# Tilley Hats, are they worth it?



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I need a new hat before next weekend, as I will be participating in the Red Fox Regatta in Charlevoix, MI. I'm thinking about getting the Tilley T3. Are they really worth their price?

Additional information: I am a red head that burns very easily. Fashion is not my top priority, but the total geek look is right out. I hate sun screen, especially when it runs in my eyes, so I avoid using it. I normally do not wear hats, so when docked I will probably not wear the hat, but hat hair is also on my list of looks to avoid.

Thanks for your input.


----------



## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

Seems a bit of overkill for occasional use.


----------



## BillBrush (Jul 31, 2008)

I have a Tilley (LTM 6) and I love it. I keep my hair cut very short and I got tired of sunburn on my scalp, ears, neck and face, so I bought one earlier this year. As an added benefit it keeps rain from going down the back of my neck.

You might be surprised if you get it and wear it more than you expect. 

Ultimately I can't speak to whether or not it will be worth it to you, but I've found mine to be an excellent purchase and I'm planning on getting another one for fall and spring wear.

Bill


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I have had my Tilley for 6 years now. I can't think of any other wearable things I own that have lasted that long. My dad has had his for 15 years. Both of our hats have been a H.O.B. more than once and are still around. When you add up the total cost of all the cheaper hats you would go though during a time frame like that it would be a lot more than a Tilley. So yes, probably one of the best sailing hats you can buy and well worth the initial cost.


----------



## Yado (Jan 3, 2004)

*Tilly Hat*

I bought a hat at the Annapolis boat show last fall because i'd forgotten to bring a hat from home. The sun was blasting and my balding head was getting fried. That Tilly hat has become my favorite, has around 60 days of offshore time and has traveled with me around South America; great hat. The thing will never, ever blow off of my head, floats and has a bullet proof strap system. i'd buy another one, worth the money and comes with a replacement warranty; the shop actually called me to confirm my warranty.


----------



## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

You buy them somewhat loose fitting if you follow the factory recommendations and so hat-hair is not as big a deal as with a ball cap. I think you'll find the comments above to be quite accurate and have no regrets in purchasing one. Mind you, the posters so far are only the least passionate owners of such hats. Wait around a bit and a certain Canadian will be along capable of a five page dissertation on the joys of ownership.

Use the straps as instructed and it will stay put and you'll find no issue with the quality either. As to geekiness, in sailing form follows function. You'll look smashing in it. It's worth considering that women did not even think of wearing pants until Kate Hepburn did, but to Kate it was never a big deal, and the rest is history.


----------



## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

Give me a good ol' straw lifeguard hat


----------



## Saildoggie (Aug 16, 2008)

I love my Tilley hat, by all means worth the investment, there is no other like it.

They are for for sure the best made, worth every penny!


----------



## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

I got an $8 buck boonie from an army surplus store, works for me.


----------



## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Dennis, a Tilley is top quality. If you can get one at a discount, it can also be well priced. If you can't lay hands on both a Tilley and whatever competition to see if the quality is the same...You have to vote with your heart or wallet.

I got one in Canada, as a souvenir of Canada (they're a Canadian company, eh?) from a Tilley store. Pretty much everything in their line is steeply priced but the dollar was strong so that helped too. The officially trained Tilley Clerk insisted I get one that I thought was too small, and a month later I emailed Tilley to tell them that no matter how they felt it should fit--I didn't like it.

No fuss, they replaced it with one in the size I wanted. Their warranty and service is as famous as their price and quality. No doubt someone in Asia can make the smae product at 1/3 the price--I just don't know if anyone bothers trying to. Or explaining the features and small details, like the stash pocket in the hat (great for stashing a couple of bucks for the launch, when your wallet is still packed).


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Thanks for all the replies. I did get a chance to compare a Tilley to a Tilley knockoff today. The knockoff is $30 less, but has steel in the snaps which is sure to rust, wasn't quite as well made, but looked almost identical at first glance. The other hat also had a lifetime guarantee.

So, it's $55 for the Tilley or $25 for the counterfeit. I'm a sucker for the higher quality and all the great legend type of hype surrounding the real Tilley. Now I just need to convince myself that it is worth the extra money.

As an additional note, finances are tight right now, but I hate to get something cheap that I end up not using. Hopefully, I will talk myself into it before the race.


----------



## TejasSailer (Mar 21, 2004)

Yet another endorsement for Tilley hats here. I have three - cotton, nylon and hemp. I think the cotton Tilley with not too wide a brim is best for sailing because otherwisee the wind tends to blow the brim back. BTW, the travel socks are worth the price as well.


----------



## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

I like my Tilley hats as well - they really do float (keeps my dollars dry when swimming to the Soggy Dollar Bar  ) and while I won't turn the boat around for a baseball-cap-overboard I have done so several times for the Tilley! They might be pricey but well worth the surcharge.


----------



## donradclife (May 19, 2007)

I like the hats you see on Japanese tourist ladies--the brim is large enough to protect my ears, but small enough that the hat doesn't tend to blow off--I hate straps. I have paid as little as $1, and as much as $12 per hat, and they tend to last about a year or two in the tropics.


----------



## Warren M. (Jun 3, 2006)

I bought my wife a Tilley for $78 some years ago. She used it on a number fo trips, to inlcude trekking around the Sahara. She said it was excellent for that kind of thing. One day while sailing with me in a blow, it blew right off her head even though she had the strap under her chin. While these are really high quality hats, I don't think they are well suited for sailing in any kind of serious wind. Even if you cinch them up under your chin, they flop around and become a nuisance. For sailing, I much prefer a well made ball cap with a clip to attach it to the collar of your shirt.


----------



## okawbow (Feb 15, 2007)

My Tilley has the "forehead strap" that, with the chin strap, makes it almost impossible to blow off. i've worn it sailing in 30knot winds, no problem. it's guaranteed anyway if it's every lost.


----------



## PalmettoSailor (Mar 7, 2006)

Freesail99 said:


> I got an $8 buck boonie from an army surplus store, works for me.


Gotcha' beat! I use a free tan boonie type hat with the Raytheon/Beechjet logo that were being giving away at the Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in in Tampa this year. I got a few of them in different sizes, so I can offer them to any guests that might have forgotten to bring shade. They have chinstrap with quick slide to keep them from going astray and the brim is nice and wide for good sun protection. I like it better than the $20 "SPF" had I'd been using for a couple of years. Call me a cheap ba$tard, but you'll never see me in a $50+ sailing hat.


----------



## wingman (Jan 13, 2008)

I got a freebie Tillie hat myself 7 or 8 years ago, it has a Skywatch (now a defunct, I think, piece of avionics) logo on it. I had never worn it mostly because of the geek factor. Now that I'm a chrome dome, I don't really care how it looks, as long as I can keep my head from frying. I wore it this summer, boating and at the beach, and I'm sold. It was a bit clunky on a power boat zipping along, flapping all over, but otherwise it was great. The built-in pocket is perfect to stash a couple of bucks when you're just wearing your swimming trunks and you don't want to carry a wallet.


----------



## fullkeel7 (Apr 16, 2008)

midlifesailor said:


> Call me a cheap ba$tard, but you'll never see me in a $50+ sailing hat.


I agree...more likely than not, you're going to loose a hat on occassion and being that those straps are a pita, I find I get a little complacent with keeping the strap in the proper position. And if you are racing, most skippers will only go back for the hats with heads still in them!

Bob


----------



## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

"And if you are racing, most skippers will only go back for the hats with heads still in them! "
SHH! MARPOL violation, $10,000 fine. And probably a violation of the racing rules, for not having all the equipment on board the boat that you started with.[g]


----------



## SEMIJim (Jun 9, 2007)

I generally don't cringe at paying good money for quality stuff, but $60-$70 for a recreational hat gives even me pause.

Jim


----------



## BillBrush (Jul 31, 2008)

Just to give you some perspective on cost/value when it comes to my Tilley.

I'm the guy that didn't have a boat of any kind until someone gave me one. I then proceeded to spend 2 weeks fabricating parts for it for about $100 rather than spend $300 on a new set. Hell I still don't have a proper sail, I'm using one a bodged together out of plastic and duct tape, but I'm planning on dropping over $100 on another Tilley for the winter. Excluding that I doubt I spend $100 on clothes in a year if you combined all my purchases together.

They're that good.

Bill


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I've had mine for about a year and it's been a good solid hat, though they are a little pricey for what you get.


----------



## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

They were a much better deal before the Loonie become Real Money.


----------



## SEMIJim (Jun 9, 2007)

Still not seeing it. I guess it's a matter of priorities on a limited budget. Our 32-year-old cruising main (the original main that came with the boat) is going into a sailmaker this week for a small repair and a "tune up." Perhaps most people wouldn't spend $100 or so on a sail that old, but it still works fine for cruising and allows us to preserve the nearly-brand-new main for racing. I'd _far_ rather spend $70 on the boat than on a hat.

If I _were_ going to put $70 toward something for me, personally, it'd likely be toward a PFD with integral harness, a tether, or foulies. Or a hand-bearing compass 

Jim


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I have a Tilley hat too... and would highly recommend them. Four of my friends have bought them based on my recommendation... three of the four sail...


----------



## sailortjk1 (Dec 20, 2005)

I'll spend $250 on a good pair of Maui Jim's, but never on a hat. When I need to protect my bald head I go with a bandana.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Tilley hats are good for sun protection but also good for rain and glare.


----------



## Architeuthis (Mar 3, 2008)

Another thumbs up for Tilley. 

My wife just replaced her hat after 15 years of steady use. The sun finally weaken it to the point it didn't survive a washing. Of course Tilley replaced it. 

I like the one with the snaps (T3) as the larger brimmed ones, or the ones without snaps will flap in the wind. Properly worn and adjusted they will only come off with the head. I was wearing it when we got knocked down in 70knots of wind and darn if I still didn't have it on when things calmed down. 

But they are pricey. If you lose hats (as I have) or tend to grab them when needing a rag or otherwise consider a hat disposable then maybe a baseball cap is better. 

I wouldn't buy the knock offs. I've never like the idea of a company that is so dishonest it can't make it's own product. Besides there are lots of similar brimmed hats that are not trying to copy Tilley. No need to encourage fraud, even if they are just using a loophole. BTW Tilley hats even have a loophole for glasses! LOL


----------



## canadianseamonkey (Sep 4, 2006)

I just find that they look ridiculous. Reminds me of Gilligans Island. Maybe when I'm old and bald I'll wear one. But for now, baseballs caps are working great.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

SEMIJim said:


> Still not seeing it. I guess it's a matter of priorities on a limited budget. Our 32-year-old cruising main (the original main that came with the boat) is going into a sailmaker this week for a small repair and a "tune up." Perhaps most people wouldn't spend $100 or so on a sail that old, but it still works fine for cruising and allows us to preserve the nearly-brand-new main for racing. I'd _far_ rather spend $70 on the boat than on a hat.
> 
> If I _were_ going to put $70 toward something for me, personally, *it'd likely be toward a PFD with integral harness, a tether, or foulies. Or a hand-bearing compass*
> 
> Jim


I would like to upgrade all these as well over time. However, the cheap foulies I already own are still functional, PFD works, the boat owner has the hand-bearing compass and I am getting burned NOW. My current need is good sun protection and sunscreen is not the answer, nor a bandanna or ball cap.

In three to four years when I plan on buying my own boat, (after selling an office building), I'm not sure $60 or $70 will make much difference.

I appreciate your input, as it is helpful. If I knew I would only wear it for a few races a season, I would get something cheap. After reading all the testimonials I'm starting to wonder if I will wear it more often than just sailing.


----------



## sapo (Nov 6, 2007)

I like mine. The floation in the crown also provides some padding/protection for bumping my head into things.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

My apologies, this post is simply to get to ten posts so I can add a link to my next post.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Architeuthis said:


> Another thumbs up for Tilley.
> 
> My wife just replaced her hat after 15 years of steady use. The sun finally weaken it to the point it didn't survive a washing. Of course Tilley replaced it.
> 
> ...


The knock off I am referring to is not like counterfeit Oakleys where they even steal or use a similar name/logo. They are made by Ultimate Hat. Their online prices are also much higher than in the store. If they were only ten bucks cheaper in the store I wouldn't even consider it.


----------



## AE28 (Jun 20, 2008)

I have to wear a hat and use a fill-brimmed cricket hat.

_I hate sun screen, especially when it runs in my eyes, so I avoid using it._ I also used to have the sunscreen in the eyes problem and eliminated it with Coppertone's sweat-proof sport sunscreen.

Paul


----------



## zz4gta (Aug 15, 2007)

Freesail99 said:


> I got an $8 buck boonie from an army surplus store, works for me.


Boonie hat is the way to go. Cheap, flexible, has a strap, and doesn't cost $50+. Keep in mind guys, its just a hat. Baseball caps are nice, but I torched my ears a few years ago, so the boonie keeps the sun off em.

This thread is funny, the same question was asked over on SailingAnarchy and got "slightly" different answers.... lol


----------



## fullkeel7 (Apr 16, 2008)

I don't know, I've got a little problem spending that much for a hat, even though you guys say they will replace it.

I'm very satisfied with my Columbia large billed cap with flaps. It's very light weight, adjustable chin strap with an adjustable band elastic strap in the back for a tight but confortable fit. It also has vents and a SPF of 30+. I did a 1200 nm. trip with it and no sunscreen and ended with the same supple, lilly white glowing skin I started with!  What more can real man ask of his hat? Besides, I kinda like that Elmer Fudd look.


----------



## CBinRI (May 17, 2004)

I like mine. Cooler (temperature wise) than some others. Doesn't stain as much either.


----------



## Architeuthis (Mar 3, 2008)

> I just find that they look ridiculous. Reminds me of Gilligans Island.


Which is why I never thought they would really catch on. Reminds me of cowboy hats but they are still around as well.

Looks like that Ultimate 2K Breezer would be great for those really hot days, but they are not cheap either. I think I'll just lose one expensive hat at a time. (they do not replace lost hats, darn) grin


----------



## BillBrush (Jul 31, 2008)

Architeuthis said:


> Which is why I never thought they would really catch on. Reminds me of cowboy hats but they are still around as well.
> 
> Looks like that Ultimate 2K Breezer would be great for those really hot days, but they are not cheap either. I think I'll just lose one expensive hat at a time. (they do not replace lost hats, darn) grin


They do have a lot of different styles, so I don't know why you'd generalize them as a "Gilligan hat." Cabelas carries four of them, but they have about a dozen at least.


----------



## Architeuthis (Mar 3, 2008)

Not sure why:










I think it is the brim being the same size all the way around the hat. This type really feel Gilligan to me but it is different:










I guess it's like cowboy hats, an image sticks.


----------



## okawbow (Feb 15, 2007)

so what's wrong with Gilligan?
The sailing model Tilley has a wider brim to keep the sun off. I used to manage a hat factory. The Tilley is top notch workmanship. I'd rather have one good hat than several cheap poorly fitting ones. I especially like it when it's a gift I may be too cheap to buy good quality clothing, but it makes it easy for family to get me something I don't already have. as far as the price of a Tilley; we made hats back in the 80's that sold for over twice the price.


----------



## pegasus1457 (Apr 14, 2002)

*Tilley rocks!*

I have had my Tilley for 3 years. My skin cancer doc told me that baseball caps just don't cut it, so I looked for a broad brim solution to protect the ears and neck. Tilley won because it has a strap system that prevents losing the hat (so far!) even when I gaze up at the windex. Also, the Tilley floats and the company guarantees a replacement if you lose it in the water.


----------



## garymcg (Jun 19, 2006)

I love my Tilley LT6. Had one blow off my head earlier in the season, the good folks at Tilley gave me a replacement for 1/2 price.


----------



## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

This is an incentive, I think: you buy their product once, and they replace it for free if it falls apart, or discounted if you lose it. I was given one, and the knock-off is now strictly for anti-fouling duty.

I wear bandannas much of the time, because my hair's pretty long, but the Tilley stays where I put it when I wear it on deck.

I have a pair of their pants as well. Nice stuff.


----------



## bitfaster (Mar 7, 2009)

Old thread - I know - but for the sake of any other searchers I'll chime in.

I've worn a T3 with the green under-brim since '97. Every summer, every boat. Sometime on hikes in a South American rainforest. To amusement parks and cottages. Whenever I'm casual and the sun's shing.

Indestrucable. Can't blow off my head even when we're knocked by gust and rounding up. Bought it for a week-long learn to cruise course 13 years ago and have loved it more annually.

It's a little ratty now, but undimished in function.

Just buy one.

Noticed on posting that this was my first post - though I've been a member a while. To forestall the skeptical view: I don't sell Tilleys, I just love mine.


----------



## rikhall (Feb 7, 2008)

bitfaster said:


> It's a little ratty now, but undimished in function.


Send it back - get a new one free!

I have had three Tilley hats. They last me about five or six years before the material rots out from salt and sweat. I sent #1 back to Tilley and promptly received #2 along with #1. #1 had VOID written in black Sharpie under the brim. It was my "do the bottom paint hat" until #2 finally rotted out. - Sent #2 back - well, you get the picture. #3 will probably last a few more years before it rots through enough for me to send it back and get a new free one.

I have travelled a lot and love my Tilley blue blazer and my tilly pants. Flying to my friends place is 38 hours (yes, that was not a typo). When I arrive, I hang the pants and blazer in the bathroom while I take a shower. They look fresh pressed ten minutes later.

No - I have no shares in the company, but there are times when the best is worth it. Me, I think they are just simply the best!

Rik

BTW - that's me in my Tilley hat in my tiny picture.


----------



## TejasSailer (Mar 21, 2004)

BTW, Tilley socks are also good for traveling and really do dry over night.


----------



## 2Gringos (Jan 4, 2008)

Well, this is pretty interesting to me. I have a shaved head and live in the tropics. I knew about Tilley hats, and bought one for a week long sailing instruction trip last month in the BVI. I read all the stuff, that it was invented for sailing, etc. I love the way it fits. It looks okay on me. All the features are great...

Then I get on a sailboat with it. Ten minutes into it I gotta take the hat off. Whichever portion of the brim that is facing windward flaps and flops and alternates between folding up, looking like Gabby Hayes, or down, blinding me.

Brought it home, and tried it on the power boat. Worse. NFG at 40 mph, either. 

So, bottom line, I have had the hat six weeks. total time wearing it, less than a day.

Was that worth $ 70?

No.


----------



## knothead (Apr 9, 2003)

2Gringos said:


> Whichever portion of the brim that is facing windward flaps and flops and alternates between folding up, looking like Gabby Hayes, or down, blinding me.


I've experienced the exact same thing. I learned that I just gotta keep my chin up.


----------



## BillBrush (Jul 31, 2008)

If you're not happy with their product, get in touch with them. I would bet they would be willing to find you a hat that you do like. They take customer happiness pretty seriously from what I've seen.


----------



## hump180 (Dec 26, 2006)

Absolutly worth it. Buy a hemp model if possible. You buy these hats for life, not just a throw away. Washable, UV protection, straps on if windy, wears like underwear (cofortable). Remember with a tilley you size it fits loose. You should be able to grab the brim and rotate it on your head easily. Straps do the work when windy. Also they will float a bit as I have had to go and retrieve mine a couple of times.


----------



## TejasSailer (Mar 21, 2004)

Between my wife and I, we have several Tilley hats of various materials and designs. The artificial fiber and hemp fabric hats, and wide brim hats do not seem suitable for windy conditions. The heavy cotton, shorter brim hats seem quite suitable up to moderate windy conditions.


----------



## flyingwelshman (Aug 5, 2007)

*Parrots of The Caribbean...*

I've lost more than a couple of hats overboard - mostly ball-caps, but also my favourite USMC boonie (I traded for it with a marine on USS Tarawa).

I now wear a Tilly knock-off (Misty Mountain). It cost me about $12 CDN.

Other than when it's being eaten by parrots, it has served me well so far.









(The parrot on my shoulder stole the brass grommet off my hat.)

It has a zippered compartment to hold beer money. It also features a roll-down flap (a la French Foreign Legion) to keep the sun off my neck.

I haven't had a problem with it coming off or flapping in high winds. Although when the winds are strong and it's raining I usually wear my sou'wester.


----------



## 2Gringos (Jan 4, 2008)

Oh, my new Tilley doesn't come off in wind. far from it. If I haven't shaved my head that morning, in fact, it sticks like velcro.

The problem with mine is the brim beating me about the eyes and head in any kind of wind. The constant motion of the brim is really annoying. I am good for maybe ten seconds of it, and then the hat gets flung somewhere safe for the rest of the trip. Until it's ashore again and in calm winds.

I love the hat. Feels good. Cool. Lightweight. It's comfy. Shades my head.

But Good for sailing or power boating? No way.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Looks like you have one of the nylon tilley hats... if the flapping brim really bugs you, try one of the non-nylon ones, as their brims are a good deal more rigid.


2Gringos said:


> Oh, my new Tilley doesn't come off in wind. far from it. If I haven't shaved my head that morning, in fact, it sticks like velcro.
> 
> The problem with mine is the brim beating me about the eyes and head in any kind of wind. The constant motion of the brim is really annoying. I am good for maybe ten seconds of it, and then the hat gets flung somewhere safe for the rest of the trip. Until it's ashore again and in calm winds.
> 
> ...


----------



## xact (Apr 21, 2006)

LT3 great hat
Friend of mine had a girlfried he kicked out. She took pretty much everything, he didn't care to avoid the hassel.
We were going for a week sail he calls me up and says, "that b**ch took my hat" 
Didn't care about anything else but the hat.


----------



## 2Gringos (Jan 4, 2008)

YouTube - dont touch my hat in rochester.MOD

( I couldn't find Lyle's version)


----------



## gr8trn (Dec 10, 2008)

Never did see anybody looking good in this Tilly hat! Mostly middle aged beer belly types. I know, fashion must be for European men!


----------



## 2Gringos (Jan 4, 2008)

gr8trn said:


> Never did see anybody looking good in this Tilly hat! Mostly middle aged beer belly types. I know, fashion must be for European men!


ha ha. Pretty funny.  A lot of those Euro guys _think _they look good in Speedos and banana hammocks....as long as they hang enough gold chains around their necks...


----------



## Mc51 (Mar 10, 2007)

I'll put my vote in for the boony hat. Mine workrd well in Egypt, Iraq, Kawait, Qatar, and here on the Gulf Coast.


----------



## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

I prefer a flats cap. It is sorta like the mullet of hats.








The neck-fry flap is removable, making this the perfect cap for all occasions, both formal and informal.


----------



## gr8trn (Dec 10, 2008)

2Gringos said:


> ha ha. Pretty funny. A lot of those Euro guys _think _they look good in Speedos and banana hammocks....as long as they hang enough gold chains around their necks...


Glad you saw the humor.


----------



## Danny33 (Nov 21, 2007)

Outdoor research makes a real great wide brim hat , Get goretex ,its a little warmer .velcro adjustment and chin strap . on the cold windy days throw on a silk balaclava and stays tosty ! ReI and other outdoor shops sell them !


----------

