I never travel without a toddler sun hat! A good toddler sun hat is key to fun in the sun while making sure my toddler’s skin is still protected. I even pack a toddler sun hat for trips that don’t involve the beach, since it’s the easiest way to keep sensitive sun protected.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a hat with an all-around 3-inch brim to shield the face, ears, and back of the neck to get the best protection. As a parent to a toddler, I can tell you that the easiest way to protect a toddler from the sun is to cover up! There’s nothing quite as difficult as trying to lather up a wiggly toddler with sunscreen never mind those reapplications!
As part of my sun safety tips for toddlers on the beach and included as one of my top toddler beach essentials, I always recommend one of these excellent toddler sun hats that has a neck flap for extra protection.
Having a toddler sun hat that you can get your toddler to leave on is a serious game changer when out and about at the beach or on a hike with your toddler, plus it’s easy to just toss it in your diaper bag!
This post contains compensated links.
Best Toddler Sun Hats
The best sun hats for toddlers come in various styles, like wide-brimmed floppy hats and bucket hats, as well as in a range of sizes, from hats that fit 6 months old to even kids up till the age of 8!
Here you’ll find all the best toddler sun hats that are rated by their sun protective abilities, breathability, and many other features to make finding the best toddler sun hat for your tot a piece of cake.
1. SwimZip Toddler Wide Brim Sun Protection Hat
This sunhat from SwimZip has a lot of cool features, but the stand-out feature is that it floats above water when dropped; a lifesaver with clumsy toddlers!
With highest UPF rating and a wide brim for sun protection
Features a chin strap for snug fit and prevent strangulation
Has head strap for convenient adjustment and comfort
Floats above water
2. Camptrace Toddler Sun Hat
This cute hat is made from a UPF 50+ fabric with a wide, oversized brim for keeping your toddler’s skin well protected from the sun’s harsh rays.
Comes in bright and neutral colors to fit in any style
With a drawstring to keep the hat anchored to the head
Keeps toddler cool with mesh air vents
Made of nylon material and easy to wash
3. Toddler UPF 50+ Sun Protective Bucket Hat
It’s all smiles with this UPF 50+ sun protective bucket hat that features a smile logo at the front. This soft, cuddly, and stylish hat is perfect for pairing with any outfit. Choose from six classic colors and 4 sizes to suit your kid’s personality.
Soft material and stylish
Easy to wear and pair with other clothes
Has UPF 50+ UV sun protective fabric
Wide brim protects & shields eyes from the sun
4. Durio Toddler Bucket Sun Hat
Say goodbye to sunburns with Durio’s Beach Sun Hat! UPF 50+ sun protection blocks 98% of all UVA and UVB cancer-causing rays. This means more time for enjoying the beach in your beach tent and less time worrying about the sun.
Comes in 23 different prints and four plain colors
Features UPF 50+ sun protection blocks 98% of all UVA and UVB cancer-causing rays
100% cotton and does not irritate the skin
Features a removable chin strap
5. Connectyle Toddler Wide Brim Mesh Sun Hat
This modern sun hat is made of 100% polyester and comes in a beautiful array of bold colors, making it one of the best sun hats for toddler girls and boys.
Breathable and durable
Features a fastener chin strap
Packable
Fits most kids between 2-6 years
6. Green Sprouts Toddler Bucket Sun Hat
This no-fuss toddler bucket sun hat with elasticized back comes in five classic colors and a design that will go with any outfit and any occasion.
100% polyester with a polyester lining and swim-proof
With UPF 50+ sun protection
Flexible and easy to store
Quick-to-dry and machine-washable
7. Sunday Afternoons Kid’s Play Hat
I’ve been buying the Sunday Afternoon Play Hat for my little ones for years and can’t recommend them enough. It ticks all the boxes for the best sun hat for toddlers.
Has sloping brim with a floatable foam core
With UPF of 50+ for optimal sun protection
With back flap that offers sun protection
Made from polyester and 100% water-resistant
8. Exemaba Outdoor Toddler Swim Hat
This toddler outdoor play had offers UPF 50+ sun protection with a wide brim, adjustable head and chin straps plus options for a neck flap. These key features make it a ideal toddler sun hat for travel, camping with a toddler or a day on the beach.
With UPF 50+ sun protection
Adjustable head, chin straps, and neck flap
Available in different sizes
Machine washable
9. Toddler Neck Flap Sun Protection Swim Hat
Finding a hat that keeps both your toddler’s scalp and neck covered is hard. So if you have already found one, great! And if not, here you go.
With a big flap for extra sun protection
With a toggle adjuster at the back to cinch it perfectly on your toddler’s head
Fast-drying material
UPF 50+ protection built right into the fabric
10. Breathable Toddler Sun Hat with Chin-Strap
Nothing beats the BABYLAB Toddler Sun Hat when it comes to breathability and providing ventilation. Made from mesh and light denim and available in 5 bright and lively colors, it’s both a stylish and comfortable hat that offers adequate coverage with a 2.2″ brim.
Features an adjustable chin strap
Breathable
Offers an option of buttoning up the sides
Lightweight and easy to fold
A good sun hat is only a part of the sun protection story for your toddler. Now that you’ve found a hat, check out these sunglasses for toddlers.
What to Look for in a Toddler Sun Hat
Coverage
When it comes to choosing a toddler sun hat with adequate coverage, the width of the brim and the presence or absence of neck flaps are the main factors.
A wide brim hat that covers the ears, face, and neck is what I look for!
The American Academy of Pediatrics says that a sun hat with a 3-inch brim is what children should wear, but it just so happens that most manufacturers online simply do not list the brim width as a detail in their product descriptions. This unfortunately leaves us guessing by the pictures provided.
Our suggestion? Measure your toddler’s head circumference, calculate their head diameter, and then subtract it from the total width of the sun hat. Divide that by 2 and you’ll have arrived at the brim width.
As far as neck flaps go, just look for a sun hat that has a long piece of fabric that extends down till your toddler’s throat. Depending on the type of clothing your toddler wears and how comfortable they are with an additional layer, you might find this feature to not be as necessary. But I still recommend it!
Our list includes the best sun hats for toddlers with and without neck flaps so that you can pick the one that is right for your toddler.
Sun Protection
An important factor in choosing the best toddler sun hat for maximum sunburn protection and prevention is the fabric used to make it. This is because little ones need adult supervision at all times when they are out in the sun to protect them from overheating and the effects of the harsh sunlight.
A sun hat with a UPF50+ rating that blocks 98% of the sun’s rays does a good job of helping with that and reduces the risks that come with sun exposure dramatically.
Adjustability
Since all toddlers have unique heads that are different in size and shape, a toddler sun protection hat that is adjustable is highly recommended. This also helps keep it in use for longer as your child grows.
Most of the brands out there make an adjustable toddler sun hat with either elasticized backs or adjustable toggles.
Under the Chin Straps to Stay on
If your toddler is easily annoyed by accessories and extra things, then toddler sun hats with chin straps might be a good option for you. In our experience, the chin strap was a must for our toddler to leave it in place.
These straps are essentially two pieces of fabric or string that extend down the sides of the hats and connect under the chin to help keep the hat stay put on your toddlers’ heads. This is an ideal feature for fiddly toddlers and windy days.
While crucial when it comes to functionality, it can occasionally prove to be a little difficult to maneuver. The issue arises with young ones who have yet to develop the dexterity to loosen the ties if they really need to, and toddlers, on the other hand, who find nothing more entertaining than tugging on the dangling strings under their chins!
To combat this issue, some brands feature chin straps that incorporate a breakaway “no choke” fastener for extra security and to avoid any mishaps from taking place. These are definitely worth keeping an eye out for!
Breathability
Choose a breathable toddler sun hat with mesh vents or holes for ventilation to help keep your toddler feeling cool, dry, and happy.
Remember to always keep a close eye on your little one to make sure that they do not overheat as babies are not born with the ability to regulate their own temperature and are only able to do so around the 2 year age mark.
Washability
Outdoor fun during the summertime is both a dusty and sweaty affair, especially if you are on the beach or out camping with your child. That’s why a toddler sun hat for travel should not only be easy to wash but also quick to dry. Purchase a machine-washable one for maximum convenience.
Use for Swimming
An all-inclusive vacation with a toddler means one thing for sure – plenty of time in the water! Whether it be at the pool or a beach, your toddler will need their sun hat ready to use and comfortably dry.
This means that apart from being breathable, look for a toddler waterproof sun hat or at least one that is water-resistant with quick-drying properties.
Packable
Traveling with an infant or a toddler is challenging enough, which is why we do not need bulky accessories that add to our luggage or unnecessarily stretch out our backpack diaper bags!
The good news is that most toddler sun hats are designed keeping traveling parents in mind. These sun hats either fold flat or roll up to fit perfectly into a diaper bag or stroller bag, and eliminate this issue entirely.
Style
What’s cuter than a toddler? A toddler wearing a sun hat, of course! To prove that sun protection doesn’t have to be boring, there are loads of brands and products out there that offer different colors, quirky prints, elegant patterns, and unique styles.
Whether it’s a toddler straw sun hat, a baseball visor, or a floppy hat, all the products on this list are guaranteed to keep your toddler safe from the sun.
So you might as well choose one that offers plenty of good photo ops!
Come Join Us!
We love answering questions in our Baby Can Travel Facebook group. Come ask all your baby travel related questions and share advice with other traveling parents!
Found this post useful? Share it with your friends!
Celine Brewer is the owner of Baby Can Travel. Not only does she have years of experience traveling with babies & toddlers, but she’s helped millions of new parents travel with their babies and toddlers for over a decade. In addition to writing on her baby travel blog, she has shared her expertise on traveling with a baby or toddler by contributing to articles about traveling with a baby with the Washington Post, USA Today, the Lonely Planet magazine and Pregnancy & Newborn magazine.
Celine also writes about family travel on the site FamilyCanTravel.com, which she co-owns with her husband. Being from the Canadian Rockies, she shares her passion about her home and travel to Banff National Park and area on their site TravelBanffCanada.com.
