Updated January 8, 2022. This article was thoroughly audited by multiple golf experts and coaches for its accuracy. You can read more about our rigorous testing protocol here.
The Rundown:
Best Overall: Adidas Superlite Performance Hat
“The Superlite is made of polyester and spandex, making it comfortably breathable and lightweight. With UPF 50 sun protection, it’s ideal for the hot weather.”
Best Baseball Cap-Style: Under Armour Golf Mesh Cap
“The Mesh Cap features a pre-curved visor, giving it a low profile appearance. It’s made of 100% polyester with vented panels that provide exceptional airflow.”
Best Moisture-Wicking Cap: Nike Dri-Fit Tech Golf Cap
“The Tech Golf Cap features a soft terry-cloth sweatband for extra cooling comfort. It’s made of lightweight polyester with a hook and loop for a custom fit.”
The best golf hats for hot weather provide comfort, outstanding sun protection, moisture-wicking properties, and adjustability for all head sizes. Whether you prefer an adjustable strap or a moisture-wicking sweatband closure, the best hats for the course keep the sun away from your eyes and face while helping you stay cool.
For fans of Tiger Woods and his Nike golf hat, we have you covered in this list featuring several models of baseball caps that offer excellent sun protection featuring breathable fabric and dri-fit technology.
Every hat on our best golf hats list delivers exceptional performance, whether that comes in the form of style or special features.
Comparing the Best Golf Hats
Last updated on 2023-06-03. The links are affiliate links. Product images are served from Amazon Product Advertising API.
Table of Contents
Best Golf Hats for Hot Weather
After hours of testing, we found these models to be the most recommended for 2023:
- Best Overall: Adidas Superlite Performance Hat
- Best Baseball Cap-Style: Under Armour Golf Mesh Cap
- Best Moisture-Wicking Hat: Nike Dri-Fit Tech Golf Cap
- Best Bucket Hat: Adidas Victory 3
- Best Wide-Brim Hat: Coolibar Matchplay Golf Hat
- Best Sun Protection: Adidas Golf Sun Hat
- Best Value Bucket Hat: Callaway Golf Bucket Hat
Adidas Superlite Performance Hat
Best Overall Golf Hat
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Pros
- Polyester blend material offers high breathability and air flow
- Lightweight feel with UPF 50 sun protection
- Hook closure provides customized fit
Cons
- More modern look, less classic golf style
If you are looking for an all-purpose hat for your sporting endeavors, not just golf, the Adidas Superlite Performance Hat delivers exceptional value and performance.
While wearing the hat, I loved the six-panel construction and how comfortably it fits around the head. The panels are vented around the temples allowing for premium airflow that kept me cool while walking my round recently.
Also, the hook closure in the back adjusts quickly, giving me that snug fit I want from my golf hats.
Not only is the Adidas Superlite Performance Hat one of the best golf hats for sun protection, with UPF 50 protection, it is also perfect for the hot weather.
Under Armour Golf Mesh Cap
Best Baseball Cap-Style Golf Hat
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Pros
- Pre-curved visor gives low profile appearance
- Microthread material dries incredibly fast after washing
- 100% polyester with vented panels provide exceptional airflow
Cons
- Higher profile hat, stands taller on head
A traditional cap that’s great for the golf course, the Under Armour Golf Mesh Cap offers a clean look with premium breathability.
If you are like me and love the feel of a fitted hat, the Mesh Cap shines, offering a semi-rigid front panel that works well with the hat’s low-profile design. On the course, the spacer mesh panels and moisture-wicking sweatband kept my head cool.
Also, rather than sitting high upon the head, the Mesh Cap offers a low profile that rests against the crown.
An easy choice as one of the best golf hats for sun protection, the Under Armour Golf Mesh Cap keeps the sweat to a minimum.
Nike Dri-Fit Tech Golf Cap
Best Moisture-Wicking Golf Hat
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Pros
- Pre-curved bill creates a low profile that molds to your head shape
- Quick hook and loop closure provides premium fit
- Impressive moisture-wicking sweatband keeps you cool
Cons
- Limited color options
Nike utilizes its Dri-Fit technology in the creation of its best golf hat, the Tech Golf Cap. The all-black hat offers a lightweight feel on your head, with several moisture-controlling features that keep you dry on the golf course.
Not only did I enjoy the lightweight polyester build, but the Tech Golf Cap utilizes a hook and loop closure that gave me a customized fit.
And out of any hat on this list, the soft terry-cloth sweatband provided the most comfort, keeping me incredibly comfortable during my weekly round.
Adidas Victory 3 Bucket Hat
Best Bucket Hat
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Pros
- Drawstring chin strap keeps hat secure on the head
- UPF 50 sun protection rating
- High-performance wicking sweatband keeps the head cool and dry
Cons
- Some versions offer just one solid material color, with no contrast
Adidas has created one of the best golf bucket hats on the market with its Victory 3 release. While I usually don’t go for a wide brim hat, like the Victory 3, I have to admit that the variety of colors made me a convert.
Simply put, these hats are a blast to wear, offering ventilation, a high-performing sweatband that kept me cool and very comfortable over my entire round. Available in nine different colors, I’m pretty partial to the rugged camouflage color that covers me during my hikes.
Easily my choice for the best bucket hat on this list, the Victory 3 is one of the most enjoyable bucket hats I’ve ever worn.
Coolibar Matchplay Golf Hat
Best Wide-Brim Golf Hat
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Pros
- Exceptional UPF 50 sun protection rating
- Ultra-light fabric offers quick-drying performance
- 100% polyester provides a lightweight feel when wearing
Cons
- Underbrim color offers striking contrast
The Coolibar Matchplay Golf Hat offers even more sun protection over standard bucket hats or baseball caps. With a wider brim and UPF 50 sun protection, if you are looking for total protection on the course, the Coolibar Matchplay certainly meets the threshold.
One of the biggest surprises I found when I tested the Matchplay hat was that it really didn’t feel much different from your everyday bucket hat while offering more shade. The fabric’s light overall weight rested easily on my head, and the sweatband kept moisture from getting into my eyes.
A dynamic, well-constructed wider brim hat, the Coolibar Matchplay remains a top choice for golfers looking for maximum comfort and sun protection.
Adidas Golf Sun Hat
Best Sun Protection
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Pros
- Sporty look with premium sun protection features
- Drawstring closure keeps the hat from falling off in the wind
- Best golf hat for comfort and fit
Cons
- Offers a more outdoor hiking appearance
Adidas UPF Golf Sun Hat delivers exceptional sun blockage along with a comfortable fit. While it does not have the charm of a bucket hat, its wider brim keeps the sun away from the delicate skin on your face.
Another feature I enjoyed with it is how quickly you can wash and dry it. Hand washable only, after a round, I could wash in a couple of minutes and then dry the hat in less than an hour.
Available in white or grey, the design does an admirable job of keeping the air moving through the hat for unmatched comfort.
Callaway Golf Bucket Hat
Best Value Bucket Hat
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Pros
- UPF 50 protection rating from sun’s harmful rays
- Vented crown keeps airflow moving throughout round
- Fitted closure for a customized fit
Cons
- No frills hat, without much style
The Callaway Golf Bucket Hat provides a classic look with first-rate venting for air cooling that remains throughout your day on the links. Along with the UPF 50 sun rating, this bucket hat offers a flatter bill that creates more UV-ray blocking coverage along your face.
What I enjoyed about this hat was the fitted closure. The sweatband offers stretch while providing a very solid fit.
If you are looking for style, you won’t find it here with this hat, but the lower price point makes the Callaway bucket hat an option well worth your consideration.
Types of Caps
Flat Caps
Flat caps are a popular take on the baseball cap. Rather than having a curved bill, the way most golf hats were worn 10-15 years ago, the young golfer prefers the look of the flat cap. The flat bill offers the most sun protection from this style of hats.
Also, flat hats are made with lighter colors offering more style and a fashionably better look than other more conventional hat options. While it might not be the best golf hat for hot weather due to its heavier fabric, the flat hat looks great if you wear modern golf attire on higher-end golf courses.
Bucket Hats
The great thing about modern golf hats is that the variety in styles is relatively endless. While some golfers lean into the distinct bucket hat style to protect them from the sun, others just want a lightweight narrow brim hat that offers superior moisture-wicking capabilities.
As specifically technical as your golf bag, the best golf bucket hats available to weekend warriors include chin straps with a drawstring closure that helps keep the hat locked in place when walking the links or even during other outdoor adventures.
Ball Caps
A popular form of headwear for professional golfers, the baseball cap is an excellent hat for hot weather, offering tiny holes along the crown for ventilation. These hats provide solid UV protection and double as a fashion accessory when wearing a complete golfing outfit.
Ball caps can carry a full-length sweatband that goes around the head, offering either a snug fit or a comfortable fit. For the snapback style of cap, golfers will find everything they love with these hats, such as the classic brim, but with a form-fitted snap closure that forms perfectly around the head.
Wide-Brim Hats
Wide-brim golf hats offer the most UV protection of any golf hat on the list. Easily qualifying as great golf hats for sun protection, these hats typically use a full-circle headband with a chin strap to keep the hat on the head during movement.
Often made with a mixture of high-grade synthetic materials, these hats offer a lightweight material option for golfers that want maximum sun protection along with keeping their heads dry and comfortable.
While many golf hats offer style, the wide-brim caps will not be considered for inclusion among this group. These hats are built for keeping the sun and its UV rays away from your face.
Visors
A golf visor carries a full headband connected to a brim with an opening that allows the head to breathe, making it a less burdensome form of headgear when playing golf.
While visors remain incredibly popular, they don’t have a few essential characteristics, most importantly the lack of a shell for the crown of your head. Visors typically carry a wider brim that helps block the sun’s harmful rays.
Sure, the visor is lightweight and considered a good golf hat, but if you are looking for full sun protection, you might be better served with a full premium hat.
Things to Consider When Buying Hats for Hot Weather
Sun Protection
The essential feature that golfers are looking for when buying a hat for hot weather is the product’s ability to block out the sun. Since we know so much more about how the sun can damage skin, especially along the delicate areas of the face and head, our hats must have premium UV protection from those harmful UV rays.
When it comes to the best hats for sun protection, you will find that the wide brim bucket hat delivers the most protection. But many golfers don’t want the size of the cap to interfere with their game, a big reason you won’t see a cowboy hat on the links, instead choosing something more akin to a baseball cap.
Fit
There’s nothing worse than a poorly fitted hat. Regardless of whether you prefer a snap enclosure or a fitted cap, you want the hat to help protect you from the sun, keep you cool, and most of all, not constantly remind you that you are wearing a hat.
Most hats provide golfers with confidence while helping keep them cool and comfortable on the golf course.
Washability
One of the best features of the modern golf hat is washability. After a round in hot weather, golfers pour sweat into the hat’s headband. Keeping the hat clean is exactly what regular players need to keep their heads covered without worrying about bacteria causing skin irritation around their forehead and temples.
Today’s modern materials also provide a short turnaround after washing. Instead of having to wait 24-48 hours for the older cotton hats to dry, a golf hat utilizing thin material from today’s modern era can dry in less than an hour.
Closure
Fitted hats with stretchable headbands offer the most comfort of any hat for the golfer. While some enjoy the clasp of a snapback hat, the stretchable band prevents the hat from being too tight. As with most modern golf hats, the sweatband also offers wicking moisture properties, allowing you to stay cool on the golf course.
When it comes to convenience, it remains hard to be a fitted hat with a flexible headband. The stretch in the band allows a wider group of golfers to find their ideal fit with a golf hat.
In contrast, the snap enclosure does offer more customization and a tighter fit for golfers that want the hat to be fixed and not loose while wearing.
Conclusion
The best golf hat for hot weather is the Adidas Superlite Performance Hat because it provides the best protection for your face and head while keeping you cool. It also offers several worthwhile features plus the ability to easily match your outfit with style and connection.
While some golfers might say that most golf hats are interchangeable, when it comes to protecting yourself from the sun on the golf course, the Adidas hat is a game-changer.
Helping you stay cool with dynamic moisture-wicking, the Adidas Superlite Performance Hat is an impressive golf accessory to add to your favorite golfing outfit.
