Sunday Afternoons Adventure Hat Review

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.