On a scorching summer day, I love the idea of donning a hat to shield my face, ears, and neck from the sun’s skin-damaging, sweat-inducing, eye-blinding rays. Unfortunately, in practice, I actually hate wearing hats.
Baseball caps have never been my thing. I don’t like the way I look in them, and their material is often too stiff and structured to feel comfortable on me. Their major downside, of course, is that they really only shade your face.
Sun hats are usually more lightweight, with a brim that creates shade around your entire head. However, like all hats, they prevent me from wearing my long, too-thick hair the way I find most bearable in hot weather: piled high in a topknot or bun. Sun hats made of materials like nylon (such as two of our top picks) or cotton also aren’t great to swim in—because who likes the feeling of wet fabric sagging around your head?
That leaves visors—but like baseball caps, they don’t offer 360-degree protection. Plus, I fear they make me look like an old-timey poker dealer.
What I need to keep sun damage at bay is a hat-visor hybrid that offers an ample brim, allows me to fix my hair however I like, looks cute, and feels comfy on me even when it’s wet. Fortunately, several years ago, I found just about all of that in the Simplicity Roll-Up Straw Sun Visor.
I’ve worn this durable, affordable, and (in my opinion) adorable accessory on countless lake outings, pool hangs, dog walks, and impromptu hikes for the past six years. I swim in it, I go boating in it, I garden in it. I wear it with sundresses, with shorts and a tank top, or just with a bathing suit. When I’m up early, I sit on my deck in my PJs and my visor to do the crossword without the glare of the morning sun. It has become a signature piece of my summer look—but looks are not the only thing this not-a-hat hat has going for it.
