The best holiday hats are the ones that pack flat and spring back: crushable straw sun hats for the beach, reversible bucket hats for tight luggage, wide-brim boonies for boat days and plain caps for travel days.
Booked the holiday? Good. Now sort your head, because the sun abroad is stronger than a British summer, and the right hat is the difference between great holiday photos and a scorched forehead. The trick is packing smart: hats that crush into a case, spring back into shape, and earn their place in your hand luggage.
Here's our edit of holiday-ready hats, sorted by the kind of trip you're taking, from beach-club straw hats to chin-strap boonies for boat days and city-break caps for when a shower rolls in.
👒 Beach & Pool: Crushable Straw Sun Hats £9.99
A wide-brim straw hat is the holiday classic for a reason: shade for your face and shoulders, and an instant beach-club look. Ours are crushable, packable travel hats with a pretty beaded band, so they roll into your case and bounce back at the other end.
👉 See the full range of sun hats, or read our best sun hats for 2026 guide.
🎒 Two Looks, Half the Luggage: Reversible Bucket Hats from £9.99
Short on case space? A reversible bucket hat is two hats in one: flip it for a different colour or print to match the day's outfit. Double-layered cotton, one size, and it squashes flat into a side pocket. Fly the flag with the Union Jack reverse, or keep it fun with fruit and smiley prints.
👉 Prefer a solid colour? The Classic Bucket Hat comes in a range of shades at £4.99. Browse all bucket hats, or see our festival hats guide.
🥾 Boat Days, Hikes & Long Walks: Wide-Brim Boonies from £10.99
For active holidays (coastal walks, boat trips, safari mornings) you want full-brim coverage and a chin strap so a gust does not send your hat into the sea. These boonies give all-round shade and a packable build. Not sure which to pick? Our best boonie and fisherman sun hats guide compares them.
👉 More options in the fisherman & boonie hats collection.
✈️ Travel Days & City Breaks: Caps from £7
For airport queues, sightseeing and city heat, a cap is the easy throw-on. The Plain Baseball Cap packs into any bag and comes in a wide range of colours; the Waterproof Cap is the one to pack for a surprise shower on a city break.
👉 See every colour in the baseball caps collection.
❓ Holiday Hats: Quick Questions
☀️ Pack smart, travel shady
Whatever the trip, there is a hat here that folds into your case and looks the part on arrival. Explore the full range and get sorted before you fly.
Shop all sun hats → Shop all headwear →
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