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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.
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.
The Best Workout Hats, According to GQ
- Best Overall Workout Hat: Ciele GoCap, $45
- Best All-Purpose Workout Hat: Nike Dri-Fit ADV Fly Cap, $32
- Best Comfortable Workout Hat: Lululemon Fast and Free Running Hat, $38
- Best Splurge Workout Hat: 3Sixteen Running Cap, $60
- Best Budget Workout Hat: Hoka Performance Hat, $24
- Best Workout Hat for Running: Bandit OG Mesh Run Hat, $45
- Best Workout Hat for Outdoors: REI Co-op Trail Hat, $33
- Best Stealth Cap: Adidas M-Gameday, $28
- Best Performance Workout Hat: Reigning Champ Sports Cap, $55
- Best Workout Hat for Travel: Under Armour StealthForm Uncrushable Hat, $45
- Best-Looking Workout Hat: Tracksmith Off-Road Hat, $55
Best Overall Workout Hat: 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 Splurge Workout Hat: 3Sixteen Running Cap
Why We Love It: Who knew that one of the finest denim makers around also could make one hell of a running hat? Launched earlier in 2024, 3Sixteen unleashed a whole running capsule with such thought and effort behind it that you could tell it wasn’t done to capitalize on a trend but made by and for diehard runners. The Running Cap is extremely lightweight, perfect for those brutally hot summer runs, with a bungee cord closure that gives structure without feeling like it’s in the way. Plus, the side panel mesh will make your head feel like you’re driving with the windows down when you catch that perfect breeze in the middle of a run.
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 Looking: Tracksmith Off-Road Hat
Why We Love It: Tracksmith knows a few things about crafting really smart running gear, which is why they teamed up with Ciele to leverage their GoCap construction to make the best running hat around. Fire engine red with Tracksmith’s OffRoads branding, it’ll certainly stand out amongst the sea of other exercise caps. The woven hat has just the right amount of bend to the brim, and the mesh side panels do an excellent job of wicking away sweat to keep you calm, cool, and collected no matter the activity.
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 Stealth Cap: Adidas M-Gameday 4 Stretch Hat
Why We Love It: This Adidas hat has a subtle touch of branding to it that makes it well-suited to wearing in a variety of situations, whether it’s at the airport or by the squat rack. And we mean super subtle; at first glance, we didn’t immediately notice the classic three-stripe branding that doubles as mesh holes for better ventilation. The fitted nature of the hat is a little different from most of the other adjustable options on this list, but it has a little give to it if you’re overdue for a haircut and are looking a little shaggier than normal.
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.