Best Hats For Pickleball 2023
Kit yourself out with the right hat to keep the sun out of your eyes and let you focus on your pickleball game
If you regularly play pickleball outdoors, choosing a good hat or cap to keep your eyes and parts of your face out of the sun can be very important.
There’s nothing worse than lining up for a high ball only to be blinded by the sun and screw up the shot.
And if you’re going to be playing outdoors for long periods of time, then you’ll want to keep your face and eyes shielded from the sun as much as possible.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the key points to think about when picking a good pickleball hat. We’re going to cover the main considerations to bear in mind, the things to look for, and also reveal our pick of five of the best options on the market at the moment.
So, with the introductions out of the way, let’s begin taking a look at some of the key considerations to be aware of when shopping for a pickleball hat.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
Choosing A Hat Or Cap For Pickleball – Things To Consider
There are lots of options out there when it comes to hats and caps that can be used for pickleball. Many of the hats out there are made for other outdoor sporting activities such as running, tennis or golf. Most of these options can be used for pickleball too.
Before we cover some of the main things to look for in a pickleball hat, be aware that we have produced our own separate guide to the best sun visors for pickleball which may suit people looking for a visor instead of a hat. In this guide, we’re going to be focusing exclusively on hats and caps.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
There are a few things to look for when shopping for a pickleball hat. Here are some of the main ones to bear in mind.
• Comfort And Style – Choosing gear that is both comfortable and stylish is important. We all want to look and feel good while on the court and so picking a good-looking and stylish hat is key. Most of the hats made by the big brands will come in a range of colours. Opting for a lighter colour may help to reflect more sunlight and keep you cooler, although the downside is that they may show dirt more quickly. Many hats come in one-size-fits-all options, but choosing a cap with an adjustable back strap can help you to find the ideal fit.
• Sun Protection – If you’re going to be playing outdoors in strong sunlight, then you may want to consider a cap which has a UPF number. UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor and is a standard used to measure the effectiveness of sun protective fabrics. Choosing a cap with a high UPF number can help to give you peace of mind about the protection level of the hat when it comes to the sun’s rays. A good hat will usually be able to keep your forehead and eyes out of the sun during play, but of course it won’t be effective 100 per cent of the time, as things like the sun’s angle and the position of your head come into play.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
• How Can It Be Washed? – Most hats can be easily cleaned, but not all of them can be machine washed. It’s important that you carefully check the instructions specific to the hat you buy. Some can be machine washed, but others cannot and must be washed by hand or spot cleaned. Whether a hat can be machine washed or not will mainly depend on the type of fabric used.
• Brand And Reviews – Lastly, it’s always a good idea to do some research into the brand behind the product you’re thinking of buying. You can check out some customer reviews online and also look elsewhere on social media sites to see if they have a good reputation. We’ve mainly featured hats made by established global sportswear brands on this page but doing some of your own research is never a bad idea.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
Best Hats For Pickleball – Our Pick
So, now that we’ve covered some of the main things to look for when selecting a pickleball hat, it’s time to reveal our pick of five of the best options on the market at the moment.
All of the options below are made by established sportswear brands and are available to buy from the official manufacturer website or other retail sites such as Amazon. We do recommend checking out the pickleball hat section on Amazon to see what’s on offer, as there will be more options than what we’ve featured on this page.
As mentioned above, remember to bear in mind that most of the hats featured below come in a range of different colours as well as the ones pictured.
1) Nike Dri-Fit Club Structured Cap
Where to buy: www.nike.com
(Photo: Nike)
First up is the Nike Dri-Fit Club Structured Cap. Nike are well-known as one of the world’s top sportswear brands and the Dri-Fit Club Structured Cap is made from a sweat-wicking fabric to help keep you cool and comfortable while you play. This baseball cap also has a tri-glide closure to help you to find the perfect fit, and it also has eyelets to help you to stay cool and comfortable. It’s available in a range of colours from the official Nike website.
2) lululemon Fast And Free Hat
Where to buy: www.lululemon.com
(Photo: lululemon)
The next option on our list is the lululemon Fast and Free Running Hat. lululemon are one of the world’s top high-quality sports apparel brands and many of their items, like this hat, are designed for running. The Fast and Free Hat comes in a wide range of colours and is made from a four-way stretch sweat-wicking fabric. The hat has an adjustable back closure for a custom fit and has an interior front mesh fabric panel to add further sweat-wicking properties.
3) Under Armour Shadow Run Adjustable Hat
Where to buy: www.underarmour.com
(Photo: Under Armour)
Next up is the Under Armour Shadow Run Adjustable Hat. This hat is designed for running and is constructed from a stretch woven fabric to provide a comfortable fit and feel. This hat also has a UPF rating of 30 to help shield you from the sun’s rays while you get on with your game. Under Armour are one of the world’s top sports brands and this hat is available in a selection of different colours to suit all styles and tastes.
4) New Balance Laser Performance Run Hat
Where to buy: www.newbalance.com
(Photo: Amazon)
The next option on our list is the New Balance Laser Performance Run Hat. Made from a blend of nylon and spandex, this cap has a hook and loop closure for easy fitting and is designed to be ultra lightweight so that you can focus on your game without distractions. This cap is designed to be moisture wicking and is available in a range of different colours on Amazon and elsewhere.
5) Puma Everyday Performance Adjustable Strapback Hat
Where to buy: www.puma.com
(Photo: Amazon)
The final option on our list is the Puma Everyday Performance Adjustable Strapback Hat. Featuring a snap closure and a classic six panel slouch unstructured crown and curved brim, this hat also has breathable mesh side panels and ribbed knit piping. It’s available in a selection of different colours to suit all styles and tastes.
How We Chose The Best Hats For Pickleball
There are plenty of options out there if you’re looking for a good hat for pickleball or other outdoor sports. To compile this guide, we conducted our own online research by checking out the best-selling items on retail websites such as Amazon and singled out some of the top rated products.
We also read a lot of customer reviews and checked out what some people were saying on social media websites such as Reddit.
Although we very much hope that this guide has been useful, we do recommend doing some of your own research before deciding on which hat is best for you. This might include checking out some customer reviews on Amazon, or popping into your local sportswear store to see what hats and caps are on offer.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
Anything Else To Consider?
Where possible, we recommend visiting your local sportswear or fashion store to try on a few hats for yourself and find the best one for you.
If this isn’t possible, then make sure to familiarise yourself with the returns, refunds and exchanges policy on the site you’ll be shopping from so that you’ll know where you stand if you need to return an item or make an exchange.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
Wrapping Things Up – Our Final Thoughts
So, that brings us to the end of our guide to the best hats for pickleball. We’ve walked you through some of the key things to bear in mind when shopping for a pickleball hat and have also picked out five of the best options on the market right now from a range of brands.
We have placed the Nike Dri-Fit Club Structured Cap as the top option on our list, but all of the caps featured should be solid choices for your pickleball games.
