A few years ago around Thanksgiving or Christmas I dared to try one on at the local hardware store, Hendersonville, NC. My wife smiled and said “You look really handsome.” That’s worth paying a little extra. And it turns out it’s a great comfortable hat that I don’t lose in the wind. The next summer I picked up the cooler version for warmer seasons. They’re holding up very nicely, saltwater and all.
JDoan, it can be hard to get comfortable with all the attention that your Tilley draws. No reason to remain beholden to the ball cap. It’s just a visor, an odd style as far as hats go if not so heavily engrained into our culture. Just lift your chin, straighten your back, stand tall, smile (or grimace - whatever befits your style), and own it. Show some love to your ears and neck, and to all those folks who’ll appreciate how good you look in it.
The only way a Tilley would get any attention here is if a 20 something in a bikini is wearing it.
They are usually covering bald heads with gray beards who have learned that UV is not your friend.
I resemble that description, well the second one…
Wearing one a Tilley,
whilst walking coffee grounds,
that one has strewn with orange peels hewn
from fruits of crass confound,
steers what will skeg one’s truer path,
seas’d of the rudder confusion,
where Gray Things ape the warring throng,
this net of Paddle com fusion.
I buy a lot of things used on eBay and
some of it is top shelf items that say “new without tags”
If I know exactly what I want I always check eBay.
I’m on my third or fourth free Tilley replacement after 24 years. Cuts down a lot from the original cost. Sun, sweat and washing take a lot out of a hat. They now let you keep the old hat, now somewhat patched, that I use for hiking and working around the yard. Secure in the strongest wind and provides good sun protection.
CWD, you have a good memory! Orange peels were a long time ago
I have a Tilley AirFlo and it’s a great casual summer hat. But for outdoors play, I’ll usually grab my Sunday Afternoons Brushline Bucket. It’s a little lighter, easier to pack, and quicker drying than the Tilley. Maybe a little cooler too. The Tilley is nicer looking though.
I have that one also, it’s very good but I need a bigger brim for all day
My brother wears a Tilley, my husband goes between Tilley and OR (outdoor research)
Tilley for warm weather, OR for cold.
I’ve had mine for many years.
I got to keep my old hat but they made me cut the top out of it. New one isn’t as good as the last one.
Saw a display of Tilly hats at a local outdoor sports shop earlier this week. Methinks their cumulative retail value exceeds the GDP of some countries.
Who can provide an overview of the hat models please. I’m in the market for something with more coverage than ball cap. I went to REI they have two models: one made of canvas called the Wanderer and a lighter one called Airflow that has a Huge brim. Makes me look like one of the UFOs Congress is investigating. Website has many more models and it looks like various brim widths.
Use case: hiking, kayaking. I have a really old OR Seattle Sombrero that works like a wing when I wear it on the water, always catches wind.
Here is the original hat:
T3 Cotton Duck Hat – Tilley USA
It is the only one I have used. It is rugged, stays on in the wind, the brim easily bends when placing my camera against my face, and the brim gets stiffer when it gets wet. Floats so if it falls in the water, you have plenty of time to get to it and retrieve. Once it blew off when I forgot to put the strap around my chin, smile.
What I look for is a hat with that strap system, as I have not found a better one. That is the key characteristic in my mind. The fact that it is rugged material, yet still has a flexible enough brim for camera work, and is stiff enough to not flap around too much. If the wind blows really hard, I can snap the brim up on the sides, that I use a lot as well.
They have a lot of hats these days (I have been using a Tilley T3 for the last 20 plus years) some are just fashion hats, some are variations of this hat. My wife has an Airflow version, which has the strap system I like, but is nylon and has a “round the crown” ventilation mesh. While it is lighter, and dries more quickly, its brim is not as good as the original T3 in my opinion and for my use. It does not have the snaps that allow the brim to be snapped up in high winds. I liked the idea, but not in practice. I stick with the T3.
But everyone is different, and has different things they value. for me, the T3 has been the best hat I have found, each lasts me about 3-5 years of hard use, more if I relegate it to yard work when it is on its lasts legs, smile.
The Wanderer you saw at REI is a smaller brim bucket that looks like a classic fly fisherman’s hat. It’s more of a spring/fall hat unless you live further north. The AirFlo model that REI sells is a medium brim version of the AirFlo. There are multiple AirFlo models, with the smallest brim on the LTM5 and the largest brim on the LTM2. The one I have is the LTM8, which has a full mesh crown.
Tilley has a lot of options to peruse on their website, and there are many other good hats besides Tilley. If you’re not in a hurry, my advice is to try on as many as you can find locally. As with shoes, it’s hard to predict what you’ll like best based on stock photos.
In general, the wider the brim, the more sun protection you get, but at the expense of catching more wind. And hats with stiff, flat brims catch more than soft, droopy brims. If your primary interest is sun protection, then also consider caped hats.
For me this Stetson is perfect. Light, well-ventilated, neck cape, right size brim for me.
I have one Tilley. It was made in China. I’m not impressed with it…it’s heavy and the ventilation is poor. If I ever got another it would be made in Canada.
I’ve also had good experiences with OR hats.
I have a Tilley Airflow, LTM5. It has a ventilated crown and the brim is wide enough to protect my face down to my chin.
Made of nylon and very light. Has a sweat band that I dunk on really hot days. The strap system is great for windy days.
Wear whatever you want, but protect yourself from the sun by all means or you will pay for it later.
For years I wore a baseball cap with a cotton bandana around the neck. On the water I would drape the bandana over my head and neck under the ball cap. Lots of things will work.
Thanks. I went with the LTM5 also. 6 was a bit too wide. They are on sale, nearly $30 less expensive on Amazon than REI.