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You’ve got your swimsuit and do-it-all dress, the footwear is sorted, and the sunscreen is stocked up – now it’s time to invest in a headpiece that will see you through this season and beyond.
Topping off your summertime ensembles, a sun hat is the stylish – and protective – touch that no warm-weather wardrobe should be without.
Whether keeping it casual and practical in a baseball cap, leaning into this summer’s trend for crochet, or opting for decadence in the form of a lampshade silhouette, a sun hat will set you up for the sun-drenched days ahead (hopefully).
Not merely adding the final flourish to your outfit, hats are key to providing UV protection, helping to shield your face, nose, head, neck and ears – all places where the skin is thinner and therefore more at risk.
And, thanks to designers like Prada and Loewe, sun hats have evolved beyond their practical roots. From bucket hats for the beach and wide-brimmed canvas designs for the poolside, to cowboy hats for festival season and straw bolero hats for summer in the city, the right headpiece is sun protection made cute.
This season, fashion-forward bucket hats are high on the agenda – think floppy wide brims and raffia finishes. Elsewhere, knit and crochet styles are doing the rounds, while baseball caps continue to dominate off-duty style and straw hats remain a failsafe summer staple.
How we tested
For our edit, we first looked for designs that shielded us from the sun and prevented our naturally fair skin from burning. Beyond this, we took note of seasonal trends, wearability (comfort and fit), and price per wear.
So, whether you’re jetting off on holiday, lounging by the poolside or enjoying summer in the city, our round-up of the best women’s summer hats has you covered (sorry, not sorry).
The best women’s summer hats for 2022 are:
Best overall – & Other Stories straw bucket hat: £29, Stories.com
Best dopamine-inducing design – Asos Design crochet straw bucket hat in pastel with size adjuster: £19, Asos.com
Best for festivals – Urban Outfitters beaded Western hat: £30, Urbanoutfitters.com
Best crochet hat – Accessorize jasmine hand crochet bucket hat: £35, Accessorize.com
Best padded sun hat – Damson Madder padded sunhat in tea towel print: £45, Damsonmadder.com
Best bolero hat – AllSaints Brogan straw bolero hat: £69, Allsaints.com
Best floral sun hat – H&M cotton twill sun hat: £17.99, Hm.com
Best fisherman-style hat – Free People lake washed bucket hat: £32, Freepeople.com
Best bucket hat – Dickies silver firs bucket hat: £30, Dickieslife.com
Best baseball cap – Ganni canvas cap: £85, Ganni.com
& Other Stories straw bucket hat
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Best: Overall
Rating: 9/10
Since purchasing this bucket hat last year, it’s become a go-to headpiece. The endlessly wearable design is bang on trend yet timeless, thanks to the raffia straw finish. Whether turned up at the front or worn with the brim down for more coverage, the sun hat’s lightweight and comfortable fit will go with just about everything in your wardrobe.
At just under £30, you’ll easily get your cost-per-wear with this year-on-year summer staple.
Asos Design crochet straw bucket hat in pastel with size adjuster
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Best: Dopamine-inducing design
Rating: 8/10
Topping off your outfit with some dopamine-inducing colour, Asos’ crochet straw bucket hat ticks all the boxes for a staple summer hat. The wide purple brim protects most of your face and neck at the back, while the handy size adjuster enables a customisable and thereby more comfortable fit. Asos’s on-trend take on the classic bucket hat opts for a crochet finish, which is elevated by the brightly hued floral detailing on the flat top.
Whether shielding you from the sun (or rain) at a festival this summer, or folded compactly away in your suitcase, it’s a winner.
This Western-style hat is just begging for a place in your festival bag. With cowboy boots still doing the rounds, why not fully lean into the trend with your headwear, too? The pink and white tie-dye hat is complete with a wide protective brim, beaded detailing and an adjustable chin strap with a toggle fastening, while the Western motifs woven into the designs add that final flourish.
We’ll admit it might be a bit much for the pub but rest assured that it’s coming with us to Glastonbury.
We love the floral patterning of Accessorize’s on-trend crochet bucket hat. Keeping it simple, the tiled coral motif is repeated across the top and brim, set against a sandy straw base. The front brim can be easily turned up depending on how much coverage you need, and although the hat isn’t adjustable, it was still comfortable, thanks to the slightly oversized fit.
The neutral hues of this hat compliment most ensembles, making it a serious summer-time contender for your beach bag.
Damson Madder padded sunhat with popper in tea towel print
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Best: Padded sun hat
Rating: 9/10
At first glance, this padded design may not be the most obvious choice for a summer hat. However, not only is it supremely comfortable but the wide brim offers optimum protection, too. The fabrication gives this piece a textured look, while a handy popper means you can pin up the fisherman-style front.
Channeling cottage-core for SS22, the breathable and lightweight cotton design is finished in a cutesy tea towel print, which can be paired with cool linens for an easy-breezy summer look.
AllSaints has given one of the most classic hat styles a contemporary upgrade with its Brogan headpiece. The timeless design boasts a straw finish with a tight weave at the crown and an open-weave wide brim, which shielded our face from the sun perfectly. The adjustable sweatband is another useful touch.
It may be steeper in price than other sun hats in this round-up, but it’s an investment piece that will have you covered for both summer in the city and the festival season.
You just can’t beat a wide-brimmed floral hat for summer – and this H&M headpiece nails the brief. Decorated with flowers in varying blooms set against a black base, the yellow, green, red and pink hues are all you need to brighten up your outfit. The wide brim more than adequately shielded our face, while the long ties were a sweet – and practical – addition.
Made from 100 per cent cotton, the breathable design is now a mainstay in our beach bag – and for under £20, you can’t go wrong.
Keeping it simple and classic, this bucket hat comes complete with a textured black finish on canvas fabrication, while the wide-brimmed design avoids overly complicating sun protection, providing the perfect amount of coverage for your face and neck.
Crafted from 100 per cent cotton and woven to create an almost denim-like texture, the high-quality piece justifies the price tag. Plus, thanks to the black colour, it really will go with everything in your wardrobe.
With its wide floppy brim, long under-chin straps and washed denim-effect texture, this fisherman-style hat ticks a lot of our boxes. Tap into one of the colours of the season with the hat’s muted emerald-green finish, while the adjustable design ensures a more comfortable fit.
The cotton hat’s unstructured design is perfect for throwing on at the poolside or teaming with a neutral mini dress for balmy days in the park and beer gardens for a sundowner.
A laidback bit of headgear for summer, this Nineties-inspired unisex bucket hat boasts a playful leopard-print finish and white Dickies logo. Cut into a classic bucket hat fit, the retro piece has a flat crown and small brim. Made from durable cotton twill, it’s comfortable to wear and adjustable, thanks to the drawcord.
Perfect for folding away in your bumbag for festival downpours (we do live in Britain after all), this bucket hat is a fun and practical investment for the summer, come rain or shine.
We love the on-trend Noughties feel of this cap, owing to the statement tie-dye finish and dopamine-heavy fuchsia-pink colourway. The classic baseball-cap design is crafted from breathable cotton canvas, complete with a top-button detail, open eyelets, decorative stitching on the brim and a logo detail of the cult Copenhagen-founded label.
Lightweight to wear and with a front brim long enough to successfully shield our face, the simple Y2K accessory is an effortless outfit maker.