Visor (Hats)

Strip a hat down to a brim and a headband alone and the result is a visor. Nothing covers the top of the head at all, which is exactly the idea. A band circles the head at the hairline, and a stiff peak juts forward from the front of it.

The band usually carries a strip of terry cloth or foam against the forehead to catch sweat before it reaches the eyes, and the peak holds its curve from a plastic insert sewn between two layers of fabric, much like the peak on a baseball cap. Closures come from the same three types used across every cap in this group: a plastic snap, a metal slide or a strip of hook and loop tape at the back, and any of the three covers a workable range of head sizes without needing an exact measurement.

Against a baseball cap, the difference is the missing crown: a cap traps warm air against the scalp under its fabric top, where a visor lets that same heat rise straight off the head. A sun hat goes the opposite direction from both, wrapping a brim of four inches or more all the way around to shade the ears and neck as well as the eyes, coverage a visor was never built to give.

Tennis, golf, running and any hot, sweaty activity are exactly where a visor earns its place, since it shades the eyes and vents heat at the same time, and it sits well over a high ponytail or braids that a full crown would flatten. Anyone with thinning hair, a shaved head or a history of scalp sunburn should choose a hat with a crown instead, and so should a young child, whose scalp burns faster than an adult's.

The honest weakness sits right there in the open top: a visor shades the eyes and does nothing at all for the scalp, so sunscreen on the crown of the head is not optional when this is the only cover worn. Most terry and foam bands are machine washable on a cool, gentle cycle, since there is little to warp beyond the plastic peak insert, and air drying keeps that insert from bending in a hot dryer.