The Best Men’s Bucket Hats To Wear For Any Occasion

Whether you’re looking to add some flair to your lively party outfit or stick to the hat’s roots by wearing it out on the docks, the bucket hat comes in a bevy of different styles. From sporty bucket hats and uber-stylish designer examples to traditional fisherman’s hats made of wool and blacked-out technical headwear, we’ve got just about every kind of bucket hat you can think of. So have a look at our best bucket hat guide to find your next favorite hat.

What are bucket hats?

Although recency bias would force you to believe that the bucket hat has only been around dating back to the early 2010s, the left end of its timeline extends much further. Upon their conception, these now-trendy pieces of headwear were once exclusively made from wool and kept unwashed. Initially only worn by fishermen and farmers for the sake of keeping a dry head, the bucket hat is now consistently donned by rappers, athletes, and, to be honest, just about everyone else.

Boonie hats vs. bucket hats

While bucket hats got their start with fishermen, boonie hats have ties to the armed forces. Although you can use both styles in outdoor adventures, boonie hats will usually be more rugged and have more performance features (like a wider brim and neck capes). A big giveaway is the adjustable string you’ll see on many boonies, but labels will sometimes include them in bucket hats.

What to look for

Material: As far as comfort goes, cotton is usually king, but hats with a performance edge may opt for synthetics (providing lighter weights and moisture-wicking properties). If you’re looking for sun protection, go for a hat with a wider brim and/or a UPF rating.

Style: Most bucket hats will have similar silhouettes, but subtle differences can change the style noticeably. For the fishers out there, you’ll likely want a more classic-looking hat with minimal branding and color. The old-school heads may spring for the iconic Kangol, and younger crowds might prefer the gorp/street-friendly offerings from athletic labels.

How to style a bucket hat

Thanks to the uniform design that most bucket hats have, they go with most face shapes and can compliment a streetwear-leaning outfit nicely. But if you don’t want to worry about styling your bucket hat, there’s nothing wrong with throwing it on with some shorts and a tee for a day outside. Don’t forget it was originally for fishing, too, so you can throw a vest on and get to angling.

Boathouse All American Bucket Hat

The Best American-Made Hat: This Philadelphia-based performance brand has undergone some major changes in the past couple of years as they seek a greener outlook, but this offering here is all about the red, white, and blue. It’s a nylon hat with a Supllex Shell and polyester mesh lining, making it breathable, lightweight, and somehwat water-resistant. This hat goes out to the All-American athletes who inspire us all, and it comes in two patritoic colorways.

Nike Sportswear Bucket Hat

The Best Sportswear Hat: Nike’s sporty take on the classic fisherman’s hat comes as no surprise — after all, this is Nike we’re talking about. This city-friendly pick is made with 100% cotton, and it’s lightweight, breezy, and stylish. It has a standard fit, so it’s not too tight, and the brim is wide enough to offer ample sun protection. You also have nine different colorways to choose from, with a square Nike logo on the front.

J.Crew Garment-Dyed Corduroy Bucket Hat

The Best Corduroy Hat: There are few names in the industry that manage to pull off what J.Crew does as well as they do — providing formidable fashion at a humble price tag is no easy feat. Nevertheless, they manage to do so time and time again, and from high-quality fabrics, too. And you’re getting high-quality, garment-dyed corduroy in the label’s bucket hat, along with a subtle style that works with many outfits.

Roark Boonie Hat

The Best Boonie Hat: The Boonie hat is a name-worthy subproduct that stems from the bucket hat. Although it’s accentuated by a similarly rounded brim, its tactical makeup serves more than just style purposes. Initially worn by soldiers for the sake of keeping cool, they’re now appreciated by outdoors lovers and fashion heads alike. Roark’s Boonie Hat is a great take on the classic military gear – it’s soft, has a wide brim for sun protection, and is built to last.

Kangol Wool Lahinch

The Classic Pick: There are few names more reputable for this particular silhouette than Kangol, the English brand that’s been crafting handsome pieces of headgear for over eighty years. While this hat gets its name from a small town on the coast of Ireland, this cozy and timeless wool bucket hat is sure to look good no matter what side of the pond you find yourself on.

Carhartt WIP Terrell Bucket Hat

The Best Streetwear Hat: Carhartt’s streetwear branch is a sub-brand that we refer to with reverence, as WIP consistently reworks its parent company’s workwear into something else entirely. This particular bucket hat is no “work in progress” as far as we’re concerned, as it amounts to a stylish piece of headgear that pulls no gimmicks. Crafted from a midweight Terrell fabric and finished off with a cheeky heart brand logo, its sense of style is what earns Carhartt WIP’s bucket hat an easy spot on this list.

Saturdays NYC Earl Puffer Bucket Hat

The Best Puffer Hat: Saturdays NYC comes through with a very New York-looking hat: The Earl Puffer Bucket Hat. If your black puffer isn’t enough, then you can grab this bucket hat that’s made with nylon and light polyfill lining. It has an adjustable chinstrap, an internal sweatband, and the label’s logo printed on the front.

Tilley Iconic T1 Bucket Hat

The Most Versatile Hat: Not to be confused with Tilly’s, the shopping mall staple, Tilley is a Canadian group of milliners that know their way around a hat. Their Iconic T1 Bucket Hat abides by its name, serving as an incredible option thanks to its biodegradable OKEO-TEX cotton duck fabric, high-quality water repellence, and a pair of grommets for good measure. Additionally, it’s also equipped with a hidden pocket. With a sturdy composition and versatile look, calling this hat “iconic” may even be a bit too humble of Tilley.

Pangaia Organic Cotton Bucket Hat

The Sustainable Pick: Nowadays, sustainability is the name of the game when it comes to the world of fashion, and there’s no issue in shamelessly making that clear as Pangaia does with this clearly organic cotton hat. Moreover, Pangaia is a brand that goes to show that cognizance and coolness are synonymous, as their bucket hat has got it written in black and white — or just about any other color you prefer, for that matter.

orSlow Denim Bucket Hat

The Best Denim Hat: This particular style takes inspiration from that of the classic U.S. Navy hats that had been worn in decades past. Sure enough, orSlow’s offering will go perfectly with anything your wardrobe has to offer — that’s right, even more denim on top of this (or, rather, below it) will still manage to look good.

Arc’Teryx Bucket Hat

The Best Waterproof Hat: The Veliance lineup from Arc’Teryx is among some of the best minimalist technical apparel in the industry. Whether you’re a style-conscious fan or an outdoors adventurer, the label’s lineup of gear is likely one of your go-to choices for performance apparel (or at least among your grail picks). This bucket hat is completely waterproof and windproof, made with GORE-TEX 3 layer C-KNIT and nylon. And there’s a hidden adjustable cord to give you the perfect fit.

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