Charter Breeze Hat

This hat is just the ticket for what I wanted: a comfortable sun hat with a full 3” brim, a fully ventilated crown and cool style. I’m not super style conscious in general but oddly particular that a hat looks good, LOL. I mean, if I buy a boonie hat, well it’s functional, but I wanted functionally cool! Is that too much to ask?? This meets my expectations. I tried ordering a different brand on big A, linked below, without trying on. It didn’t work for reasons including fit, so I went out on the town to try hats on and possibly bring just the right one home with me. This same Sunday Afternoons Charter model hat, but NOT the full-mesh model, was the first one I tried on at my first stop and I liked it quite a bit. I had two reservations, size and ventilation, or I would have bought it there and been done! More on those later. First, it is super light weight and I like the look and colors. The fabrics feel good, and overall it feels quality. Mine came packed flat in a bag, but no worries, it pops out perfect. It is advertised as flat-packable (semi crush), and it’s no lie. I would not fold the brim into a crease, but the crown easily crushes. More on the crown. The one in the store was a different version of the Charter model, less ventilated. Nice, but I wanted a summer hat for Arizona. Turns out Sunday Afternoons makes several variations of the Charter, including this Breeze which was just what I wanted. Strangely, they don’t carry this one at the Tucson gardening shop I was at, so I had to order it. That mesh material you see is soft and supple, NOT plasticky as I found on the other hat I ordered. It’s backed with a light inner fabric for sun blocking which does inhibit the breeze somewhat, but is still very breathable. During our walk yesterday evening, when walking into the breeze I felt air moving atop my head, satisfying! The brim is a good compromise of a little stiff, but flexible. It looks great. Just like the pics. It’s a safari / adventure hat style. The crown is shaped nice, the brim assumes an attractive gentle curve on my head. The color choices are only two; I bought the dark khaki and it’s quite attractive. Size: I have a big head. Like, ginormous. It measures at 7 5/8 or 7 3/4 long oval. There’s something peculiar about my oval melon though, which I know from buying motorcycle helmets; my forehead is prominently vertical, creating something of a corner between it and the top of my head. Think male sperm whale. (My bride assures me you can’t tell by looking at me, but the hat don’t lie.) I most often land on XXL with hats and helmets. This hat is only made in M or L, oddly, but has a size adjustment system. The L’s in the store, fully loosened up, actually fit pretty good, on the snug side, but not too tight. I wasn’t sure at first though, and would have loved to try an XL version if that existed. The crown is roomy and presented no fit issues (some are too conical, meaning as I push them down on my head they engage the forehead in an unpleasant way). At the end of my shopping extravaganza I made another stop to try on this “first one” again and decided the L feels good. I would have really loved to buy local and walk out with it on my head, but alas, no Breeze there. Amazon had this hat at my gate the next day, and I can say it fits exactly like the two Larges I tried in the store. This tells me the cut of the Breeze is the same as the other Charter, and that their sizing seems very consistent. First I bought this hat, didn’t work for me. I left a review there: Dorfman Pacific Men's 1 Piece Suplex Pinch Front Safari Hat https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0061YWF7A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I purchased this hat to compare to the Tilley LTM6 Airflo. The LTM6 Airflo is now made in China, NOT Canada. Note, they are still charging Canadian manufactured prices. Sunday Afternoons Charter Breeze Hat by comparison is made in Vietnam and is less costly. They both have a version of a lifetime warranty. Sunday Afternoons is family owned (per their website) and based in Oregon. The Sunday Afternoons Charter Breeze Hat has a wider but slightly shorter front and rear brim compared to the Tilley. The Sunday Afternoons Charter Breeze Hat has a much stiffer brim, which is likely to hold up to wind better. Might be less convenient for packing. The Sunday Afternoons Charter Breeze Hat has a convenient strap to adjust for size. That said, the Tilley is made to size up to 8.5 which is wonderful as I have a large head. My hat size is a Tilley 8. This Sunday Afternoons Charter Breeze Hat fits my head great at the loosest two settings. This is very nice news for folks with large heads like mine. So, if you have a large head, don't worry, the Sunday Afternoons hat will work great. CONVERSELY, if you have a very small head, be aware that cinching down the Sunday Afternoons hat strap may deform the hat or make it look strange. You might do better with a custom sized hat such as the tilley in such cases. The chin strap is easily removable with clips in the Sunday Afternoons Charter Breeze Hat. It is removable in the Tilley but must be untied. The Sunday Afternoons Charter Breeze Hat is overall more breathable than the Tilley with its large mesh panel. However, it does not breath as well as it appears as it has cloth backing behind the mesh. Overall, I believe the Sunday Afternoons Charter Breeze Hat to breath better than the Tilley, but not as much as it might appear in photos. I like the sunglass holders in the Sunday Afternoons Charter Breeze Hat. This is not a feature on the Tilley. They both have pockets. I see no benefit to these and they just decrease breathabiliy. Don't keep anything important inside your hat, which could be blown away at any moment. Not smart. I'm returning the Tilley and keeping the Sunday Afternoons Charter Breeze Hat. It is cheaper, and in my opinion better suited for my needs, which is sun protection and breathability. If Tilley was still made in Canada I'd keep it, but alas, they've sold out.

Love this!! It's by far the best hat like this I've ever owned. Finally, a hat I love in every way! It's everything it advertises, and definitely is quality made. I love the good sun protection everywhere on my head, yet it's still breathable without exposing my skin. The adjustable strap inside makes it fit my head well.

This hat is everything you need for hiking. Good sun protection with a decent wind strap to keep your hat from blowing off in the wind. The head piece material is soft, so it could be crushed flat to pack in a suit case without any damage to the hat. The brim is good and stiff and holds it shape well. Interal straps allow you to adjust it for different head sizes. Overall, this is a great all-around hat.

I have been looking for this hat for eight years. I bought a similar hat from Costco eight years ago and have worn it all over the world. Finally two mousy to keep wearing. Purchased several other hats before I found this one. Couldn’t be more satisfied.

Great quality. You can immediately tell the quality difference from others. This hat has structure to it and is not floppy like others. It is more of a casual wear vs hiking to me. It fits well and is comfortable.

Hat is great and well shaped and it keeps it shape. Which was an important thing for me. Some sun hats fail to keep shape and look messy. Brim is long and wide which is also a must for me in Sunny Florida

Good size and fit. It’s lightweight and breathable, and a modernized version of the adventure hat style. I like the hidden pocket in the crown for cash and my license, and the sunglasses holders work super well.

Great hat. Nice wide brim and on hot days you don't get a head sweat. I use it as an everyday hat. This is my second only because I left my other one on holiday! I had the other one for two years and it held it shape perfectly. Recommend this if you want a hard wearing comfy hat.

Good quality. Very cooling tho ive had cooler. Head part looks kinda big but ok. I recommend.

Guter Hut, aber könnte etwas mehr "Breeze" bieten. Wenn es sehr warm ist, dann nimmt man den Hut teilweise lieber ab um den Kopf etwas zu lüften.

Great hat for summer. Seem good quality. Time will tell.

Este sombrero es muy fresco devido a su entrada amplia de aire tiene buen margen de sombra y tambien se lava muy fácil. Lo puedes encontrar a muy bien precio