Review on UPF 50+ Sun Hat With Wide Brim And Face & Neck Flap Cover For Men And Women - Fishing, Outdoor Protection by Troy Henkhaus

When you need really fierce sun protection (like for an all-day kayaking tour on the Gulf of Mexico off south Florida on the summer solstice!), this hat delivers. It provides complete sun protection for your head, face, and neck, with just a narrow slit for your sunglasses. The front flap has a mesh panel to increase breathability; I normally wear a close-fitting neck gaiter, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much more air I could get with this loose-fitting flap vs. a gaiter. Both the front and rear flaps can be snapped on and off, so you can reconfigure on the fly as sun conditions change (i.e., as the sun shifts from front to back or vice versa). The flap snaps are plastic, which is good on salt water (metal snaps corrode quickly); they hold securely. The mesh around the crown provides a bit of ventilation; I'd prefer no mesh in the crown since I have no hair, but the mesh is fine enough that it doesn't let much sun through and I didn't pick up a male pattern burn. The brim is wide (4.5") and rigid (filled with what I think is a flexible but firm neoprene) and provides flotation if the hat goes overboard. The synthetic fabric is a plus since it makes it easier to rinse the hat when it gets soaked with sweat. All this sun protection comes at a price in terms of air movement (you can't put this much tenting around your head without reducing airflow), but under intense sun the trade-off is worth it. The hat is a bargain at the current price of about fifteen bucks; in the past I've paid 3-4 times as much for comparable hats with just a back flap.