The Best Kind of Hat Head

May 20th, 2011

My kids noggins are bedecked and ready for the summer sun. We recently put some Coolibar UPF 50+ hats to the test in Florida, and I’m glad to say they kept the kids happy as sunshine and their sweet faces and scalps pale instead of lobster red.

In fact, they did more than that; the hats did a fantastic job of protecting my kids from the sun—unlike the lousy 50SPF “very water resistant” sunscreen we applied and reapplied. That bad investment left whatever was not covered by a hat or rash guard fried after a day at the beach.

The kids also hoofed it around Disney World in the blazing Orlando sun. The brims on the girls’ Lulu and boys’ reversible khaki hats were wide enough to shade their, faces and necks, front and back. No peeling sunburned noses. And, the hats are lightweight, so it wasn’t a sweat fest as we baked in the upper 80s and low 90s.

We need have only packed one, as both hats are reversible –the boys’ khaki turns into an understated plaid that matches with both prepster and indie styles. The girls’ melon bonnet featured a sweet lilac ruffled hatband; my daughter also wore it reversed out to solid lilac.

But what the heck, it’s fun to have pool hat, too. I gotta say, I loved the chlorine-resistant bucket hats. Super lightweight and breathable, they dry in a flash. With the wide brims, they were perfect for the pool and the beach—helping shade eyes from the intense reflections off pool water and near-blinding white sands. Velcro tighteners around the head helped keep them on in the ocean breeze.

If you want to totally gear up, Coolibar carries a full line of rash guard, swims sets, and clothing for kids and adults—including a few cute SPF 50 sun hats and shirts that are calling this mama’s name, too.

—Mama Kate

Entry Filed under: Uncategorized