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Patagonia Beach Bucket Hat Review

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Patagonia Beach Bucket Hat Review (Patagonia beach bucket hat)
Patagonia beach bucket hat
Credit: Patagonia
Price:  $39 List
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Manufacturer:   Patagonia
By Devin Chance ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Nov 11, 2016
70
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Protection - 30% 7.0
  • Breathability - 20% 5.0
  • Comfort - 20% 8.0
  • Durability - 15% 8.0
  • Style - 15% 7.0

Our Verdict

November, 2016: The Beach Bucket Hat is Discontinued
REASONS TO BUY
Style
Comfortable
Decent protection
Very crushable
Great in water
REASONS TO AVOID
Not that breathable
The Patagonia Beach Bucket offers a decent amount of protection and plenty of comfort for your recreational activities. We recommend this hat for all water sports and activities, and since it isn't that breathable, if you are near water then you can just dunk it and put it back on your head. Patagonia has created a really good looking, durable hat that will meet most of your needs, but excels the most in and around water.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Protection


The Beach Bucket has a three-inch brim that will keep your face and the majority of your neck covered, but we still suggest wearing sunscreen on the bottom part of your face and neck since the brim isn't super big. This hat doesn't come with a UPF rating, but it is very tightly woven so it should protect you from the majority of UV radiation. Unlike some of the other hats we tested that had mesh ventilation that improved breathability but decreased protection, the Beach Bucket has less breathability but more protection on the sides because of its lack of mesh.

Comfort


We thought this hat was very comfortable but what lowered its rating was its weight. We found that the lighter the hat is the more comfortable it is. Other than that we really like the fit of this hat. It gives you a nice snug fit and with the neck cord cinched all the way, is very secure. The flexible and crushable brim is also a big plus; you have a great range of movement without having the hat fall off.

Breathability


This hat does not breath very well; it has minimal ventilation and the fabric is not very breathable. We found that in high output activities this was a big problem; your head gets very hot. But if you are just hanging out in the sun, then breathability won't be an issue for you. Also, when using this hat for water sports we love dunking it in water and putting it back on. This helps keep you cool even though the hat has low breathability. If you are looking for a more breathable hat, then check out our review of the Outdoor Research Sombriolet Sun Hat or the Sunday Afternoons Adventure Hat

Durability


This was one of the most durable hats we tested. It performed great in the 30-minute crush test, showing that it is completely crushable and that crushing won't damage the brim. The material is also a nice in-between of not too lightweight (making it not as durable) and not too thick (making it more durable but less comfortable). This hat is also not damaged by water and dries fairly quickly.

Style


We love the style of this hat; it looks great while keeping your dome protected from the sun. There are more effective hats out there but they look a lot more dorky, so choose what's more important to you. The Beach Bucket is a very effective hat that also happens to look great.

— Devin Chance
 
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