Good Travel Hats Offer Sun Protection and a Bit of Style
My new Broxburn style hat works nicely to keep my head safe from the sun and allows me to travel in style.
As you can see from my picture, I have a particular need for a hat when the sun is shining and I head outside.
I've always been a baseball cap kind of guy. And when I travel, the trusty old ballcap has always been a solid choice. Easy to pack, dependable, suitable for the beaches or hiking or kayaking. Keeps the sun out of my eyes and off of my pate. A brimmed ballcap is reliable — if not too fashionable.
Tenth Street Hats offered me the chance to retool my travel style a bit, giving me the choice of a new stylish hat among the website's hundreds of designs. I selected a style called Broxburn, a hat I think Indiana Jones might like.
Thus, I have a new accessory for my adventures, thanks to Tenth Street Hats. The company provided the hat and simply asked that I give it a fair and honest review. I agreed to do so as long as I could get something that would fit my travel style. This meant that it had to be easy to pack for a traveler who does carry-on only for his flights.
I was pointed to the company's lineup of "Crushable" hats, and I really liked the look of the Broxburn. When it arrived, though, I was immediately skeptical that it could be folded down and fit into my bag, but it easily pressed flat to carry in my backpack. Then, it pops right back into shape.
I think travelers will find plenty of great options in the TenthStreetHats.com lineup of Crushable Hats, Sun Protection Hats or even Beach Hats. All these categories and more are listed in drop-down menus on the website.
Tenth Street Hats has a history that dates to 1921 and recognizes the original warehouse location of the Dorfman Hat and Cap Co. in Oakland, California. The company says it sources quality materials from suppliers around the world. The hats are made in production facilities in across the globe in factories that "still use rare hat-making machines that are nearly one-of-a-kind."
The TenthStreetHats.com website offers hundreds of hat styles for men and women, and you can pick from a variety of sizes and colors for most of the hat designs.
I tugged on my new Broxburn and got a little input from Colleen for how it should look.
"Maybe don't pull it all the way down to your ears," she said.
A few minor adjustments, and she helped me get a decent enough look, with just the right tilt of the brim. Not too bad. It felt comfortable as I wore it while touring around Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna on my Danube River cruise.
On deck on my Danube River cruise in Budapest.
It has been a hot summer in both Europe and the U.S., and I got this new hat and started wearing it on my travels during this heat wave. It's made of a distressed twill cotton, and the brown color gives it the look of a soft leather. I realized that the cotton keeps my head cool even during the hottest days.
A soft twill sweatband lines the inside rim of the Broxburn, and that kept any beads from rolling into my eyes. I also like the sleek look of the braided faux leather band that encircles the hat.
The Broxburn is listed at $69 on TenthStreetHats.com, and you can find hats ranging in price from as low as $40 to more than $200, but most styles are in the $60 to $110 range. Hat connoisseurs will go crazy perusing the website, with all the different styles and varieties to pick over.
Tenth Street offers numerous classic shapes like bowler, fedora, porkpie, newsboy, boater and safari. And designer brands include Stetson, Aegean, Brooklyn, Biltmore, John Callanan and Scala.
I'm really happy with my choice of the Broxburn and have added it to my lineup of accessories, right alongside my trusty baseball cap. But now, I have something to wear for my running, hiking and other physical activities as well as a perfect accompaniment when times call for something more comfortable and stylish.
Thanks for reading, and always travel happy!
JR