How to Pack Your Hat for Travel and Moving

How to Pack Your Hat for Travel and Moving

Last updated by Yauni Smith on

You have your flight booked and are moving onto the step of traveling that most people hate - packing. While there are a few well-known tips to make packing easier, many people don’t know how to pack their hats.

But if you’re going to a sunny location, a hat can be an invaluable addition that you don’t want to leave behind.

Luckily, there are steps you can take that will allow you to travel with your hat without damaging it. Let’s take a look a the steps you need to know about how to pack hats for traveling!

Related: How To Pack Your Cabana And Breeze Mesh Sun Hat!

First Steps

While each type of hat should be packed in a unique way, there are some steps and guidelines you should follow for any hat.

Check the Material

Each type of hat and material can be packed in different ways that best protect them. Instead of taking a one size fits all approach, it’s best to check the material and characteristics, so you ensure your hat keeps its form. 

Pack by Weight

It’s very easy for lighter items to get crushed and misshapen while traveling in a suitcase. To combat this, pack your items from heaviest to lightest. Heavier items should go towards the bottom and back of the suitcase, while lighter items should go towards the top.

Protect Easily Damageable Areas 

Certain parts of a hat, such as a brim, are much more likely to get damaged while traveling than others. To prevent this, use your clothes to add padding and keep these areas free from damage.

Packing Sun Hats and Stiff Hats

Sun hats and other stiff hats tend to be difficult to pack. This includes: 

  • Straw hats
  • Paper braid hats
  • Formed wool/felt caps
  • Some fedoras and Panama hats

If you opt for a style like this, choose one that has more flexibility and is rated well for travel

You don’t want to damage either the crown or brim, which are particularly vulnerable parts. Sometimes the material can even lead to cracks and creases that are difficult, if not impossible, to repair. 

  1. Before beginning, place a layer of clothes inside your suitcase. Then put the hat in with the crown down. 
  2. Fill the inside of the hat with soft materials. Socks, underwear, and t-shirts are great options. The clothes should help the hat keep its shape, but make sure not to overstuff it and warp the shape.
  3. You can either leave the hat crown side down or flip it, so it’s brim side down.
  4. Pack clothes around the crown and under the brim. The clothes should help it hold the shape but should not distort the shape it.

Choosing a hat specifically designed to be able to travel can prevent damage and make your trip easier! Check out our Boondocks Felt Fedora Hat and see where you’ll take it!

Packing Baseball Caps 

Luckily, baseball hats are easier to pack. However, you still don’t want to damage the brim. 

  1. Fold the back of the hat (where the strap is) inward to the brim. You should end up with a half-moon shape. 
  2. Place clothing around the hat to help hold its shape. 
  3. If the bill is curved, add cushioning underneath. A pair of socks work great.
  4. Make sure not to put anything heavy on the bill since it could break or permanently bend it.

Using a Hat Box

A hat box can be a great way to avoid damaging your hat. It provides sturdy protection without the risk of bending or creasing the hat. The unfortunate thing is that it is another item you need to carry.

If you are traveling on a plane, you may not want to bother with a hat box and instead follow our previous directions.

However, if you are traveling by car or otherwise have luggage space, a hat box can be a great alternative, particularly for your best hats.

Related: Hat Care Guides

Key Tips to Pack Your Hat

If your hat is very rigid and has no flexibility at all, do not pack it in a suitcase. This kind of hat material can crack and break much easier than others. You’ll need to either wear the hat or carry it to travel with it.

You also shouldn’t pack a hat if the brim is wider than your suitcase. You would need to bend or fold the brim, potentially causing much damage.

Never pack your hat without any protection. You need to use your clothes or other soft items to keep it from becoming damaged.

Always avoid packing anything that might leak or stain near your hat. If the worst were to happen, you could irreparably damage the material.

Your hat should be completely dry before packing it. Never pack a wet or damp hat.

A light steaming once you unpack your hat is a great way to ease out creases gently and bends. Alternatively, if your destination is humid, you could place your hat outside to let it reshape.

If your destination is not humid, you can replicate this by turning the shower on as hot as it goes and letting the steam work out the creases.

Choosing a Good Travel Hat

There’s only so much you can do to protect a hat from damage while traveling. Always make sure you are very careful while packing.

But, if you want to make traveling with a hat easier, why not opt for a hat that works better for doing so?

Start by looking for one specifically made to stand up to the wear and tear of traveling. For example, a crushable hat can be flattened down and worn again quite easily. The creases that would ruin another hat smooth out easier and lend to a more rustic style.

Hats that have low crowns and shorter brims are also easier to pack. The lack of height and width means they fit into a suitcase better without folding or crushing.

Related: Best Summer Hats for Women: Perfect for the Beach 

The material also plays a role. Fabric hats can pack down into almost nothing. But you can also still wear stylish felt hats as long as you take some care. Just be sure to avoid very stiff material. Instead, choose an option that has some flexibility as it will be better able to bounce back after traveling.

How to pack your Cabana and Breeze mesh sun hat!

One awesome perk of owning a SolAir Cabana or Breeze mesh sun hat is the fact that they are easily pack-able in a backpack or suitcase to make it easy for them to follow you anywhere!

To pack either of these styles , fold the brim up on the sides of the hat (like a taco), lay it on its side and stuff socks inside the crown of the hat so that it doesn’t get squashed flat (It is important to note that, after unpacking your hat, it may not return to its original perfect shape). 

Check out this video showing you how to pack a Cabana Wide Brim Sun Hat and more.

Enjoy Your Hat Wherever You Go 

Being able to pack your hat for traveling means you can add a stylish accessory that also helps block the sun’s rays. But you need to make sure to do it properly. Always make sure you protect your hat’s shape and don’t allow it to be crushed. For even more ease, opt for a travel-ready hat!

Looking for a stylish women’s hat that you can take anywhere? See why our Bondi Women’s Wide Brim Felt Fedora may be just what you’re looking for!

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