Outdoor Research Men's Transit Sun Hat

REVIEW 3 OF 3: LONG-TERM REVIEW ON AUGUST 9, 2012: 5 STARSYou don't know what you have until you lose it. Although that's a cliche, not being able to find this hat when I needed it made me realize how valuable it's been to me these past five months. Great fit. Airy ventilation. Stays on in windy conditions. Rugged. It's not the most fashionably upscale hat. It's become more like a comfortable, good-fitting pair of broken-in jeans. And it was a relief when I finally found it...REVIEW 2 OF 3: UPDATE REVIEW ON JULY 18, 2012: 4 STARSI'm giving this hat a promotion from my initial 3-star review because of two useful traits: the outstanding fit has consistently kept the hat comfortably on my head in windy conditions, and its durability retains its shape well...REVIEW 1 OF 3: INITIAL REVIEW ON MARCH 5, 2012: 3 STARSMy head size: 7 1/4 (22 3/4 inches)Size bought & color: Large & MushroomFit: Outstanding. I don't have to micro-adjust.Outdoor Research's claimed brim size: 2 3/4 inchesActual brim size: - Front and back are 2 3/8 inches. That's 3/8 or 0.38 inch shorter, which is a 13% reduction from what's claimed. - Sides are 2 1/2 inches. That's 2/8 or 0.25 inch shorter, which is a 9% reduction from what's claimed.Best features: - Comfortable fit - Lightweight - Airy ventilation due to the mesh - Classy embroidery - Very good materialsLeast desirable features: - Bad quality control for the brim width because the consumer is short-changed 13% on the front and back, and 9% on the sides. - No pocket for the chin strap. Instead, I have to remove it. That makes it easy to lose the strap, or renders it useless if I'm elsewhere with the hat. - The crown is too low, as it sits on my head. This makes the hat feel small even though it has the right fit. - The brim's actual narrow size doesn't block the sun during the dawn hours before 7:00 a.m. when the sun is rising from the horizon.Would I buy it again? - Because of the undesirable features, this hat could still be improved. Most importantly for me, however, I wouldn't buy this hat again because I don't have visual comfort during dawn. In fact, I eventually bought a Tilley hat with a wider brim size (and a higher crown with a pocket). Nevertheless, this Outdoor Research hat is an adequate purchase that I still use.

I LOVE Sun Hats. As a dude/dad ~ Its not the most flattering of style choices, but, they get the job done! I purchased this, along with another OR hat without the mesh on the sides. I originally planned to try both and return the one that I didn't like quite as much, however, I now plan to keep both! And here's why!So ~ Lets start!Pro's:1) Lightweight, definitely breathable with the mesh sides, and great color/pattern.2) UPF50! Woot!3) Affordable4) OR (Outdoor Research ~ From the 4 sunhats we have purchased from them ~ starting to love this brand)5) Stitching was well done.6) Curvature of the brim! Sticks out nice and far, but actually curves & bends nicely much like a cowboy hat. My other OR hat does not and is simply flat all the way around.Con's:1) Mesh ~ For those without hair, this could be a problem. I can see sun getting through and burning your scalp!Only 1 con, and its not even a con for myself. I've been blessed with a full head of hair!Overall ~ I'll rate this hat a solid 5 stars. Affordable, and works as expected, and should work out great for mowing my lawn or our Florida vacation in a few weeks!

- Light weight- Hat can easily be crushed in luggage, then put to use while still looking and working fine.- Some adjustment to the size possible by pulling a short elastic cord. I did not see it in the product photos... it is located at the back of the hat above the rear of the brim. It does not provide quite as much size adjustment as I expected, but it is better than having no adjustment at all.- Brim can be shaped somewhat, such as by bringing the front down to protect the eyes when walking into the sun.- Chin strap can be removed easily (but you might need to find a place to stow it).- About 75% of the circumference of the material around the head is a mesh material. This does a GREAT job of keeping the head cool in hot temperatures, but it also allows more sun to strike the head than I expected. From the photos, I thought there would be a cloth backing behind it, allowing some air movement but little sun... this is NOT the case. The hat will protect the top of the head, the forehead, the top of the ears, and the neck from overhead sun well - but is not likely to reduce the amount sunlight passing through the mesh by much - thus my four star rating.- Great value for the money, particularly if you wish a brim more than you need a head covering. Great for folks with a full head of hair, but potentially a bit risky for the rest of us... the cool breezes blowing through the hat felt great on the top of the head in hot weather though!

Just what I was looking for! It's light-weight, but still feels well-made. The vents on the sides are nice and do seem to help to cool my head, but don't expect miracles--it is a hat after all...I have a 23" head and the large fits just right. If it shrinks much at all I'll be in trouble, but for now, I never feel like it's too tight. The bucket part of the hat is a good size too--not too big, not too small. If anything, I'd say the bucket part is a little bigger than it needs to be, but not awkwardly so. The brim has a great shape and shades my eyes, ears and neck effectively.I wasn't a fan of the strap/string that hangs down so I removed it, however, there are still 2 little loops (where the strap attached) right next to my ears. I notice them, but they don't bother me. In fact, on the plus side, they help me know that I have the hat on straight!

After 2 seasons it's holding up really well and I'm extremely happy with it.I do however find that the strings need to be located a little further back so they don't bug my ears (which are on the smaller side and usually not in the way), which is the only reason this hat didn't get 5 stars.

Perfect for summer!

Ich kaufte zum Wandern zwei Hüte: 1 x den Outdoor Research Transit Sun Hat und 1 x den Columbia Unisex Bora Bora Sonnenhut. Der Outdoor Research Transit Sun Hat erscheint mir besser, da er etwas steifer ist, aber trotzdem sehr angenehm zu tragen ist.

Great sun protection, stays nice and cool with the vents, wicks moisture well and fits perfectly.

Quality material! And well made! Beautiful product!