How to Pack a Hat & The Best Hats for Travel

Whether you're getting going on carribbean cruise, a road trip to Yellowstone, or an African Safari, you're getting ready for your next vaction! In other words, it's prime time to dust off your sun hat to give you some much-needed sun protection on your adventure. There's just one problem: how are you supposed to pack your hat? Finding a proficient way to arrange your suitcase to accomodate a hat can seem like a daunting task. Some travelers have even foregone their sun hat altogether to avoid packing it up, making for a hat-less and possibly sunburn filled vaction.

However, packing doesn't have to be a hassle. In most cases, there's no need to purchase a hat box or special luggage to ensure your hat stays intact. This goes for any style of hat, including various styles of sun hats, as well as fedoras, cloches, and safari hats. Read on to learn how to pack a hat, how to work the kinks out, and the best sun hats for travel.

How to Pack a Hat for Travel

While packing hats is not considered an art form, once you master how to efficiently pack your hats, you’ll feel as though you’ve completed a masterpiece.

Follow the below instructions to determine how you should pack hats for travel:

1. Start by verifying what the hat is made of: Different types of hats can packed in different ways, so figure out what your hat is made of.
2. Pack from heaviest to lightest: Doing this will ensure your hat does not get crushed or misshapen by the heavy items in your suitcase.
3. Protect any easily damageable areas of the hat, such as brims: Put down some padding in the form of clothes to keep your cap in tip-top shape.

How to Pack a Sun Hat in a Suitcase in 3 Steps

Sun hats and other stiff hats are the most difficult caps to pack for travel. This section will tell you how to pack sun hats, as well as other stiff or formed hats, including:

• Straw Hats 
• Many Paper Braid Hats
• Raffia Hats
• Formed Wool or Felt Caps and Cloches
• Panama Hats
• Most Safari Hats
• Fedoras

Because these hats are formed, they must be packed with care to avoid damaging the crown or brim. Depending on the material, they may be cracked, creased, or squished beyond repair if you don't follow the tips below. 

1. Put down a layer of clothes to give the hat extra protection. Then place the hat crown-side down in your suitcase. 

2. Fill the inside of the hat soft material, such as lightweight t-shirts, socks, and underwear. Be sure not to "stuff" hat- the goal is to ensure the crown maintains its shape while also maximizing the space in your luggage. At this point, you can either place your hat in the suitcase brim-down or crown-down, depending on personal prefence and how the hat fits in the suitcase. For our demonstration, we have packed the hat crown-down.

3. Begin packing the rest of clothes under the brim and around the crown. This will ensure the brim and crown keep their shape. Do not pack items tightly against the crown as this could contort the hat.

How Not to Pack a Hat in a Suitcase

To keep your cap safe and sound in transit, avoid these common mistakes:

• Do not pack a hat that is extremely rigid. We're talking about hats that have no flexibility, such as very stiff straw hats. These hats are prone to cracking and will easily break in a suitcase. If you want to take a hat like this along for the ride, we recommend wearing it on your head or carrying it. Pack it in your luggage at your own risk!
• Do not pack a hat with a brim that is much wider than your suitcase. Once again, bending the brim or folding the brim of hat may cause a lot of damage depending on what the hat is made of. We recommend wearing a hat like this or carrying it with you en-route.
• Do not put anything too heavy on top of or inside of your hat. A general rule is to pack your clothes from heaviest to lightest. The heaviest things should go on the bottom, and the lighter things on top.
• Do not put your hat in your suitcase without any protection underneath. This can lead to damage!

How to Pack Baseball Hats in a Suitcase

Baseball caps are a little easier to pack, but they still need to be packed properly to avoid ruining the brim. Follow the steps below to pack your baseball cap in a suitcase safely:  

1. The back portion of the hat (where the adjustable strap is) can be folded inward toward the brim of the hat, creating a concave, half-moon shape. Because most baseball caps are made from soft fabric, you don't need to worry about reshaping. 

2. If the bill is curved, place a pair of socks underneath it to add cushioning in case any of your belongings shift in transit. Try to avoid placing anything heavy on the hard bill as this could break the plastic or permanently bend the brim.

Best Sun Hats for Travel: Packable Hats for Women

Why not make your life a little easier by bringing a hat that's easy to pack on your vaction? A packable, easy-travel hat can make your vacation time much less stressful. As certain fabrics are more malleable and durable. You'll want to look for hats that are very flexible. Look for specific wording on the label such as “crushable” or “packable”. While this does not mean you can toss the hat into your suitcase and expect zero wrinkles, crushable hats packed properly should have few to no wrinkles. If any crinkles do appear, using a handheld steamer can work these imperfections out. 

Fabric Hats

 If easy is the name of the game, then fabric hats win the gold medal. It really doesn't get simpler than this. Soft fabric hats, such as bucket hats and fabric sun hats can be laid flat, folded, or rolled up without being damaged. That means more space in your suitcase for extra clothes and souvenirs! Many fabric hats have a brim and UPF sun protection so you're protected from the sun's rays. The fine print: If your fabric hat does have a formed or cardboard brim, do not roll or fold it, as this can create creases that cannot be removed. Instead, just lay it flat in your suitcase brim-side up. 

Shop Fabric Sun Hats here.

Ribbon Braid & Polyester Sun Hats

If sun hats with extra wide brims are calling your name, say hello to ribbon braid hats (aka your new travel companion)! These hats are light weight and flexible with wide brims thst provide lots of sun protection. What's more, these hats are collapsible,  packable, and crushable, meaning they can be laid flat or rolled up in a suitcase with little to no wrinkling amd simple reshaping.  Bonus: they often come in fun colors you won't find in a traditional straw hat! Perfect for your next beach excursion!

Shop Polyester & Ribbon Braid Sun Hats here.

Paper & Toyo Sun Hats

While we do recommend packing paper hats carefully, they can be a good option for travel. Paper hats are either made by braiding the paper, or by crocheting. Many paper braid hats are soft and malleable, and minor dents can be (carefully) steamed out. Crocheted sun hats often have less form than a typical sun hat, making them easily crushable, and a great travel option. Just make sure that you don't bend any wire that might be in the brim!

Shop Paper Braid & Toyo Hats here.

Natural Raffia Sun Hats

If you're keen on bringing a woven hat on your next trip but nervous about damaging it along the way, raffia hats might just be the answer you've been looking for. While we still recommend packing Raffia hats carefully using the instructions above, Raffia straw is strong, durable, and flexible. If your hat gets a little squished, squashed, or bent during travel, its possible to reshape it using a steamer. These hats sometimes have wire in the brim, so make sure not to bend it in your suitcase.

How to Steam a Hat

If your hat comes out slightly creased, don’t think of this as a failed experiment. Even the best packed suitcase contents can shift in transit, leaving a dented crown or bent brim. A secret weapon of sun hat owners worldwide is packing a travel handheld steamer.

Steaming a fabric or raffia hat will make the hat more malleable, allowing you to reshape the hat using your fingers. If you do not have access to a handheld steamer, we recommend placing the hat in the bathroom while you take a hot shower to achieve a similar effect. 

Hats that contain cardboard or are more fragile should be steamed with care. If your hat does lose its shape, doing an indirect steam in the shower may be the way to go.

Get a hand-held steamer here.

Additional Resources:

Shop Summer Hats

Shop Women's Hats

How to Wear a Hat

Caring for Hats & Scarves

Different Types of Hats

Types of Men's Hats

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