Felt vs Straw vs Leather Cowboy Hats: When to Wear Each

The short answer: cowboy hats are made of felt, straw or, less often, leather. Felt is warm and holds a sharp shape, so it is the cool-weather hat. Straw is light and breathes, so it is the summer hat. Leather is the rugged, all-season option. Tradition says wear straw from Memorial Day to Labor Day and felt for the rest of the year.

Bill Conner has made hats in Byron Bay for over 50 years, after learning leatherwork in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1969. Here is how the three materials compare, and how to pick the right one for your weather and work.

Felt vs straw vs leather cowboy hats at a glance

*Our own guide figures. Real lifespan depends on how often you wear the hat and how you look after it.

What are cowboy hats made of?

Felt. Felt is made by matting fibres together until they form a dense, smooth cloth. Cowboy State Daily notes that felt cowboy hats are made from fur felt, mostly beaver and rabbit, and sometimes wool. Our felt cowboy hats are made from Australian wool from non-mulesed sheep and shaped on metal hat blocks.

Straw. "Straw" covers any woven plant fibre. In our range that means organic raffia from Madagascar, toyo (paper) straw, palm straw, and Bangora straw from Mexico.

Leather. Leather cowboy hats are less common but very tough. Ours are genuine leather: oiled cowhide, buffalo hide and steer hide.

As Wikipedia's cowboy hat history puts it, modern cowboy hats are made of fur-based felt, straw or, less often, leather.

When should you wear a felt vs straw cowboy hat?

The classic rule follows the same calendar as wearing white. Western outfitter F.M. Light & Sons puts it simply: straw from Memorial Day through Labor Day, felt from Labor Day through Memorial Day. By late October, it is felt season.

Plenty of people bend the rule for practical reasons:

• Heat and sweat: on a hot day, a straw hat lets air through and dries quickly. A felt hat traps heat.
• Cold, wind and rain: felt keeps your head warmer and copes with light rain far better than straw.
• Dress occasions: a felt hat is the traditional choice for weddings, church and evening events, whatever the season.
• Hard work: leather takes knocks that would crack straw or mark felt.

Felt cowboy hats: what to know

A good felt hat holds a sharp crease, sits well and looks dressed-up without trying. Many of our wool hats are crushable, so they recover if they get squashed. Some are stiff on purpose to hold a crisp western shape. Felt is cleaned dry: brush it, and use kettle steam to reshape it.

• American Cowboy Hat: wool and Bolivian cashmere, a 4 1/4" brim and a raw edge.
• Stagecoach Australian Wool Cowboy Hat: a 3" brim and an organic cotton sweatband.
• The Axe Western: crushable Australian wool with a 2.5" brim, for hiking and ranch work.
• Hat Bar Rancher: a 3.75" flat brim, sold trim-free so you can finish it your own way.

Shop all felt cowboy hats.

Straw cowboy hats: what to know

Straw is the summer working hat: light, breathable, and often vented. Organic raffia is harvested from palm leaves without cutting down the tree. It is natural and biodegradable, its natural resin gives it mild water resistance, and wrinkles come out with steam. Toyo and palm straw are crisp and light. Keep any straw hat out of heavy rain and never soak it.

• Cowboy Country Straw Hat: ivory Bangora straw, handcrafted in Mexico, with vent holes and a 4.25" brim.
• Cheyenne Roper: burnt palm straw with a 4" brim, for ranch work and trail riding.
• The Signal: 100% organic raffia with a 3.5" shapeable brim.
• Gunsmoke Western Toyo: black toyo straw with a 3.5" shapeable brim.

Shop all straw cowboy hats and organic raffia hats.

Leather cowboy hats: what to know

Bill Conner learned leatherwork in St. Augustine in 1969, and leather hats are still part of our range. A leather hat is heavier than felt or straw, but it shrugs off rough use, and oiled leather sheds light rain. It also gains character as it ages. For marks, rub firmly with your thumb or use colour-matched chalk. A leather dressing darkens the hat and masks stains.

• Maverick Leather: oiled cowhide, water-resistant, with a 2.75" shapeable brim.
• High Sierra Shapeable Leather: genuine cowhide, a western and outback crossover with a 2.75" brim.

Shop leather cowboy hats.

Which cowboy hat should you buy first?

• One hat for everything: a felt hat in a neutral colour such as Silverbelly, Brown or Black. It works for dress and for most of the year.
• Hot climate or summer work: straw first. Add a felt hat for winter and evenings.
• Hard outdoor use or travel: leather.

Whichever you choose, get the size right first with our hat size chart, and see the hat styles guide for crown and brim shapes.

How do you care for felt, straw and leather?

Each material needs different care. Brush felt dry, keep straw dry, and treat leather with a dressing. Never soak any of them, and let them dry naturally. Our Hat Care page covers every material, and our step-by-step How to Wash a Hat guide covers cleaning.