Bucket hats are the ideal casual hat for kids and adults alike – they are easy to pack in a bag, and they are easy to wash. The moderate brim all the way around offers protection from the sun, and its casual style looks great with just about any casual outfit.
You can find many kinds of hats in the market that will protect your children. But one of the best kinds we can recommend is bucket hats. It’s because bucket hats have wide brims that can protect not just your kid’s face but as well as his ears and neck.
If you are spending some time with your kids outside, playing sports, or going to the beach, a bucket hat can help protect them.
What are Bucket Hats?
A bucket hat is an unstructured hat with a narrow, downward-sloping brim. Typically, the bucket hat is made of heavy-duty cotton fabric, usually canvas, denim, or a sturdy cotton blend. It’s also sometimes made of heavy wool-like tweed. Sometimes, bucket hats come with metal eyelets on the crown of the hat for ventilation, and some come with chin straps to keep them from being blown away by the wind.
Bucket hats are also known by other names, including fisherman’s hat, session hat, and Irish country hat.
History of Bucket Hats
The bucket hat was said to be introduced around the 1900s and was initially made from weed cloth or wool felt. Irish farmers and fishermen often wore these hats as protection from the rain because the lanolin from the unwashed wool made these hats naturally waterproof.
From the interwar years, these hats were quickly adopted for country pursuits because of their portability – they could fit inside a coat pocket. And when the hat falls in the mud, it can be easily cleaned using a damp sponge.
The modern bucket hat was derived from the hat that was issued to the US Army during the Vietnam War. These hats then became popular among civilians for fishing, sports, and protection against the sun.
This piece of headwear became highly popular during the 1990s and was seen in different style groupings. They never went entirely out of style, but it was on a bit of hiatus until recent years. Because they have a relaxed, easy fit and look, they are trendier today, especially due to the aftermath of the quarantine. People are now finding ways to look stylish with comfortable clothing.
Benefits of Bucket Hats
Hats are now becoming popular once again, not because of style, but for health reasons. Because more people are becoming aware of the effects of overexposure to the sun, most people are now protecting themselves when outdoors. Men, women, and children are wearing hats for this reason. And when it comes to protective hats, bucket hats are some of the most considered ones.
There are many benefits and advantages of wearing bucket hats. These hats are worn mostly outdoors for any outdoor activity like camping, hiking, kayaking, backpacking, and more.
1. It provides UV protection in the summer
One of the reasons why people get skin diseases and skin cancer is sun exposure. The most common spots exposed to the sun are the skin on the face and the back of the neck. Using a hat is one of the best ways to prevent sunburn and other types of unwanted skin effects due to the sun’s harmful rays. Make sure that the hat you get has a UPF rating. All clothes and hats offer us sun protection, but a UPF rating gives a more accurate idea of how much it’s blocking the sun’s rays at a microscopic level.
2. It protects from cold
One of the things we need to do when outside in the cold is to wear a cold, and it especially rings true for children who are less tolerant of cold. A warm and comfortable head will have a significant effect on the warmth and comfort of the body. A hat can also prevent the child from getting a cold or flu. If your child wears a hat, they won’t lose too much body heat, and it will keep them more comfortable.
3. It protects the hair
The sun, the wind, the cold, and the snow can always damage hair. Use a hat to protect your and your child’s hair from these elements. You don’t want your kid’s hair to be damaged, so make sure they wear a bucket hat when it’s needed.
4. It looks good
Bucket hats are casual, but they look especially cute on kids. It’s very stylish, and it can elevate their outfits. Hats can be a simple fashion item for your child, as there are so many cute and beautiful styles to choose from. You can choose something that can complement their outfit to make them picture-perfect on any occasion.
Things to Look for When Buying Bucket Hats
Before we give you a list of the best bucket hats for children, here are some of the things you should look for when choosing one. With these features, you can ensure your kids will be safe under the sun.
1. Size
The key to finding a good hat is a comfortable fit, so it’s important to check hat sizes before buying a bucket hat. Make sure to buy the age-appropriate size for your child so that the bucket hat will fit snugly atop his head.
2. Style and design
Style is the first thing you’ll notice when buying fashion items like a bucket hat. The great thing about bucket hats is that they can suit any fashion personality. Plain-colored or patterned bucket hats are typically easy to wear because there’s no front or back to them. If you want something, you can wear it on a whim, the simpler, the better. But your kid may like other special detailing on a bucket hat, like ribbons, patches, animal ears, animal faces, insignia, or any drawings – in that case, you have to wear it the right way so that the design would makes sense.
3. UPF Rating
Ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) is like the sun protection factor or SPF you commonly see on sunscreens. It’s just that UPF applies to pieces of clothing. The UPF rating will tell you how well a piece of clothing or hat can block ultraviolet radiation. For example, if a hat has a UPF of 25, it means only 1/25th of the UV radiation from the sun will work its way through the fabric and onto the skin. The highest UPF factor you can find is 50 plus. You may want to consider a bucket hat with a UPF rating to ensure protection against the harmful rays of the sun.
4. Wide Brim
Bucket hats come in different brim sizes. But the wider the brim is, the better. It should be wide and long enough to provide shade for your child’s face and neck. Choose one that will give his nose additional protection from the sun.
5. Back Flap
There are also bucket hats that come with a back flap. It is excellent if you can find one because this can further help protect your child’s back of the neck from getting sunburned. There are also some bucket hats that have neck flaps that go down over the ears and onto the side of the neck. They are also great because these parts are usually the most exposed and sun-damaged spots, most especially on boys or kids with short hair.
6. Moisture Wicking Barrier
When children play outside, especially during hot summer days, they will indeed become sweaty in no time. Therefore, it’s great if you can find a bucket hat that features a headband or a sweatband built into it to help absorb all the moisture from their foreheads.
7. Chin Strap
A chin strap is also a great feature to look for in a bucket hat because this can help prevent it from being blown away from the kids’ heads, particularly in windy areas like beaches.
How to Wear Bucket Hats with Straps
The thing about putting hats on children is that you should be ready to say goodbye to that hat anytime, especially if your kid won’t be with you the whole time. Since hats can be easily removed from the head, they may forget to wear them or keep them away once they are not wearing them. That’s why for children, especially small kids, a bucket hat with a strap is more appropriate. If you pick a bucket hat with a strap, here’s how you can make your child wear it:
1. Front strap method
The string on your hat can be worn loose in the front. This way, when the wind blows in the face, it blows back but not off. However, a harsh wind from the back can blow that hat right back off the head. You may want to tighten the strap against the head to prevent choking, but it may be uncomfortable for some kids.
2. Rear strap tied method
This is the ideal way to wear a hat – with the strap tied at the back of the head. The strap must not hang low enough to hit the collar, and it must be tight enough to resist snags and wind. If it’s done right, it only causes a mild tight feeling at the back of the head. But once you have it down, it should feel comfortable.
3. Tied-on-top method
Some people loop the strap over the top of the hat and tie it in place, which gives a cowboy hat look. However, it will put your kid at greater risk of burns on summer days as the tied strap would pull up the brim at the sides. Also, the wind may pull that hat off.