Manufacturer: Coolibar - 2401 Edgewood Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55426 USA
Tel: 800-926-6509 Fax: 952-922-1455
Year of Manufacture: 2006
URL: http://www.coolibar.com
E-mail: service@coolibar.com.
Listed weight: 2 oz. / 57 g
Weight as delivered: 2.5 oz / 72 g
MSRP: $29.95 USD
Available Colors: Cobalt / Navy / Sage / Stone / Tan / Ecru / White
Color Requested: White
Color Received: White
 

The Coolibar Women's Sun Hat arrived on Tuesday, July 24, 2006 in a large box which was in good condition. Inside was the Sun Hat, the Hoodie, a free 5 oz bottle of Coolibar's Blue Lizard SPF 30+ Regular Sunscreen ($9.95 USD), the All Sport Hat (free with purchases over $75 USD), 6 trial-sized packets of Blue Lizard Sunscreen, a packing slip, a catalog and a couple of order forms. Each item - with the exception of the packing slip, catalog and order forms - was enclosed in a separate clear plastic bag and had a small, five page pamphlet describing in English the company, the item's sun protection factor, information on the Skin Cancer Foundation, and the garment itself. All items arrived in very good condition.

The Sun Hat is a fairly simple hat, comprised of a crown, a brim, an internal terry cloth headband, a hidden adjustable elastic drawcord, and four small ventilation holes (two on either side of the hat). The fabric, according to the pamphlet attached to the hat, is a "new, proprietary microfiber"; according to the Coolibar website, the hat is comprised of "lite SUNTECT™ that blocks 97% UV". The crown is 3.5 inches (8.89 cm) high and fits nicely on my head. The brim is 3 inches (7.62 cm) wide and does a very nice job of shading my face. Inside the edge of the brim is a thin (estimated at 2 mm / 0.08 inches in diameter) ring of unknown composition. This ring is fairly flexible - I've bent it and the brim has bounced back quickly. I am assuming that this ring enables the brim to hold its shape when the hat is crushed or packed away. It also allows for the brim to flip up or down as desired.

Test Plan:
Most of my hiking and camping activities will be in the San Gabriel and Santa Monica mountains; in addition to the Southern California coast. We will be heading up to Oregon (Portland and Salem) in late August or early September. We're hoping to get some hiking / camping in up there, too.  I also plan on wearing the Coolibar hat in and around town during the course of this test.

Elevations in the local mountain range from 1,000 ft to 8,000 ft (300 - 2500 m); we will probably be in the 2 - 3,000 ft (600 - 900 m) range. Elevations along the coast range from sea level (0 ft / 0 m) to 1,000 ft (300 m), depending upon where the campsite is. Weather in Southern California varies greatly with location and season. In general, daytime temperatures can get up into the 90's (35+ °C) in the summer; nighttime temperatures range from 50 to 70 °F (10 - 21 °C), although recent temperatures have been between 100 - 110 °F (38 - 43°C) in the day and 80 - 90 °F(27 - 35°C) at night. It is not uncommon for these "normal" temperatures to persist well into October and November. Typically, Southern California gets very little rain in the summer, and light to moderate amounts of rain in the fall. Temperatures in the Salem, Oregon area during the Summer and Fall are similar to that in Southern California, although they do get more rain.

The Coolibar Sun Hat is supposedly designed to keep the wearer cool and shaded. The Sun Hat is made of lite SUNTECT™ fabric (rated to block 97% UV light). I am interested in determining just how effective the lite SUNTECT™ fabric is - is it any better than "normal" fabrics, as they also block sunlight? How durable are each of the items? Will they hold up to numerous washings? Will they handle being crushed in a daypack, the car, my children? Can they handle hiking or just everyday use?

Additional questions I will pose include:

• Size:
  • Supposedly there is a "hidden elastic drawcord adjusts for the perfect fit". How well does it fit when adjusted? How easy is it to adjust? Does it stay adjusted as activity level increases?
• Brim:
  • Does the brim indeed hold its shape after washing and other normal abuses?
  • Will the 3" width be enough to shade my eyes - or will it be too big or too small?
  • Will the width interfere with my backpack or child carrier?
• Headband:
  • Does it do as advertise, and "wicks moisture away"? Where does the moisture go? Will I end up with a soggy brow?
• Other:
  • Temperatures in So California can get really HOT. How well will the hat keep me cool in those conditions?
  • The Sun Hat also has no chin strap - how well will it stay on my head in windy conditions?
  • The directions state to hand wash and dry - will the hat easily clean up via this washing method?