The Best Running Hats of 2024

How We Tested Running Hats

The GearJunkie team is stacked with runners. From weekend hobbyists to ultramarathon podium threats, we’re diehard runners, through and through.

Like most runners, we use running hats for sweat-wicking and sun protection. Over the years, we’ve tested dozens of running hats in all sorts of conditions.

A good running hat should be durable, comfortable, breathable, and effective against the sun’s harsh rays. The recommendations on this list are the results of our careful observation and first-hand experience. We’re confident these are the best running hats on the market.

GearJunkie contributor Tim Newcomb is an avid runner, and has been managing this guide for over a year now. He knows his way around a running hat. He’s taken countless models on just as many runs and has become extremely choosy in which hats he allows in this guide.

As new running hats become available, we’ll be sure to try them out in consideration for this list.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose a Running Hat

A running hat is a handy tool that offers several functions as a part of your running kit. A well-made cap can provide sun protection, warmth, visibility, moisture-wicking, and water resistance. When shopping for the best hat for you, some key considerations to keep in mind include ventilation, comfort, adjustability, moisture transfer, and reflectivity.

This mix of features makes a running hat different from a typical ball cap. The materials used may keep it lightweight, flexible, and sweat-wicking. Liners can help keep sweat or rain from dripping down your face and depending on your selection, you may find water-resistant materials to keep you dry. Running hats tend to fit snugly for distraction-free aerodynamic movement.

After considering these features and determining your present and future needs as a runner, look over this list to find the option that best meets your criteria. We recommend every hat on the list, but some will suit certain runners better than others.

Ventilation & Breathability

Even when it isn’t especially warm out, runners tend to get hot and sweaty. In the hot sun, this reality becomes all the more challenging, and it becomes especially important to utilize gear with plenty of ventilation.

Choose a hat with lightweight fabric such as mesh or thin polyester, especially if you spend a lot of time running in warm conditions. Choosing a light color may also help keep your head cool during your run. Some hats, like the Nathan RunCool, are specifically designed for hot weather running. Add in that some hats will include UV protection, which can help provide an extra layer of protection.

Make sure to round out your kit with breathable and comfortable running shirts, running shorts, and running shoes to ensure you don’t overheat or overexert yourself while exercising.

Comfort & Fit

It’s helpful to have a good sense of the size of your own head when purchasing a hat. Once you know your head size, compare it to the dimensions of the hats you’re considering. Next, look for a hat with superior adjustability. Brooks hats, for instance, are known to accommodate larger heads.

Weight also affects a hat’s comfort. It’s imperative to have a well-fitting, lightweight running hat so your gear remains distraction-free, such as the Topo Designs option. A snug, comfortable fit will ensure you’re not worried about adjustments while on the road or the trail.

Hat Bill Options

Not every bill — or brim — is created equal. When selecting a running hat, understand what you want from the brim before making your selection. You’ll want to specifically focus on both the ability to flip the bill and the size of the brim.  

Some hats come with a bill that can mold into different shapes (ideal for long runs), with several styles offering the ability to flip the bill up to move out of the way when desired. The quality of the hat could dictate when the bill is able to flip — and stay in place — if that’s a feature you desire. 

The size of the brim is another key factor. Some runners want maximum coverage, both in length and width, to protect against blazing sun. But that size may bother other runners who want a more minimal design that does just enough to provide some sun protection. These are both personal decisions but are key considerations when selecting the right running hat for you.

Moisture Transfer

Moisture transfer reflects a hat’s ability to quickly dry after becoming saturated with sweat or other moisture. Many hats on our list include sweat-wicking internal liners that pull sweat away from your skin and eyes.

Hats made from mesh and thin polyester tend to dry quickly. Wool, with its proveniente sweat-wicking properties, is sometimes used in a liner, but too much wool can be cumbersome. When shopping for a running hat, avoid materials like cotton.

The sweat-wicking properties help during warm runs but can also provide benefits in cold weather. Moving sweat away from your head can keep sweat from drying, which can make you feel even colder.

Adjustability Options

Changing the sizing of your hat is one thing but changing it mid-run is vital. When selecting a running hat, be aware of the adjustability options and what might work best for you. The main adjustability options include plastic snaps, Velcro, a slide adjuster, or a bungee pull. Each has its own benefits.

Keep in mind that the plastic snaps and slide adjusters may be difficult to switch on the fly but often remain in place throughout runs, whereas the Velcro and bungee pull may provide an easier on-the-move selection, even if they could loosen during a run.

Flexibility

The flexibility of your running hat is about more than fit and comfort. Sometimes you’ll want to strip off the hat and store it in a pocket or jam it into a travel pouch. Selecting a flexible hat gives you more options for storage, whether on a run or on the way to your favorite route. The GADIEMKENSD offering brings its own unique blend of folding to the running hat space.

Reflectivity

A high-visibility running cap reflects light and helps others see you when running in low-light conditions. Good reflectivity increases your safety while running, especially in high-traffic areas. Reflectivity isn’t just beneficial in low-light evening scenarios, but also crucial in low-light morning runs, a common time for runners to hit urban streets.

Extras

At their most basic, running hats are meant to keep your head and face out of the sun. But that doesn’t mean they can’t go above and beyond. If you’re looking for a new running hat, keep an eye out for some interesting extra features, like the internal headband on the REI On the Trail Cap or a handy loop to hang in on your pack that you’ll find on the Topo Designs Global Hat.

One of the coolest (pun intended) extras we’ve found is the ice pouch in the Nathan Runcool hat. If you typically run in warmer climates, this perk is an excellent way to keep your head nice and cool during hot runs.

Price & Value

Running hats range in price from $10 to about $40. Depending on your budget, you’ll want to purchase the highest quality and most durable hat that you can. Durability comes from the quality of the materials used in the hat.

Bargain

You can find decent running hats for $10-$15, but many of these hats can be made with cheap, poorly constructed materials and are prone to falling apart after a few weeks or months. When you’re shopping in this price range, make sure you’re buying one with visibility, sweat-wicking capabilities, and some form of heat venting. If affordability is your biggest concern, the GADIEMKENSD Running Hat is just $15 and still offers lots of features.

Mid-Range

In the $20-$30 range, you’ll see more features and better durability than most hats in the bargain category. Lightweight fabrics, ponytail portals, and even an ice pocket for hot days, as you’ll find on the Nathan RunCool ($25), are all fairly common in this category. If you’re not trying to save every penny, this is probably the category that will appeal to the broadest range of runners.

Premium

If you’re willing to shell out $40 or more, some hats in this price range are well-known for their high-end durability. Plus, you’ll find some extra features like the COOLwick fabric in the Ciele Athletics GOCap ($40-$45), which is designed to keep runner’s heads cool and dry on hot runs. Plus, you’ll find some other cool extras like the 360-degree mesh and integrated sweatband you’ll find in the KAVU Trail Runner ($35-$40.

Frequently Asked Questions

The best running hats (like the ones featured on this list) are meant to be worn during strenuous exercise and in warm, sunny conditions. Because of their strategic polyester and mesh construction, these hats are designed to breathe and remain well-ventilated throughout your run.

Some cooling hats for men and women, like the Nathan RunCool, even come with integrated pockets to store ice during your run. While these hats are designed to stay cool, you may want to choose a light-colored hat if you’re concerned about heat.

Choosing a visor versus a running hat comes down to your needs and preferences as a runner. A visor will not protect the top of your head from harmful UV rays, nor will it protect your head from rain or snow.

Because a visor is fully open on the top, it’s a good option in warm weather for those who aren’t concerned about UV exposure on the top of their head.

Measure your head before your purchase to make sure the hat you’re interested in will fit. Once you’ve purchased the hat, use the closure system to customize your fit.

While running, you want a nice snug fit that’s also comfortable. In windy conditions, it’s wise to tighten the hat to prevent it from flying off your head.

The best materials for a running hat depend on the weather conditions that you’ll typically run in. If you expect to run in winter, or in especially cool or wet weather, you’ll want to look for a hat that has solid material instead of mesh, a lining, and possible reflectivity for the darkness. 

If you typically run in the summer, or it hot and dry weather, you’ll want a hat that is lighter weight, has moisture-wicking materials, mesh construction or other ventilation features, and UPF protection.

Your running hat’s brim shades your face from the sun — and sometimes even rain. The longer the brim, the more shading it provides, but that also means the more weight you’re carrying and the more ability for the wind to catch the hat. 

Of course, the size and style of the brim also bring quite a bit of the fashion aspect to the hat, but when it comes to choosing a hat with the right brim, you’ll want to balance the need for sun shading with the worry of wind catching the brim.