BUFF Explore Booney Hat Review

Overview

The BUFF Explore Booney Hat is a wide-brimmed booney hat designed for adventures in the sun. At 79g (2.79 oz), it’s aimed squarely at hikers and travelers who want a packable sun hat they can stuff in a pocket and forget about until the clouds part. It earns its place in a pack through sheer convenience — but there are real trade-offs on the protection side you’ll want to understand before buying.

Key Specs

Spec	Details
Weight	79 g (2.79 oz)
UPF Rating	UPF 50
Material	100% Recycled Nylon (crown, brim) / Recycled Polyester (inner sweatband, upper strap)
Sizes	S/M (53–57 cm), L/XL (57–61 cm)
Water Repellent	Yes (DWR)
Self-Storing	Yes
Brim Width	~2.75 in
Price	~$45
Comparison	See how Explore Booney Hat compares to similar gear

Performance

Packability

This is where the Explore Booney genuinely shines. It’s the most packable sun hat in CleverHiker’s tested lineup — it can be stuffed or crushed without worry of deforming the floppy brim, and it easily slips into the back pocket of your pants or shorts while on the go. It even includes a built-in storage pocket inside the crown. The hat is designed to be folded when not in use and recover its shape when released. In practice, this means you can ball it up, shove it in your hip belt pocket, and pull it back out looking basically fine. That’s not a given in this category.

Breathability

During testing, GearJunkie testers were especially impressed with the breathability of the Buff Explore Booney Hat.

The crown isn’t mesh — which matters because UV rays can pass through mesh at peak sunlight hours — and the material is lightweight enough to still be breathable, with ventilation flaps covered in mesh.

The combination of lightweight nylon and lateral venting keeps things remarkably cool on the move.

Sun Protection

Here’s where you need to temper expectations. The UPF 50 rating is certified in accordance with AS/NZ4399:2017 standards as CE personal protective equipment against UV radiation, achieving UPF >50 (98% UV protection). That’s the fabric itself — but the brim tells a different story. The Explore Booney’s short, ~2.75-inch floppy brim puts it among the hats with the least practical sun protection in CleverHiker’s field test lineup. With its shorter, floppier brim, the hat isn’t ideal for windy conditions, and it also doesn’t offer much sun protection — part of the face was always exposed to sunlight on the trail. If you’re spending long hours on an exposed alpine ridge or in the desert, plan to supplement with sunscreen. The hat’s own fabric blocks what it covers well; it just doesn’t cover enough.

Wind and Stability

The adjustable fit lets you scrunch the hat down in high winds, and the brim is so lightweight it flexes in the breeze instead of catching like a sail.

That’s one genuine advantage of a floppy brim — it won’t get ripped off your head the way a stiffer hat can.

Flexible brims like the Buff Explore Booney crush down to nearly nothing, but can fold, flip, or bend under wind pressure, reducing their protective value on exposed terrain.

The chin drawstring helps keep it on, but see below for a caveat about the toggle hardware.

Fit and Sizing

The hat runs very small according to one CleverHiker analyst, but if you find it fits large, it can be adjusted at the crown and around the chin.

User reviews from Trekkinn suggest sizing inconsistency across colorways — at least one buyer noted it ran a touch large. If you’re between sizes, try before you buy if possible.

Durability

This is a known weak point. CleverHiker noted the Explore Booney is made of lower-quality, thinner material compared to more premium options. The chin strap toggle is just a small piece of faux leather, and it feels less durable than the plastic toggles found on competing hats — it may deteriorate over time. Real-world buyers have echoed this: one user noted that the piece that tightens the hat straps to the head gets loose on its own after a while. For a two-week trip, it’s probably fine. For a six-month thru-hike, you might find yourself nursing it along.

Weather Resistance

The DWR treatment provides light water repellency — useful for brief showers. At least one reviewer noted they’d need to see how it manages heavier showers before fully committing to it as a rain-worthy option. Don’t count on it for sustained downpours.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Best-in-class packability — stuff it in your shorts pocket, a hip belt pocket, or its own built-in crown pocket
• Impressive breathability for a closed-crown hat; lateral vents are a genuine help in heat
• Full 360° brim coverage; no exposed gap at the sides or back
• UPF 50-certified fabric for the area it covers
• Made with 100% recycled content
• Chin drawstring keeps it secure without acting like a wind sail
• Lightweight DWR treatment handles brief drizzle

Cons

• Brim is only ~2.75 inches and floppy — meaningful sun coverage limitations on exposed terrain
• Thin material feels noticeably less durable than competitors at this price
• Chin strap toggle hardware (faux leather) raises long-term durability concerns
• Sizing can be inconsistent; fit varies across colorways
• Not a serious choice for extended above-treeline or desert exposure without supplemental sunscreen

Who Should Buy This

The Buff Explore Booney exists for the hiker who refuses to dedicate precious pack space to headgear.

It’s a strong fit for travel-focused backpackers, day hikers on mixed-shade trails, and anyone who wants a sun hat as a just-in-case layer that weighs next to nothing and disappears into a pocket.

Because of the smaller, floppier brim, it won’t keep your lower neck entirely shaded the way wider-brimmed hats do — but it’s incredibly breathable, making it ideal for high-motion activities like kayaking or fast-paced day hikes.

If you’re planning long days on snowfields, open desert, or sustained ridge walks at altitude, step up to something with a stiffer, wider brim.

Verdict

The BUFF Explore Booney Hat is a well-executed packability play — nothing more, nothing less. If your main concern is having a sun hat that doesn’t cost you anything in pack space or trail feel, it nails that job. Where it falls short is in the serious-sun-protection department: the thin material, short floppy brim, and modest toggle hardware mean it’s better suited to casual or mixed-terrain use than to full desert or alpine exposure. At $45 and 79g, it earns a solid 7/10 for the packing-obsessed day hiker, but thru-hikers doing big exposed miles should look at something with a more substantial brim and sturdier hardware.