What We Learned Putting Algae Inside Our Hats

The short answer: since 2018, many of our brims and some crown tops have used Bloom foam, made from harvested algae, instead of foam made from petroleum. It's in 14 of our styles, and it taught us a few things we wish we'd known at the start. We're sharing them here for any small brand thinking about doing the same.

Shown: the Mojave, which floats thanks to Bloom algae foam in its brim and crown.

The problem hiding inside a hat

Most people never think about what's inside a brim. In a lot of hats it's foam, and most foam is made from petroleum. You can't see it, the customer never asks about it, and when the hat wears out it goes to landfill with the rest of the hat.

At the same time, algae blooms keep getting worse in waterways, including here in Florida. In Bloom's words, "excess nutrient runoff, and human activities have contributed to an uncontrollable rise in algae growth- harming plant, animal and human life" (Bloom).

Bloom's idea is simple. Harvest that algae, return the cleaned water to the habitat, and turn the biomass into flexible foam (Bloom). One problem becomes the answer to another.

Where it ends up in our hats

Today Bloom foam is in the brim and crown of the Mojave, Boat Yard, Murchasin River, Tarpon Springs, Aztec Boater, Sun Shield and Aussie Surf. It's in the brim of the Indy Jones, Tracker, Portland, Mountain Trail, Northern Front, Bounty Hunter and Seven Mile Surf.

Bloom estimates the impact from how much of its material goes into our hats. When Bloom's page about our partnership was last updated in 2022, it put the total at 439,144 litres of water cleaned and 455,278 cubic metres of air cleaned of carbon dioxide. Every hat we've made since adds to it.

What we learned (the useful part)

1. Start with a part nobody sees. Changing the outside fabric of a hat changes how it looks, feels and sells. Changing the foam inside the brim doesn't. That made it the easiest first step for us, and it's a good one for any brand that uses foam.

2. It was easier than we expected. We thought factories might struggle with a new foam. They didn't: Bloom foam isn't much different to work with than the foam it replaced. If you've held off because you think your factory can't handle it, ask them to try a sample.

3. A material doesn't make a claim true. The Aussie Surf has Bloom foam in its brim and crown, but it doesn't float. Floating depends on the whole hat: the foam, the fabric, the weight and the shape. So we only say "floats" on the styles where it's true. If you switch materials, check each claim one product at a time.

4. Count the cost honestly. Bloom foam costs more than petroleum foam. We chose to take a little less margin rather than raise prices. Because we're a small, streamlined business, we can still compete with brands using less clean materials. A small brand doesn't always have to pass the cost on.

5. Tell customers, but keep it short. The foam is invisible, so customers only know about it if you tell them. We put one line on each product page and keep the full story on our Responsibility page.

Questions small brands ask us

Does algae foam cost more than regular foam?

Yes. Bloom foam costs more than petroleum foam. We take a little less margin rather than raise our prices.

Is algae foam hard for a factory to work with?

Not in our experience. Our factories found Bloom foam not much different to work with than the petroleum foam it replaced.

Does a hat with algae foam always float?

No. Floating depends on the whole hat. Our Aussie Surf has Bloom foam in the brim and crown but does not float, while the Mojave, Murchasin River and Seven Mile Surf do.

If you run a small brand

You don't need to change everything at once. We started with one part of the hat. If you'd like to try algae foam or want to compare notes, email us at customerservice@connerhats.com and put "Bloom" in the subject line. We're happy to share what we know.