How We Rate Sun Protection

Short answer: We test our hat materials with ARPANSA, Australia's radiation protection agency, and then apply two rules of our own before we will call a hat sun protective: we do not rate any hat with open mesh or a vented crown, and we do not rate any hat with a brim under 2.5 inches. Both rules disqualify hats whose fabric tested well.

Most sun protection claims in the hat industry describe a fabric, not a hat. We think that gap matters enough to publish how we handle it. Updated September 2026.

Step one: we test the material, not the marketing

Our materials are tested by ARPANSA, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency. The test measures the ultraviolet protection factor of the fabric itself — how much UV radiation passes through a felt, a cotton, a woven raffia or a straw. Because we have that data for our materials, we know which of our hats are made from 50+ rated fabric.

That is where most brands stop. A fabric rating gets printed on a hang tag and the hat inherits the number. We do not do that, for two reasons.

Rule one: open mesh and vented crowns get no rating

A laboratory measures a flat piece of fabric. A hat with mesh panels or a vented crown has deliberate openings in it, and UV comes through those openings. The fabric number is still true and the hat is still cooler to wear — but it does not describe the protection you get on your scalp. So we do not publish a sun protection rating for any hat with open mesh or a vented crown, even when it has a wide brim cut from 50+ rated material.

Rule two: brims under 2.5 inches get no rating

A sun protection number on a short-brimmed hat is the claim we worry about most, because it can encourage someone to stay out longer than they should. Under about 2.5 inches of brim, the ears, the back of the neck and much of the face are simply not covered. We do not rate those hats. If you want a hat for real sun exposure, brim width is the first thing to look at, ahead of any number.

What this means when you shop

If a hat on our site carries a sun protection rating, it means the material was tested, the brim is at least 2.5 inches, and the crown is closed. If it does not carry one, that is usually a deliberate choice, not a gap in our testing. Ask us and we will tell you which it is: customerservice@connerhats.com or 904-688-9705.

Frequently asked questions

Does Conner Hats test its hats for sun protection?

We test our hat materials with ARPANSA, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, which measures the ultraviolet protection factor of the fabric itself. Material testing tells us how much UV a given felt, cotton, raffia or straw blocks.

Why won't you give a sun protection rating to a vented or mesh hat?

A UV rating measured on flat fabric does not describe a hat with open mesh or a vented crown, because the openings let UV through where the fabric was never tested. We do not publish a rating for those hats, even when the brim material itself tested well.

Why don't you rate hats with narrow brims?

We do not publish a sun protection rating for any hat with a brim under 2.5 inches. A short brim leaves the ears, neck and much of the face exposed no matter how good the fabric is, and a rating there could give a false sense of safety.

What does a sun protection rating actually cover?

It describes the material's measured ability to block ultraviolet radiation. It does not account for fit, brim shape, how the hat is worn, reflected UV from water or sand, or time spent in the sun.