The 6 Best Hats for Runners Who Hate Visors and Headbands
You won’t catch me heading out for a run without a hat. Unlike headbands, which tend to slip over my eyes or off my head, caps stay put and have a long list of features that optimize your run. The whole point of a hat is to make my runs easier.
When I’m shopping for the perfect hat, it has to check off several boxes:
- Is it made of sweat-wicking material instead of swamphead cotton canvas or corduroy?
- Does it have mesh or perforated panels for breathability and anti-odor?
- Is the brim long enough to shield sun and raindrops, and flexible but not floppy?
- And, most important to me, is its closure easily adjustable midrun; is there Velcro or a buckle that will pull my hair when I cap off?
The hat completes my race outfit when I’m running any distance from a mile to a marathon. It keeps my hair from itching my eyes, and sometimes has extra features, like UPF or even a pocket. And with brands making hats with cool patterns, it can also be a vessel for self-expression. They know that wearing a favorite accessory, one that puts the fun in functionality, can get you into the right headspace when you run.
The Best Hat for Runners
- Best Overall: Ciele FSTCap SC
- Best Budget: Headsweats Reflective Running Hat
- Best for Racing: Rnnr Pacer Hat
- Best for Hot Runs: Nathan Run Cool Stash Hat
- Best for Packing: Oiselle Runner Trucker Hat
- Best Patterns: Sprints Pickle Peeps OG Hat
How We Selected
I started wearing running hats seven years ago. I’m so used to wearing a hat on a run that I feel naked running without one. As I accumulated hats, I started to see some fits and features trumped others. The hats on this list were evaluated with years of experience, research, and hat testing.
On top of my own research, I also had some of our RW staffers test caps and provide feedback.
The caps below all have features that cater to different needs and types of runs. From logging a run on a blistering hot day, going for a workout in the evening, or having a penchant for snacking on pickles during training, know this: there’s a hat for that.
Full Reviews
Pros
- Easy bungee adjustment/closure
- Available in multiple colors
- Comes in S/M, M/L
- Soft brim
Cons
- Small for heads with big hair
Features at a Glance
| Closure | Bungee toggle cord |
| UPF | Yes |
| Reflective Detail | Yes |
The Ciele FSTCap wins Best Overall as a cap wearing runner because of its no-fuss, flexible design. The brim isn’t rigid, allowing it to sit comfortably on your head, and it doesn’t flop out of shape. It’s lightweight and breathable, with fast-drying, anti-odor mesh panels.
But its best feature is the adjustable bungee cord closure. I’ve worn several iterations of Ciele FSTCap at races, and the simplicity of the hat gives me peace of mind before racing because the toggle doesn’t require much dexterity when my arms feel like Jello during a marathon when I have to loosen or tighten the cord. It’s machine-washable, too.
Pros
- Hi-viz neon colors
- Lots of reflective detail
Cons
- Polyester material shows wear
- Looks cheaply made
Key Specs
| Closure | Buckle |
| UPF | No |
| Reflective Detail | Yes |
This hat is Best Budget, but it’s also Best for Visibility. The entire rim of this Headsweats’s Hat has reflective trim for visibility in low light, making a car’s lights heighten your bobbing cap’s outline when you’re running on the shoulder at dusk or dawn, or even nighttime. This feature is fantastic if you feel the neon colors are a little too loud to your liking. The black version isn’t a bad choice, thanks to the reflective rim.
The hat is a great tool when you’re an early riser or night owl, and the knit shell is soft and breathable. I do have one main critique: it looks cheaply made. I can get over the knit material wearing fast—proper care, like machine washing and air-drying only, should add to the cap’s longevity. Maybe it’s the lack of patterns or even mesh panels or overlays besides the logo on the side. While this hat doesn’t win fashion contests, it definitely fulfills its purpose for running safe by staying visible.
Pros
- Weighs less than 2 ounces
- Flexible brim
- Lots of airflow
Cons
- Short brim
Key Specs
| Closure | Buckle |
| UPF | Yes |
| Reflective Detail | Yes* (some versions) |
Even though the Ciele FSTCap is my racing hat of choice, we’re giving the best racing hat accolade to the Rnnr Pacer Hat. Our testers loved how feather-light the Pacer is and how its perforated panels provide ultimate ventilation.
My one knock would be the buckle, but we didn’t find ourselves struggling to adjust the closure.
“I suppose the best thing I can say about this hat is that never once did I have to adjust it midrun,” said RW News Director Andrew Daniels, who tested the whimsically graphic Jungalow version.
Our other Pacer tester, News Editor Theo Kahler, chose to wear the less loud, mostly black Bolt iteration. He appreciated how the hat wasn’t bulky or stiff. “It didn’t give me headaches like some hats do,” he said. But he had one complaint: “On the inside, it says ‘Party pace wins the race.’ I don’t really know what that means and could personally do without that.” And as Scroogy as the comment may have sounded, I got a kick out of that.
Pros
- Stash pocket on one side
- Lightweight and flexible
Cons
- Pocket isn’t zippered
- One size fits most; small for big heads
Features at a Glance
| Closure | Buckle |
| UPF | No |
| Reflective Detail | Yes |
A pocket in a hat is hard to find, so I was glad to stumble across Nathan’s Run Cool Stash. The hidden pocket can doubly serve as storage space for ice, a key, or even an ID card. The pocket is drop-in below and above; I can tuck in my ID card in both flaps, or clip on a running light. It’s a close stretch against your head so items won’t bounce in the compartment as you run. It’s perfect for my key fob when I park my car by a trail, and can’t store it in my pocket-free shorts.
One caveat: you can only stash on one side of the hat, so if you’re feeling the heat on your right side, I guess you’ll have to wear the cap backwards to cool that side down.
Pros
- Foldable hard brim
- Mesh back panels promote airflow
- Toggle, bungee closure easy to adjust
Cons
- Toggle can break in the wash (bag it!)
- Gets smelly
- One size only
Features at a Glance
| Closure | Bungee toggle cord |
| UPF | No |
| Reflective Details | No |
All hail the hard-brimmed trucker hat—only Oiselle does theirs with a twist. The firm brim folds in half down the center, making it easy to downsize into a little triangle and stash into your pocket if you want the sun to hit your face (or maybe have that hat rim forehead imprint fade before you head to work in the morning).
This was the only hat I packed when I stayed in Sydney for a week leading up to the marathon. The interior sweatband’s mantra “Go fast, take chances” was the positive energy I needed running a race on the opposite side of the world. The wide-holed mesh back also kept my head cool as the race went on and the day got warmer.
A small drawback is how funky the hat can get after a couple wears. The hat is handwash only, which explains why an old Runner Trucker’s toggle broke after a machine wash. The hat is mighty on the run, but delicate during a wash cycle.
Pros
- Fun patterns
- Tear-drop vents
- Built-in sweatband
Cons
- Velcro closure snags on clothes, comes undo
- Unisex sizing
Features at a Glance
| Closure | Velcro |
| UPF | Yes |
| Reflective Detail | No |
I’m going on five years running in my Pickle Peeps hat and have had several compliments over the years whenever I wore it. The all-over print of smiling, shades wearing dills, gherkins and cornichons helps me take my races not too seriously. And I’ll absolutely use this hat as an unvoiced request to have the pickle that comes with your sandwich during a postrun brunch.
I loved this hat so much, I called a Barnes and Noble in Dallas, Texas, to find it and please mail it back when I realized I returned home without my Pickle Peeps in tow. But it’s not just this hat: bananas, ice cream, flying pigs, pizza slices—I have a Sprints hat for every craving and every mood.
My only critique is the Velcro closure. It’s ruined running shirts, scarves, and whatever else is in my laundry basket or accessories pile. Sprints has snapbacks, but they don’t come in an extensive pattern collection. Sometimes I have to safety-pin the closure when the humidity puffs out my hair.
What to Consider
Running Hat FAQs
Amanda Furrer, Editor, Running Reviews, studied journalism at NYU and writing at Emerson College. She has reviewed gear and covered other topics in the running space for almost 10 years. Since 2013, she has consecutively run the Boston Marathon. She also has a master’s degree in gastronomy from Boston University and was formerly a professional baker for two years before hanging up her apron.
Cat Bowen, senior editor of commerce; reviews, is a seasoned runner with more than 20 years of distance running experience, including dozens of marathons, half marathons, and even a few ultra marathons. For over a decade, she has tested parenting, fitness, home, and running gear and written in-depth guides to help readers with their next purchase. Holding multiple advanced degrees and currently studying kinesiology, Cat Bowen brings research-backed insight to all of her guides. Passionate about women’s health and neurodivergent inclusion, she advocates for closing research gaps and helping others—especially AudHD people—find joy in running and fitness.