The warm weather is coming and there’s no better way to celebrate playing outside in the warmth of the sun than with new kids’ hats! We’ve all our favourite kids’ hats from bucket hats to classic boaters – a hat for every occasion for you to peruse!
What to look for when buying kids’ hats
- Style – For older kids, let them choose their own hats. It’ll save a whole lot of arguments about them not wanting to wear an ugly hat because they don’t like it. If they choose it, there should be NO issues!
- Comfort – Kids’ hats have to be comfortable. No one wants to wear an uncomfortable, heavy hat that fits too tight or moves all over their head.
- Washability – Let’s not forget that most children are grots, by intention or not. Hats are going to encounter food, grubby hands, sunscreen, sweat and probably at least five shades of paint at childcare.
- Chin strap – I can’t stress the importance of a chin strap for babies and toddlers. They can whip a hat off at the same speed that they’ll grab for your fork when you’re trying to eat. LIGHTENING SPEED. A chin strap helps keep that hat on their head for longer!
- Sun smart rating – Look for hats with a UPF rating or styles that have a nice broad brim that covers the back of your child’s neck and their ears as well as their face. Caps are great as a fashionable accessory, but not overly sun smart.
Kids who resist hat-wearing…
Instilling the importance of hat-wearing to Aussie kids is vital. If your little one refuses to wear a hat, don’t let them play outside. If they coax you outside by wearing a hat and then pull it off, back inside you both go. Kids will soon learn that wearing a hat outside is a must and will not only be reaching for it, but also keeping it on in no time!
10 Kids’ hats for summertime fun
1. Bedhead Hats Kids Beach Bucket Sun Hat
PRICE: $34.95
WHERE TO BUY: Bedhead Hats
A swim-friendly kid’s hat? Bed Heads has got you covered – literally! The Bedhead UPF50+ swim collection of hats are made perfectly for water play, featuring a toggled chin strap and are kids’ hats with a unique ‘anti-flop’ wide brim that won’t flop in front of kid’s eyes, even when wet!
These swim hats are suitable for kids 2-13 years and older, and made from high-quality chlorine-resistant stretch nylon knit fabric. They have loads of different prints making them perfect for not only pool activities but the beach, waterpark, lake or even under the sprinkler or hose in the backyard too! 
2. Tumbl Bear Bucket Hat
PRICE: $54.95
WHERE TO BUY: Tumbl Bear
If your little one encounters tumbles day in and day out, here’s one of the most super smart kids’ hats that you’ll see this summer. Not only is it a sun smart hat but it’s also a hat designed to protect your little one’s head from knocks and tumbles!
Perfect for daycare, the playground and the backyard, the Tumbl Bear Bucket Hat absorbs up to 50% of impacts at 40g-force, making for a whole lot fewer bumps and bruises on little noggins! A Tumbl Bear bucket hat still looks exactly like a normal hat in its classic bucket shape and super smart pinstripes. Available in three sizes to suit kids aged 6 months to 5 years old.
3. Acorn Kids Denim Space Bucket Hat
PRICE: $39.95
WHERE TO BUY: Acorn Kids
Parents are spoiled for choice in buying kids’ hats to ward off the sun at Acorn Kids! A collection brimming with beautiful, coloured prints, you’ll find the ever-popular bucket hat style here along with floppy sun hats and even reversible hats, giving you two hat looks for the price of one!
The Acorn Kids Denim Space Bucket Hat is lightweight and breathable and you can easily get the fit just right with an adjustable toggle around the head plus a toggled chin cord to keep the hat secured. Acorn kids hats all offer a UPF50+ rating and are available in sizes to fit 9-month-olds through to 5-years plus!
4. Cubs & Co Cotton Canvas Bucket Hat
PRICE: $34.95
WHERE TO BUY: Cubs & Co
Cute collides beautifully with comfort with Cubs & Co Cotton Canvas Bucket Hats! Made from 100% cotton canvas, this hat is high quality and durable for all kids, no matter how hard they play!
Featuring an adjustable strap around the head and under the chin, this is one hat that will remain both comfortable AND stay on your child’s head. Available in taupe, blue and pink and in two sizes to fit toddlers (aged 1-3 years) and kids (aged 3-7 years). The Cubs & Co Cotton Canvas Bucket Hat will last the distance and offer sun protection through ALL the seasons!
5. Oobi Margot Watercolour Hat
PRICE: $34.95
WHERE TO BUY: Oobi
Oobi’s Margot style hat is perfect for keeping the harsh sun off of little noses and making a fashion statement in pretty bold prints. Coordinating beautifully with Oobi’s clothing collections, the wide Margot hat brim does a whole lot of work, covering the ears and neck and is also firm enough that it can be pushed up or pulled down as you please.
The Oobi Margot hat has a chin toggle and adjustable straps so it won’t fall off and we adore the slim and discreet ponytail hole at the back so little princesses don’t have to sacrifice their ponytails to be sun-smart! Available in sizes to fit 3-year-olds through to adults, this makes the perfect hat for mums who love to match their mini me!
6. Blue Stripe Baby Summer Legionnaire Hat
PRICE: $12
WHERE TO BUY: Next
A legionnaire-style hat made from a buttery soft fabric that’s so light and gentle on their skin, that babies will barely know it’s there to pull it off. The simple blue and white stripe is perfect for littlies with a nod to a nautical beach vibe.
Featuring a firm, top-stitched cap peak and a generous fabric flap to protect your bub’s neck and ears from the sun, this gorgeous hat also has a soft, flat chin strap made from the same striped fabric and is secured with a Velcro tab to help keep it on a noggin for longer! Available in sizes to fit newborns to 2-year-olds.
7. Will and Bear Little Harvey Amber Hat
PRICE: $69
WHERE TO BUY: Will and Bear
Famous for their amazing adult hats, did you know Will and Bear also create gorgeous kids’ hats too? The Little Harvey boater is a classic summer straw hat for kids aged 2 to 12 and a stunning accessory for not only everyday but special occasions too. The 9cm crown height and flat brim mean this hat won’t swamp your little one, it sits atop of heads just right!
A timeless boater hat, it’s made from 100% natural straw with soft rose tones and trimmed with a coordinating cotton hat band – just like mums! Available in one size only, however you can alter it to fit as the Little Harvey boater hat features a size adjustable sweatband. Hat filler pads are available separately to help perfect the fit also!
8. Miann and Co Bucket Hat
PRICE: $29.95
WHERE TO BUY: Miann and Co
Miann and Co stock a gorgeous flippy, floppy bucket hat with frayed fringe detail, making it as cute as a button and available in four vintage-washed colours – natural, buttercup, rustic brown and blush pink. This classic children’s bucket hat has a rustic frayed fringe on its brim and stitched round air holes on top of the hat to help with warm weather air ventilation and prevent a sweaty scalp.
A perfectly unisex style and colours, the Miann and Co bucket hats are available in one size to fit 1 to 5-year-olds (providing a looser fit on younger kids than older ones).
9. The Clothing Fairy Baby Straw Hat
PRICE: $24.99
WHERE TO BUY: The Clothing Fairy
Brilliant for play and super cute photo opportunities, this straw hat is as adorable as can be. A soft and airy straw-weaved hat boasts a flexible brim to dapple the sunlight and shade the face while the soft lace chin strap keeps the hat secure on your little one’s head.
Available in three colours, wheat, bronze and light pink, these sweet straw hats are available in sizes to fit 6-month-old babies to 7-year-old kids, so not JUST for babies, everyone in the family can wear one!
10. Little Wonder Seeker Linen Sun Hats
PRICE: $49
WHERE TO BUY: Little Wonder Seeker
The perfect addition to your cherub’s summer wardrobe, the Little Wonder Seeker Linen Sun Hat is a summer must-have! Not only is it stylish and comfortable, but it also provides full coverage of the face and neck to help protect your child from the sun’s harsh rays.
Australian made from 100% linen, this kids’ hat design is also reversible and has a handy removable chin strap which is great for attaching the hats to heads (and bags!). Available in sizes to fit children AND adults, this sweet hat can even withstand a cold delicate machine wash should it encounter sticky fingers or sunscreen. Happy days!
So there you have it folks, all of our top picks for kids’ hats that are perfect for babies, toddlers, kids, and even parents in some cases! We hope you find a hat here that you love as much as we do!
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