Do straw hats block UVA and UVB sun rays?
It is clear that hats serve many purposes. Some people buy them only for esthetic and fashion purposes, others buy them to actually protect themselves from the damaging effects associated with sun exposure. The truth is that there is no right or wrong answer as to what drives anyone to purchase a hat. That much is obvious.
Nonetheless, if you are in the market for a hat, specifically with the intent to protect yourself from the sun and block those damaging UV rays, you might be asking yourself if a straw hat is the correct way to go.
In short, the answer is, yes! A straw hat does block UVA and UVB rays. However, it is worth having a look at more technical (but not boring) information regarding clothing, accessories, and UVA/UVB blockage and protection.
There are a few different issues worth mentioning about garments and sun protection. When it comes to clothing and the material with which they are made, you may have noticed that SOME pieces (certainly not all of them) claim to protect the skin from UV and UVB sun rays. Products with UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) labels have been submitted to specific and strenuous testing processes conducted by special providers which provide them with a UPF grading.
Now, and as a general rule, the use of any fabric will always be better than using no fabric at all for sun protection. Speaking specifically about hats, for optimum protection, tightly woven as well as wide-brimmed hats are the ideal way to go. Certain types of fibers also provide more protection than others. Straw hats with a tight weave do an excellent job of shading your face, ears, and head from the sun and providing you with great blockage from the sun and its damaging rays.
Bear in mind that all Panama Hats by The Hip Hat are made entirely of a natural fiber - toquilla straw. Toquilla straw, because of its nature, cannot be submitted to the strenuous and tough testing UPF labeling requires. To name a few of the challenges thereto, there is a lot of water and several washing processes involved in said procedures. Water damages toquilla straw, and as you can imagine, exposing this sustainable natural material to tens of washing procedures would completely ruin it. Therefore, Panama Hats by The Hip Hat do not provide a UPF label. It would not be honest to do so.
Having said that, Panama Hats by The Hip Hat do provide UVA and UVB sun protection. Toquilla straw is a very strong natural fiber that provides strong blockage from sun rays. Also, and let's not forget, the extremely talented artisans who hand-weave every single hat, make sure that the weave in the hat is tight to block those sun rays. a tighter weave will allow very minimal sunlight to come through and will provide more sun protection. In general, the finer and tighter the weave of the Panama Hat, the more artisan work was put into making it and thus the more expensive it will generally be (even though here at The Hip Hat we have priced them below market average price because we truly believe everyone should own at least one high-quality Panama Hat).
Panama Hats by The Hip Hat are the perfect complement for fashion and sun rays protection. Panama Hats are a timeless fashionable and utilitarian wardrobe staple that can be worn by both men and women and come in a variety of styles and colors.
We want you to enjoy the sun fashionably: wearing your Panama Hat by The Hip Hat. Happy sunny day!