Felt cowboy hats from Conner Hats combine the classic Western silhouette with excellent insulation that keeps your head warm during chilly weather while allowing breathability to prevent overheating, with natural fibers that wick away moisture. Our felt hats are handcrafted using sustainably sourced wool, shaped by hand in small batches to ensure quality control at every stage.
Felt hats are one of the most popular types of cowboy hats, especially for cooler seasons, offering durability and warmth. Unlike straw hats designed for summer heat, felt provides warmth and insulation even when wet, retaining up to 70% of its insulative properties when damp—making these hats ideal for fall through spring wear.
Wool felt is naturally water repellent, providing protection against light rain showers, while the dense structure makes it highly durable and resistant to wear and tear, with excellent shape retention that allows hats to maintain their form over time.
Every felt cowboy hat in this collection is:
Best For: Cold-weather wear (40-70°F), light rain protection, ranch work, Western events, everyday fall/winter style
Felt hats are most popular for cooler seasons, offering durability and warmth. Wear felt cowboy hats when temperatures are between 40-70°F—typically from late September through early May in most climates. Switch to straw hats when temperatures consistently exceed 75°F. The traditional guideline is "felt after Labor Day, straw after Memorial Day," but let temperature and weather conditions be your guide.
Felt is naturally water resistant, and wool felt provides protection against light rain showers. However, felt hats are not fully waterproof. They'll handle light drizzle and brief exposure to rain, but prolonged soaking can damage the material and affect the sweatband fit. If your hat gets wet, let it air dry naturally—never use heat to speed drying.
Clean your felt hat while completely dry using a soft-bristle brush. Brush counterclockwise starting from the front left side and working around the hat. For stubborn dirt, use a specialized felt hat sponge or fine-grit sandpaper designed for felt. Never submerge felt hats in water, as this can permanently damage the material and cause the sweatband to shrink.
Yes. Felt hats are shapeable using steam. Hold your hat over a pot of boiling water (or use a garment steamer) until the felt becomes pliable, then gently reshape the brim or crown with your hands. Work slowly and carefully to avoid burns. Once reshaped, let the hat dry completely before wearing. This technique works for both minor adjustments and significant reshaping.
Fur felt is considered the premium material for manufacturing hats, offering incredible strength and resilience. Wool felt (used in Conner's collection) is made from sheep's wool and offers excellent insulation, breathability, and water resistance at a more accessible price point. Fur felt (typically beaver or rabbit) is denser, more water-resistant, and holds its shape longer, but costs significantly more. For most wearers, wool felt provides the ideal balance of performance and value.
Store felt hats upside down on their crown (never on the brim, which can flatten and lose shape) or on a hat rack. Use a hat box if possible to protect from dust and sunlight. Keep felt hats in a cool, dry place away from direct heat sources like radiators or car windows. If the sweatband is damp from wear, flip it up until completely dry before storing.
Xs are the measurement of quality for a felt cowboy hat, with more Xs indicating higher quality, though each hat maker uses Xs as a relative rating for their own line without an industry-wide standard. Higher X ratings generally indicate denser, smoother felt with better durability and water resistance. Conner Hats focuses on quality craftsmanship and sustainable materials rather than X ratings, with all felt hats in this collection meeting our standards for durability and performance.
Yes. Conner Hats uses suppliers who pay fair wages and participate in ethical treatment of their employees, with materials that are sustainably sourced. Our warehouse is 100% solar powered, and we use biodegradable materials instead of single-use plastics. Every felt hat is backed by our lifetime warranty, reflecting our commitment to creating products that last rather than disposable fashion.
