Wallaroo Hat Company Catalina Cowboy Hat Review: Travel-Ready Sun Coverage

Price and Where to Buy the Wallaroo Hat Company Catalina Cowboy Hat: $52 from Wallaroohats.com or $55 from Amazon

How the Wallaroo Catalina Cowboy Hat Rates:

• Usefulness: 10/10. The Catalina Cowboy Hat offers lightweight broad-brim coverage and, because the brim has flexible wire, can be molded into different hat shapes. Cowboy hat? Check. Flat-brimmed expedition hat? Yup. Flipped-up-front sun hat? Yes. And any other serious or silly shape you can imagine. It can be smashed into a day bag or flattened into a suitcase and still be quickly reshaped and worn. Since it’s made of woven raffia, it doesn’t provide 100 percent sun coverage, but the looser weave still offers decent coverage and excellent breathability, which helps combat both hat hair and sweaty scalp. It also has an internal drawstring to tighten the hat if needed.
• Value: 9/10. This hat is built for travel, and since it can easily be shaped into different styles, it’s very adaptable as well.
• Durability: 9/10. In my tests, I was not kind to the Catalina Cowboy hat. It endured being smashed into the bottom of a backpack, accidentally stepped on, wedged as the last item in a very full suitcase, and smeared with jelly after a sandwich baggie opened. And yet it emerged unscathed and ready for the next adventure.
• Cool Factor: 9/10. The Catalina Cowboy hat has easy, breezy, beachy style that can go country or city as well. The boho hat band adds a nice touch (but is only tacked on with a few stitches, so could be removed if it’s not your thing).

Final Verdict: Wallaroo’s Catalina Cowboy hat can take a beating and still look good. It’s lightweight and can be smashed down in a bag or suitcase and then be reshaped easily.

Editor’s Note: Reviews are based on usefulness, portability, durability, value, and “cool factor.” Some review products are sent to us free of charge and with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions, positive and negative, and will never accept compensation to review a product. If you have any questions or comments concerning our reviews, or would like to suggest a product for review, please email us at [email protected].

(Photos: Wallaroo Hat Company)