How to Pack a Hat in a Suitcase Without Crushing It
Sun hats, straw hats, bucket hats and baseball caps, packed step by step with photos. Then how to steam out a dent when you land, and the hats we travel with.
A good hat should go where you go. Here is how to get it there in one piece.
Whether you're heading out on a Caribbean cruise, a road trip to Yellowstone, or an African safari, you're getting ready for your next vacation! 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 or carry-on to accommodate 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 vacation.
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 in your checked bag or carry-on. This works for most common hat styles, 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.
1
how to pack a hat for travel
three rules, then the suitcase
While hat packing 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:
Start by verifying what the hat is made of. Different types of hats can be packed in different ways, so figure out what your hat is made of.
Pack from heaviest to lightest. Doing this will ensure your hat does not get crushed or misshapen by the heavy items in your suitcase.
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 or straw hat in a suitcase in 3 steps
Sun hats and other formed hats are the most difficult hats to pack for travel. This section will tell you how to pack sun hats, as well as other stiff or formed hats, including:
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.
Put down a layer of clothes to give the hat extra protection.
Then place the hat crown-side down in your suitcase.
Clothes down first.Then the hat, on top of the clothes.
Fill the inside of the hat with soft material, such as lightweight t-shirts, socks, and underwear.
Be sure not to "stuff" the 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 preference and how the hat fits in the suitcase. For our demonstration, we have packed the hat crown-down.
Soft things in the crown.Filled, not stuffed.
Begin packing the rest of your 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.
Clothes under the brim.And around the crown, never tight against it.
how not to pack a hat in a suitcase
To keep your cap safe and sound in transit, avoid these common mistakes:
don't
do
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.
Wear it on your head or carry it.
If you want to take a hat like this along for the ride, that is what we recommend. 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 a hat may cause a lot of damage depending on what the hat is made of.
Wear a hat like this or carry it with you en route.
A brim that has to bend to fit the case is a brim that may not bend back.
Do not put anything too heavy on top of or inside of your hat.
Weight on the crown or the brim is what crushes a hat in transit.
Pack your clothes from heaviest to lightest.
A general rule: 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!
Put down a layer of clothes first.
Then the hat, crown-side down, as in the three steps above.
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 a baseball cap in a suitcase safely:
Fold the back inward.
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.
Cushion the bill.
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.
2
how to steam a hat
if it arrives creased, it is not ruined
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.
Put gloves on first. That is what we do here, every time. Anything thick enough to keep the steam off your skin; thin fashion gloves are not. And never steam a hat while you are wearing it.
A hand held steamer takes most travel dents out of a paper braid or fabric hat.
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.
The full method, including how to steam a soft hat or turban from the inside, is in our guide to caring for hats & scarves.
Creases happen. A hand held steamer in the suitcase means they do not last.
3
best sun hats for travel: packable hats for women
for wearing with hair or without it
Why not make your life a little easier by bringing a hat that's easy to pack on your vacation? 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.
Every hat on this page is made to be worn with hair or without it. We design for both, and my mother and I try every one on before it goes on the site. If you are traveling during treatment or living with hair loss, nothing here needs hair underneath to look right.
our cardani upf line: the hats we pack ourselves
These four are our own design, made under our Cardani label: 100% cotton with UPF 50+ woven right into the fabric, and lined in our aloe/bamboo blend so they feel like a spa day for your head. They are the hats we reach for first when the suitcase comes out.
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.
How to fold a bucket hat.
Turn the brim up into the crown so the hat becomes a soft disc, fold it in half, and lay it flat or roll it. A soft, unstructured bucket hat bounces back from a fold; if the brim is formed or has cardboard in it, skip the fold and lay it flat.
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 lightweight and flexible with wide brims that 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 and simple reshaping. Bonus: they often come in fun colors you won't find in a traditional straw hat! Perfect for your next beach excursion!
Paper and toyo hats are a good option for travel too, as long as you pack them carefully. Paper hats are either made by braiding the paper, or by crocheting. Many paper braid hats are soft and malleable, and minor dents can sometimes be steamed out, lightly and with care: paper softens fast under steam, so test on the inside of the brim first. 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!
Natural raffia is worth knowing about too. 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, it's 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.
A baseball cap is the easiest hat in the suitcase (see how to pack one above), and it goes on for the plane, the hike, and the coffee run without a second thought. Denim for the plane, suede and corduroy when the evening cools off, distressed twill for the hike, and a plain cotton basic in every color for everything else. Then the ones that are just pretty: embroidered sunflowers, a bouquet on burgundy, a row of crystal daisies, or a patch that says Bad Hair Day so you do not have to. Those are the six that fit in one photo; the collection is a lot bigger than that.
Six of many, all of them fold flat in a carry-on. See the whole baseball caps collection.
the trick if you don't have hair
Our baseball caps are great with our ponytail headband. The cap does the covering, the ponytail does the rest, and both pack flat.
the pairing we pack:a baseball cap + the ponytail headbandCap of your choice, the ponytail headband underneath: instant hair, nothing to style in a hotel bathroom.
packing questions we get asked
open the one you need
How do I pack a straw hat in a suitcase?
If the straw has some flexibility, yes. Put a layer of clothes down first, place the hat crown-side down, fill the crown with soft items like t-shirts and socks, and pack the rest of your clothes under the brim and around the crown without pressing on it. A very stiff straw hat with no give is the exception: those crack, so wear it or carry it. Natural straw and raffia can be steamed back into shape if they arrive a little squashed.
How do I pack hats without crushing them?
Pack from heaviest to lightest so nothing heavy sits on the hat, put padding underneath it, fill the crown so it keeps its shape, and never pack anything tight against the crown or on top of the brim. A fabric hat can be folded or rolled instead; a hat with a formed or cardboard brim is laid flat, brim-side up, and never folded.
Can I take a hat in my carry-on?
Yes. A carry-on packs the same way as a suitcase, clothes down first and the crown filled, and it is the better place for a hat because it is not thrown around in the hold. How to pack a hat in luggage that will be checked is the same method with more padding on top. If the brim is much wider than the bag, or the hat is very rigid, the easiest way to travel with a hat is on your head: wear it onto the plane.
How do I fold a bucket hat?
Turn the brim up into the crown so the hat becomes a soft disc, fold it in half, and lay it flat or roll it. That works for any soft fabric bucket hat. If the brim is formed or has cardboard in it, do not fold it; lay it flat in the suitcase brim-side up.
why we care about this
specialists in hair loss since 1995
In 1990 my grandmother Carol lost her hair to breast cancer treatment and could not find a hat she wanted to be seen in. She and my mother started Headcovers on that idea in 1995.
The hats on this page are the ones I pack. I have been wearing our hats since I was a baby and modeling them since I was a child, and every one of these has been through a suitcase more than once. Pack it well and it will be there when you land, ready for whatever the trip has in store.
Ready for the trip?Sun hats that fold, roll and travel.
written byEmily BrameMarketing Director of Headcovers and certified wig specialist. Granddaughter of our founder, she helps design our headwear and wigs and knows every product we sell.page last updated September 2026
