
77
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#6 of 20
  • Protection - 30% 10.0
  • Comfort - 25% 8.0
  • Breathability - 15% 8.0
  • Durability - 15% 6.0
  • Style - 15% 4.0

Our Verdict

The Sunday Afternoons Adventure Hat is a great all-around sun hat. It's not the most stylish hat, but it makes up for that with its exceptional sun protection, breathability, and comfort. It also is on the more affordable side compared to most of the other hats we tested. If you are looking for a hat that will keep you comfortably protected from the sun while doing your favorite activities, then this is the hat for you. However, if style is really important to you, you might want to look at other options.
REASONS TO BUY
Great protection all around
Especially on the back; brim is angled for longer protection
Good ventilation
Comfortable
REASONS TO AVOID
Not stylish
Brim is not crushable
Shows stains easily

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Bottom Line While not the most stylish, this hat has great sun coverage and we'd recommend it for any activityThe highest-performing and most versatile in our fleet, this hat takes our Editors' Choice AwardThis hat is comfortable enough that kids won't take it off and comes in tons of colorsWhat it lacks in the style department, it makes up for in protection, versatility, and excellent valueGreat for wearing at the beach or on the water, this hat is stylish and protective
Rating Categories Sunday Afternoons A... Sunday Afternoons U... Sunday Afternoons K... Outdoor Research Ru... Billabong Classic P...
Protection (30%)
10.0
9.0
8.0
10.0
7.0
Comfort (25%)
8.0
9.0
8.0
7.0
8.0
Breathability (15%)
8.0
8.0
8.0
7.0
9.0
Durability (15%)
6.0
9.0
9.0
7.0
5.0
Style (15%)
4.0
5.0
6.0
6.0
8.0
Specs Sunday Afternoons A... Sunday Afternoons U... Sunday Afternoons K... Outdoor Research Ru... Billabong Classic P...
Weight 2.6 oz 2.6 oz 2.2 oz 2.8 oz 4.8 oz
UPF rating 50+ 50+ 50+ 40 Not Specified
Brim Size 3.75", 7.25" neck cape 3.25", with 6" neck cape 2.75", with 5.5" neck cape 2.75 brim, 7.25" neck cape 4.25"
Material 100% nylon with 100% polyester mesh insets 88% nylon, 12% polyester dobby 100% Polyester 100% nylon 100% Seagrass straw
Cinch Cord Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Packable/Compressible Packs flat, but do not fold or compress the brim Yes Yes Yes No
Size Tested M (21" - 23") L Medium L One Size

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Sunday Afternoons Adventure Hat felt like our savior on super hot days in the alpine, grinding up sun-exposed passes in the Sierra this summer. It is an excellent choice for backpacking, as long as you don't mind losing a little street cred because of its lack of style.

Performance Comparison


sunday afternoons adventure hat sun hat review - the adventure hat is a great choice for desert landscapes.
The Adventure Hat is a great choice for desert landscapes.
Credit: McKenzie Long

Protection


This hat was one of the most protective we tested. Its down-turned, 3.75-inch brim gives you protection throughout the day as the sun rises and lowers, while the 7.25-inch cape in the back gives your neck full protection. The only drawback to the cape is that sometimes in the wind, it can expose your neck to the sun. It offers a rating of UPF 50+ throughout the hat, although that is probably lower on the sides where there is mesh ventilation.

sunday afternoons adventure hat sun hat review - this hat's cape offers great protection but can get blown up in the...
This hat's cape offers great protection but can get blown up in the wind.
Credit: Laura Manczewski

Comfort


The Adventure Hat is quite comfortable. It has a strap in the back for tightening it so that it's nice and snug, as well as a neck cord that you can cinch up when the wind picks up. The piping around the crown did, at times, dig into our head, though. Like the other hats we tested, the Adventure Hat has a sweatband, but it's only in the front for your forehead. This sheds weight but also makes it a little less comfortable. On the sides, the seams can be a little scratchy; a sweatband that encircled your entire head would fix this. Overall, this was a comfortable hat, and we enjoyed wearing it all day long. The most comfortable hats we tested were even lighter and were made of softer materials, though.

sunday afternoons adventure hat sun hat review - the adventure hat was our savior slogging up hot pass trails this...
The Adventure Hat was our savior slogging up hot pass trails this summer in the Sierra.
Credit: McKenzie Long

Breathability


The sides of the Adventure Hat are made of mesh and are surprisingly breathable, giving you the ventilation you need for your activities, whatever they may be. The material is also very breathable and helps to cool down your head on those hot days. We discovered that the underside of the brim is lined with a darker material to help with glare from bright surfaces like snow and water.

Durability


The Adventure Hat loses significant points in this category. We were disappointed to read the manufacturer's instructions to only pack this hat flat. When backpacking, it is impossible to do so. Thankfully the hat was usually on our heads and not in our packs. But when we did stuff it into a backpack or during our crush test, the hat suffered permanent folds in the brim that are still there. Also, the light color we tested stains and shows dirt easily. We do think the addition of the patterned webbing along the forehead of this hat is a clever way to disguise pesky sweat stains, though.

sunday afternoons adventure hat sun hat review - the adventure hat did poorly in our crush test and has permanent...
The Adventure Hat did poorly in our crush test and has permanent creases in the brim. The manufacturer recommends only packing this hat flat.
Credit: Jessica Haist

Style


Testing revealed that this model is among the least stylish models in this review. Our reviewers were a bit sheepish to wear this around the backcountry at first. But, once they discovered how amazing the sun protection was, they just decided to own it. You must wear the Adventure Hat with confidence and laugh at the people whose necks are getting burned. This model does come in many different colors, allowing you to personalize your style as much as possible.

sunday afternoons adventure hat sun hat review - we felt silly wearing the adventure hat at first but decided to just...
We felt silly wearing the Adventure Hat at first but decided to just own it when we discovered how much protection it offered.
Credit: McKenzie Long

Value


The Adventure Hat is a great value, but we would consider dropping a few more dollars for a more durable, higher-performing option if we had the chance.

Conclusion


You may look goofy on the trail, but you sure won't be getting a sunburned face or neck. We think the Sunday Afternoons Adventure Hat is a great choice for sunny activities of all sorts. And, it is a great value. We wish the brim were more durable, though. Otherwise, this hat is comfortable and super protective, and we would take it on any sunny activity from traveling, hiking, or boating.

sunday afternoons adventure hat sun hat review - the sunday afternoons adventure hat and ultra adventure are both...
The Sunday Afternoons Adventure Hat and Ultra Adventure are both cape style hats that are a great choice for backpacking.
Credit: Jessica Haist

Jessica Haist