If you’re working out without some sort of head covering, we tip our hat to you. Actually, we misspoke—we have a tip: Wear one of the best workout hats. Sure, you’ve likely invested in the perfect set of shoes, shorts, and shirts, but donning an excellent hat for working out could mean the difference between setting a new PR or pulling a muscle. Dramatic? Maybe, but if you’ve ever been mid-rep and had a strand of hair with an accompanying drop of sweat fall into your eye, you’ll get what we mean.
Workout hats are the perfect intersection of both form and function. While cotton hats certainly have their time and place, workout hats are constructed from moisture-wicking material that keeps you cool during those intense moments of training. Cotton caps, while great for accessorizing any other look, soak up that sweat and actually leave you feeling hotter as a result. Additionally, workout hats still give you all that great protection from the sun you’d typically get wearing a ball cap, so let’s call it a win-win situation. Oh, and a lot of workout hats even have reflective material on them to make sure you’re visible during an evening run. Really, there’s no reason not to use one.
The Best Workout Hats, According to GQ
- The Best Workout Hat Overall: Ciele GoCap, $45
- The Best All-Purpose Workout Hat: Nike Dri-Fit ADV Fly Cap, $32
- The Best Comfortable Workout Hat: Lululemon Fast and Free Running Hat, $38
- The Best Workout Beanie: Tracksmith Prospect Beanie, $45
- The Best Lightweight Workout Hat: 2XU Run Cap, $25
- The Best Waterproof Workout Hat: Mission Workshop MW7:H20, $85
- The Best Budget Workout Hat: Hoka Performance Hat, $24
- The Best Workout Hat for Running: Bandit OG Mesh Run Hat, $45
- The Best Workout Hat for Outdoors: REI Co-op Trail Hat, $33
- The Best Stealth Cap: Adidas M-Gameday, $28
- The Best Performance Workout Hat: Reigning Champ Sports Cap, $55
- The Best Workout Hat for Travel: Under Armour StealthForm Uncrushable Hat, $45
Looking for Something Specific?
In fact, the only negative here is that just about every sports brand on the market offers a workout hat (or two), so much so that making a decision about which one to get can feel a little daunting. Not worry, as we’ve tested a handful of different options to determine where you should put your hard-earned cash. These 11 best workout caps are fun, functional, and, more importantly, will help top off any look with the same amount of attention and focus you put into ensuring you’re ready to hit the gym or the road to get that new PR. Read on for our favorites.
Best Workout Hat Overall: Ciele GoCap
Why We Love It: Ciele’s GoCap is the gold standard in the industry. The brand uses a combination of highly technical fabrics and materials to make its hats well-suited to any activity, chiefly among them their COOLmatic mesh technology that regulates body temperature no matter how brutally hot out it is. Engineered for all seasons, the recycled polyester fabric throughout the body of the cap is a material called “Repreve,” which is a ripstop-like fabric that is super durable and flexible, which makes the GoCap easy to pack and even easier to wear. Plus, you can toss it in the wash without worry, and the reflective material won’t flake or falter. While the GoCap is traditionally engineered for running, you can use it for just about any activity. As backwards hat wearers, we found it particularly useful in weightlifting, as the soft brim is malleable enough not to get in the way when hitting a bench press.
Best All-Purpose Workout Hat: Nike Dri-Fit ADV Fly Cap
Why We Love It: Fly through your workouts (get it?) with Nike’s ADV Fly Cap. Crafted from polyester with micro mesh throughout the sides, front, and back panels, the Fly Cap is a great three-season hat that’s excellent for all kinds of physical activities. The low-profile design means it sits low on your head, helping to keep the sun—and your hair—out of your face. While the body of the hat is nice and crushable, the brim itself has a little more structure to it, which is nice to ensure that the elements don’t cause the front to move around too much during an activity. Plus, that iconic branding never goes out of style.
Best Comfortable Workout Hat: Lululemon Fast and Free Running Hat
Why We Love It: Lululemon’s Fast and Free Running Hat feels like the most comfortable baseball cap you’ve ever worn. While some running hats have a lower profile fit or can feel overly structured, the Fast and Free cap is super soft to the touch and light, but most of all, it just feels great to wear. It’s a great option to wear at the beach or for a walk. But it can also hang when the going gets tough, as the lightweight, four-stretch material helps to move sweat away from your head during a workout. Plus, there are subtle reflective details throughout the cap (our favorite is the line on the edge of the brim) if you’re headed out for a night run or early morning jog.
Best Workout Beanie: Tracksmith Prospect Beanie
Why We Love It: Tracksmith’s whole ethos is about making the best running gear, and guess what? Running is a workout. If you’re looking for a brimless workout hat for cold-weather workouts, then you’ll want to find yourself a beanie. Your typical Carhartt joint might not cut it, with its acrylic construction, but Tracksmith’s Prospect hat—with its Merino wool construction—is a great option for those who want a workout-appropriate beanie. This no-frills beanie doesn’t have any special features or callouts other than the fact that it’s made completely of moisture-wicking, odor-fighting Merino wool. That means you can sweat with abandon, then head to post-workout drinks without smelling like you just clocked a half-marathon run.
Best Lightweight Workout Hat: 2XU Run Cap
Why We Love It: Known for its Olympian-approved compression bottoms, 2XU also makes a damn good hat that’s not just for running as its name would suggest. The six-panel nylon cap is lightweight to the point of it feeling like it’s not there. The velcro closure makes it easy to adjust so it’s perfectly secure on your head, even if you’re violently shaking your head, and the mesh paneling lets cool air in and hot air out. Plus, it’s only $25, so you can afford to splurge on those expensive running shoes.
Best Waterproof Workout Hat: Mission Workshop MW7:H20
Why We Love It: Mission Workshop’s tough-as-nails workout hat is made from micro-ripstop, so it’s durable, but it also happens to boast that it’s fully waterproof and windproof. Sure, it’ll do you just fine working out at the squat rack, but where this hat excels is with outdoor workouts—where Mother Nature is just as much of an obstacle as is that elusive, 315-pound bench. The bungee cord closure is a cinch to use, and it’s also one of the few workout hats here that doesn’t look out of place when worn casually.
Best Budget Workout Hat: Hoka Performance Hat
Why We Love It: Hoka’s cozy, cloud-like shoes are a household name outside the running world, but like all brands, there’s more than meets the eye. Specifically, the brand offers tons of great gear options, like this Performance Hat, which feels like it punches well above its price tag. For less than a trip to the movies, you’ll get a five-panel style cap with a bungee closure that allows for a secure fit. The bill has a nice construction to it while still offering a little bit of bend when doing various activities. Plus, it’s super easy to pack, making it handy to toss in a beach bag or weekender.
Best for Running: Bandit OG Mesh Run Hat
Why We Love It: Mesh for days! Seriously, for those diehard runners looking for a super breathable cap, look no further than Brooklyn-based Bandit Running’s OG Mesh Run Hat, which is basically like driving down the 405 with the roof off, but for running. The brand recently revamped the cap with better fabric and a little bit more oompf to the brim, so it’ll keep its shape while maintaining what works: that sweet, sweet breathability.
Best Workout Hats for Outdoor: REI Co-op Trail Hat
Why We Love It: If you’re looking for the cap equivalent of a Swiss army knife, this Trail Hat from REI fits the bill quite well. With a bungee closure and side vents, this cap is a great option for when you’re moving and want some relief but don’t need something as heavy-duty as other options on this list. Offered in a variety of different colorways, there’s an option that will help you stand out on the beach, trail, or even on a hot day running errands around town.
Best Performance Workout Hat: Reigning Champ Sports Cap
Why We Love It: While Reigning Champ’s Sports Cap is designed with running in mind, it’s heavy-duty and durable enough for any physical activity. The low-profile design keeps the sun away, while the generous side mesh allows for strong breathability, and the moisture-wicking sweatband inside the cap moves all that sweat away from your brow with ease to keep things nice and cool. The snap-band closure is generous enough to adjust for any head size, and the branding gives the cap a retro sports-club-like feel that’ll add the right amount of character to any workout you do while wearing it.
Best Workout Hat for Travel: Under Armour StealthForm Uncrushable Hat
Why We Love It: Those gym rats who never skip leg day, or any other day for that matter, will find a lot to love with Under Armoru’s Uncrushable hat, which lives up to its name by bouncing back faster than Big Sean. The seamless construction is made with UA’s Iso-Chill material, which is just a fancy way of saying that it does a great job of keeping your dome cool when it’s hot by wicking away moisture from your head. But really, what stands out here is how easy it is to pack, thanks to that foldable material that’s easy to stuff in a bag, forget about it, and then toss it on when it’s time to get in a pump.
How We Tested
The only way to test a workout hat is by working out, which is exactly what we did. We made sure the hats fit well on our head (and stayed put), as well as ensuring they didn’t make us look like absolute dweebs. We also evaluated the hats based on their special features, like sun protection or packability, ultimately finding the 11 best workout hats for practically every sweaty situation.
