Shelta Hats use a stiff brim that won’t fall and block your vision when it’s wet or windy. In fact, the Shelta sun hat was invented to handle water-focused adventure sports like standup paddling and surfing — without flopping around or getting in the way.
I swim, raft, kayak, paddleboard and fish in the water often, and I know that slathering on sunscreen just isn’t enough protection from the sun’s UV rays. For those long days on the water in relentless sun, I ordered a Shelta Seahawk sun hat and promptly put it to use.
After wearing my Shelta Seahawk for a season, I started wearing additional Shelta hats to figure out which versions would be right for different outdoor enthusiasts like you — and find out if I had a personal preference myself. I’ll share which Shelta hat I personally like the best and wear most often, as well as compare the key differences between Shelta hats that aren’t obvious.
Shelta Hats Review: Features Explained
Designed for action water sports or windy conditions, all Shelta hats have stiff brims to keep the sun out of your eyes, even when the Shelta hats are wet.The Shelta claim to fame comes from its stiff brim that won’t sag when it gets wet or hit with a blast of wind. If you’re an outdoor water adventurer, you can’t have your brim blocking your vision while you’re paddling, surfing or kite boarding. In addition, you don’t want a more traditional ultra-wide brimmed sun hat getting in the way.
So Shelta founder Jurgen Schulz set out to create an amphibious sun hat with a slim profile, a stiff brim, and fabrics that won’t get waterlogged. He succeeded.
The Shelta Hat ‘No-Flop’ Brim Really Works
The ‘No-Flop’ brim ensures that wind never flops your brim down into your eyes.Let’s start with the brim, which uses Shelta’s patented No Flop Brim Technology. It uses dual layers of closed-cell foam to give it stability. It’s lightweight and stays put and it works well.
The closed-cell foam also floats, so you won’t lose your hat in the water. In fact, on one white water rafting trip in Idaho, I was bucked out of the boat and took a swim in a big rapid. Somewhere along the way, I lost my Shelta Seahawk hat! Luckily, because Shelta hats float, a fellow boater was able to chase it down and retrieve it for me.
That brings up the point of why wasn’t I using the cinch strap? My bad, I forgot to tighten it. Shelta hats include a removable cord system that you can use to cinch down your hat so you won’t lose it if you get hit with a wave or a gust of wind. In fact, the cord system includes a removable clip you can tether to your clothing or life jacket. For safety, it will break or bend under extreme force.
The entire cord is also removable through a toggle system in the brim. A rear toggle lets you fine-tune the fit, and mesh eyelets help with venting.
Shelta Hat Reviews: The Versions Compared
Shelta Hat Commonalities:
Shelta Hats now makes six core versions of its sun and water hat: The Osprey, Raptor V2, Seahawk, Landhawk, Firebird V2, and Condor. They all float and include Shelta’s patented No Flop Brim Technology. The front of the brims are all 3″ in length. They all share the same cord system. Sizing has a bit of adjustment, and in my experience, the Shelta Size Chart is accurate.
Shelta Hat Differences:
The first biggest difference between the Shelta Hat versions is the width of the brim around the sides and back of each hat. You should pay attention to to the brim width to decide if you want a more agile hat or a version that offers more sun protection.
The second biggest difference between the Shelta Hat versions is the shape of the crown. You can choose from a rounded 5-panel “sports” crown, a blockier “boonie” hat style crown, and a high-volume “traditional” sun hat crown style. The Osprey and Seahawk have stainless steel mesh vents while the other versions have tiny laser-cut holes in the sides of the crowns for airflow.
These specs are listed in order side of brim width, starting with the narrowest Shelta hat option and going to the widest Shelta hat option:
Shelta Osprey Specs:
Brim Style: Slim
Front Brim: 3″
Side Brim: 1.25″
Back Brim: 2.25″
Crown Style: Amphibious Boonie Crown
Shelta Raptor V2 Specs:
Brim Style: Narrow
Front Brim: 3″
Side Brim: 1.75″
Back Brim: 2.5″
Crown Style: 5-panel Sports Crown
Shelta Seahawk Specs:
Brim Style: Medium
Front Brim: 3″
Side Brim: 2.25″
Back Brim: 2.5″
Crown Style: Amphibious Boonie Crown
Shelta Landhawk Specs:
Brim Style: Medium
Front Brim: 3″
Side Brim: 2.25″
Back Brim: 2.5″
Crown Style: Air-Vent Boonie Crown
Shelta Firebird V2 Specs:
Brim Style: Wide
Front Brim: 3″
Side Brim: 2.75″
Back Brim: 2.75″
Crown Style: 5-panel Sports Crown
Shelta Condor Specs:
Brim Style: Wide
Front Brim: 3″
Side Brim: 2.75″
Back Brim: 2.75″
Crown Style: 5-panel Sports Crown
Editor’s Note: Shelta also has a Style Information and Specs Image that illustrates these differences side-by-side pretty well.
Recommended Shelta Hats for Active Water Play
If you’re getting dunked a lot, choose a Shelta Hat with a narrower brim, like the Raptor V2 I’m wearing in this photo when I was learning to paddleboard.The best Shelta hat options for kayaking, paddleboarding, rafting, surfing and active water play are the Osprey, Raptor V2, Seahawk, and Firebird V2. Choose the brim width you want for the amount of sun protection you want for your ears and neck.
Recommended Shelta Hats for Dry Land
The best Shelta hat options for hiking and mostly dry land activities are the Landhawk and the Condor. The Condor gives you the most sun-protection coverage and it is the only Shelta hat that has a slightly tipped down front brim to help with sun-in-your-face protection.
Both the Landhawk and Condor have one additional feature the other Shelta hats do not: Exterior clip loops on the side of the brim that could hold your sunglasses.
Shop all Shelta Hats direct and get free US shipping on orders over $74 + free shipping on returns!
My Favorite Shelta Sun Hat Version
Any of the Shelta Hats work great for fishing, but my favorite all-around sun hat is the Shelta Firebird V2, which I’m wearing in this photo.Personally, I think the best all-around option for most people is the Seahawk — I think the 2.25″ side brim is worth having to shade your ears from the sun . . . and it still results in a trim experience compared to most sun hats. In fact, Shelta says its Seahawk is its best-selling version.
That said, for me personally, I think the Firebird V2 is the best Shelta Hat — and it’s my favorite because it offers the most sun protection of the four water-focused Shelta sun hats. It sheds water well, still floats, but when it’s time to hike on a hot day, the Firebird V2 has just the right amount of sun protection from the relatively wider brim.
When I planning to swim a lot, I’ll wear the Raptor V2. I like the Raptor V2 more than the Osprey for swimming because I prefer the rounded 5-panel Sports Crown style more than the Osprey’s boonie-style crown.
The Bottom Line
All-in-all, if you’re an adventurous outdoor person who likes to get wet, the Shelta series of sun hats and sun protection clothing should make your must-have gear list. The entire line of Shelta Sun Hats is lightweight and offers far more sun protection than a standard baseball cap. Shelta’s lightweight materials and designs are also great for hiking, and they even make great fishing hats for those days when I’m standing in full sun in a river wearing waders. Very highly recommended.
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