Tilley Hats AIRFLO Review

There was a time when people that wore Tilley would stop one another on the side of the road to acknowledge good taste and fine craftsmanship.  Those days will return thanks in part to this review.  If you don’t own a Tilley hat, you really ought to, and here’s why.

Tilley AIRFLO Review

Tilley has manufactured handmade hats in Canada since 1980, what some call the finest hats in the world. What is that makes these hats so darn special?  Tilley’s can float, block UV rays, won’t shrink, and can be worn in the snow among other uses.

This might be the style of hat your grandpa used to wear and guess what he had way more style than any of us do.  Don’t let the classic look fool you though this hat is full of 21st-century technology.  When it comes to blocking sun rays, Tilleys AIRFLO Hat offers UPF 50+ sun coverage.

Starting to sweat? the AIRFLOW has a Hydrofil® sweatband that wicks away moisture when it starts getting hot out.

One of the best parts about Tilley hats is the ability to sync down the hats tie on’s for whatever activity you plan on doing.  If the wind is whipping up, give it a synch.  If it’s hot and dry simply unloosen the tie on.

I wore the AIRFLO Hat on a recent river trip for 4 days straight.  Through rain, heavy wind, hail, and just about everything you could put the hand under, including a waterfall Tilley’s AIRFLO performed exceptionally well.

Why is this hat named the AIRFLO?  Tilley built this hat with 3/4″ mesh around the crown which allows for extra ventilation in the place where your head gets the hottest.

These hats are simple to travel with as they pack down to about the size of a very thin frisbee. When it comes to bringing the hat back to life rest assured you can simply re-shape the hat by hand.

Tilley Hat Sizing

The only downside to these hats come in the sizing.  Perhaps you’ve purchased hats for your specific head size before.  I ordered hats in 7  1/4 size which ended up being a little snug with a full head of hair.  Be sure to really know your head size, or better yet go into a local hat store and have them measure you up.  You can also do this at home by taking a string or fabric tape measure, see the video below for more info.

Tilley Hats AIRFLO Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Handmade in Canada since 1980
• UPF 50+ sun coverage
• Packs down to a thin frisbee size

Cons:

• Sizing can be a bit snug.
• Higher price point compared to others.

Overall Impression

There aren’t many pieces of outdoor gear that can be recommended for just about everyone aside from these hats. If you personally spend more time outdoors than indoors you should look into Tilley hat.  Looking for a gift for that hard to please outdoorsman, if so the Tilley AIRFLO Hat ($85) is one heck of a bargain, and with a lifetime guarantee rest assured you’re in good protection for life.

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