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The Coolibar Women's Sun Hat arrived during the heat of the summer. Higher temperatures than normal and sunny days have produced exceptional testing weather. The Sun Hat arrived with the Hoodie that I will also be testing. Additional bonuses of both a full size bottle (5.0 fl oz/150 ml) and individual sample packets of Blue Lizard Sunsreen SPF 30 and an All Sport Hat with neck flaps were included. Coolibar does make a full line of sun protection products that are represented in the catalog that was provided. This report will only focus on my initial impressions of the Sun Hat. The hat was accompanied by several illustrative hangtags including an UPF rating (UPF 50), The Skin Cancer Foundation Seal, product description and a tag about the company itself.

When I took the Coolibar Sun Hat out of the box one of the first things I did was try it on my head. I was a bit worried that the hat wouldn't fit. I often have that problem with women's specific hats because the circumference of my head is almost 23 in (58 cm). The hat only comes in one size with a maximum circumference of 22.63 in (57.5 cm).  It is adjustable for smaller circumference sizes down to 21.38 in (54 cm). The hat fits me well even though I measure over the maximum. In fact, there is enough space to cinch the drawcord a bit. The elastic drawcord is funneled through the treated terry headband inside of the hat and it has an adjustable closure. The specially-treated headband is designed to wick moisture away from the head.

The Sun Hat features a 3 in (7.62 cm) wide brim. I immediately was impressed with the rigidity of the brim. There appears to be a hidden wire that encircles the edge of the brim inside the fabric. The hat will pop back to its original shape after being stuffed or crushed. This is a neat feature as oftentimes brims on other hats are too flexible losing their effectiveness for keeping shade. The brim has seven neat rows of top stitching placed at intervals of approximately 0.375 in (0.95 cm). The stitching holds together and reinforces the layers of the brim which includes some type of stiffener between the inner and outer layer.

The crown of the hat is adorned with the embroidered symbol of the Coolibar Tree done in matching thread. The symbol is located on the center front of the crown. According to a hangtag that came with the hat, the Coolibar Tree is an eucalyptus tree in the Australian outback that provides welcome relief and protection from the sun's damaging rays. The crown is semi-fitted with four sections of fabric. Each part is top stitched on both sides of the seams and reinforced inside the hat with cotton twill tape. The crown has excess room in the top so that it doesn't conform very closely to my head. This extra room would most likely accommodate different head shapes and hair styles. There are also four key hole air vents spaced around the perimeter of the crown that are edge-stitched with matching thread. A care label is sewn into the back seam of the hat. The instructions are to hand wash the hat in mild detergent and then air dry.

The hat is constructed with SUNTECH lite fabric.This fabric is not only lightweight but it is infiltrated with titanium dioxide microfibers to protect the wearer from sun damage. The Skin Cancer Foundation has awarded its seal of Recommendation to the Coolibar Sun Hat. According to Coolibar's website they are the only clothing manufacturer to receive the endorsement for sun protective clothing. Many requirements were met including the use of a fabric with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of 15 or greater, independent validation of the UPF number by in vitro testing in an approved laboratory using a standard testing protocol and use of a sun protective clothing style designed to maximize skin coverage and protection.

There is a lot of detail in the construction of the hat and it is surprising that it doesn't weigh more than 2.4 oz (68 g). All of the seams and finishing techniques were done neatly and I didn't find any loose threads or imperfections.

 
Pros

• Flexible but stiff brim
• Lightweight
• Adjustable to fit many sizes
• UV Protection
  

Cons

• None so far 

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Coolibar Women's Sun Hat-- Test Plan

Locations/Conditions

The majority of my backpacking trips are in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Ontario, Canada where evenings are mostly on the cool side. During the projected four month testing period of August through November the average lows during those months are consecutively 52 F (11 C), 44 F (7 C) and 34 F (1 C) and 22 F (1 C). August historically being the hottest month of the test period has an average high of 73 F (23 C). The following months have average highs of 63 F (23 C), 51 F (17 C), and 35 F (11 C).  Rapid drops in temperatures and much precipitation is created by the Great Lakes weather systems. Precipitation averages for this time period add up to almost 14 in (36 cm). All of these trips are to hilly boreal or deciduous forest and wilderness river systems. All testing conditions will be at low elevation or low altitude 600 ft (183 m) to 2000 ft (610 m) with mostly semi-warm to cool conditions and mid-to-high range humidity (70-95 percent).

 
I will test the Coolibar Women's Sun Hat with the following considerations in mind: 

Function/Comfort:

-Will the Coolibar Hat stay on during windy weather?
-Will the elastic drawcord be easy to adjust if I have to make the hat smaller?
-Will the treated terry sweatband be comfortable against my forehead or will it be irritating in any way?
-Will the hat breathe adequately so that I will be able to wear it for long periods of time?
-Can the brim be adjusted or re-bent into another position if it is hindering my travel vision in the forest?
-Will the hat protect me fully from the sun or will I have to wear sunscreen too?
-Will the hat shade the back of my neck adequately or will I have to improvise with a shirt collar or hoodie?
-Will the hat be versatile enough to wear not only while backpacking but also for everyday wear?

Materials/Durability/Care: 

-Will the materials of the hat hold up to extreme use? Will they fade, discolor, fray or weaken?
-Will the hat be easy to care for in the field? Will sweat and dirt stains be easy to wash away?
-How long will the hat take to dry out in the field? - How long will the integrated "sweatband" take to dry?
-Can the hat be repeatedly washed or wet down and still function without incident?
 

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I will gladly address all these issues and any additional pertinent concerns as I test the Coolibar Women's Sun Hat. Thanks to Coolibar and BackpackGearTest for this great opportunity during the next four months.