How to Pack a Hat In a Carry-on Without Crushing It
Hats are my not-so-secret weapon and go-to accessory when I travel. They elevate even the simplest outfit, protect my skin from the sun, and let’s be honest, they’re a lifesaver on those less-than-stellar hair days. But if you’re anything like me and prefer to travel light with just a carry-on, you’ve likely wondered…how do I pack my favorite hat without ruining it? Don’t worry, here’s exactly how to pack hats in a carry-on suitcase for your next trip, and keep them looking fabulous.
Why You Should Travel with a Packable Hat
First, let’s talk about the best type of hat for travel, and the best option is a packable hat. These beauties are designed to bend, flex, and spring back into shape without damage. Materials like raffia, polyester, paper braid, and cotton blends make them ideal for rolling with the punches in your suitcase.
Traditional straw hats are beautiful, but they’re more fragile and can easily crack or crush in your bag. If you’re going to bring a fragile hat, I highly recommend this TopTote Hat holder you can clip to your tote bag while wheeling through the airport then stow it carefully in the overhead compartment.
My favorite travel-friendly hats for women include:
- Columbia Packable Hat – lightweight, UPF 50+, adjustable, and comes in lots of colors
- Hampton Squishee Sun Hat – timeless, elegant broad brim that blocks 95% UVA/UVB
- Coolibar UPF 50 Shapeble Sun Hat – chin strap & moisture wicking terry sweatband
- Squishee Straw Packable Fedora – blocks 95% UVA/UVB and is so cute!
The Best Way To Pack A Hat In A Carry-On Suitcase
I use a hard-sided 21″ carry-on suitcase, the kind that fits easily in overhead bins and keeps everything protected. The key to packing your hat is creating structure and cushioning so the brim and hats crown hold their shape.
Step-by-Step: How to Pack a Hat Without Crushing It
1- Layer the suitcase bottom with a soft layer of clothes like tees, camisoles, and underwear…on the flat side of your suitcase (not the side with the telescoping handle).
2- Nestle your hat crown side down, with the brim lifted slightly. If you’re packing multiple hats, stack them inside each other with the shorter brims on top. This helps protect the crown and makes the whole unit sturdier.
3- Gently tuck soft garments under the edge of the hat until the brim is completely supported. Think of this as building a soft nest around your hat.
4- Stuff the inside of the hat with soft materials. This is essential! Fill the crown with your softest items like socks, swimsuits, underwear, even lightweight scarves, to keep it from collapsing under pressure.
5- Finish by layering more soft clothes over the brim and crown, making sure everything is snug and cushioned. If the brim slightly overhangs the edge of the suitcase, you can fold it in gently with a t-shirt to buffer the bend, but only if your hat’s brim is flexible (no cardboard brims or real straw here!).
What to Avoid When Packing a Hat
- Skip backpacks or duffels—they don’t offer enough structure to protect your hat.
- Avoid placing hard or rigid items near your hat (eyeglass cases, shoes, or tech gear).
- Never leave the crown empty because it’s the most crush-prone part of your hat.
How to Fix a Crushed Hat
If your hat does arrive a little squashed (it happens to the best of us), try steaming it over a tea kettle or hang it in the bathroom during a steamy, hot shower. Smooth the creases gently back into shape with your hands. Most packable hats bounce back beautifully with a little coaxing.
Travel Tip: Get the Perfect Fit Every Time
Not every hat fits perfectly straight off the shelf, and that’s okay. I swear by these hat size reducer strips, they’re affordable, easy to use, and make any hat fit just right. I’d rather size up and adjust than risk a too-tight hat that gives me a headache.
Final Thoughts: Style, Sun, and Confidence
A stylish hat is more than just sun protection. It’s a personal style statement that adds attitude to every outfit. It also says you’re thoughtful about your health and your appearance.
Do you bring hats when you travel?
Thanks for reading and remember to wear what makes you feel confident.
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I have always worn and loved hats and have a collection of them with a Helen Kaminski as my most expensive. It’s more of a boater style with a versatile brim that can be turned up or down; I bought it in Annapolis back in 1999. I can remember some of my most favorite Easter hats from the 50’s and 60’s. Wished I had saved them! Now that I am a golfer I own more caps than I can count. Right now many of the gals are wearing bucket styles that can look super cute on the course. They’re soft and pack easily. I think the key to wearing a hat well is to find the style that most flatters your face shape as well as your skull shape. You rarely see a woman with a big head who looks good in hats unless the brim, crown and bill fit correctly. My head is rather small and the more expensive hats usually come in sizes or can be adjusted; I have used those tapes to tighten them up a bit but do find them super annoying. A post on the proper fitting of hats would be very informative!
That’s a great idea Linda. Choosing a flattering hat can be quite the challenge.
My problem is not that the hat is too big but too small. I wish more hats came in sizes.
Jennifer, I hope your husband is recovering well from his hip surgery. My husband is in surgery for his first surgery since tonsils at four! It is for cataract removal in his right eye. I’m fighting a sinus infection so my best friend drove him up to Colorado Springs for his surgery. I haven’t heard yet. Waiting for that text. You got me started wearing hats! I love my fedoras! We don’t travel anymore so packing them isn’t a problem but how do you store them? I put Brent’s straw fedora in the shaped plastic zippered storage case that it came in. But my hats all came in boxes which are just too big for my closet shelves.
Sending prayers for your husband Sydney! I have an antique hall seat with hooks that we hang ours from. I swap them out seasonally and store the off season ones stacked inside a large hat box.
I love my Sun Day and Redhead hats for walking in Arizona, had to add a chin strap on the Sun Day one tho. Fabric crowns make them very packable.
Great tips for traveling with hats. I wouldn’t have known exactly how to do it. I’ve only ever taken a baseball cap which is much easier to pack. Now I know how to pack a sunhat!
Thank you so much on today ‘s read.your advice on how to pack hats when travelling will be so useful.
You look so chic when wearing hats. It would be so useful if you could help readers on how to style hats. No matter what I do I always feel silly! I would love to be able to wear them with confidence.
You are such an inspiration on styling. Thank you for all the effort you put into giving us so much advice and confidence.
Best wishes,Patricia.
I think the trick is to buy casual hats, not the dressier styles that can look out of place with casual outfits. Look for softer weaves. Be aware of upturned brims which can have a “sweet” look which may not match your style too.
I like San Diego Hat Companie’s ribbon hat. Since it is made from cloth it can be rolled or folded for packing or
putting in a tote. The size is also adjustable and I have hand washed it to remove the color from my tinted sunscreen.
Those are very fun hats
Great post! The Eric Javits hats are beautiful, as are there handbags, but they are usually small on me, so I have several Wallaroo poly-straw hats (can find on Amazon and often in gift shops) that are very affordable and come in an array of colors.
The Wallaroo hats look really fun too! The older I get the more I love my hats.
Hi, Jennifer. I hope you and your family are doing well. I just love my hats and have a fair-sized collection. Unfortunately, most of them aren’t travel friendly because of permanently attached decorations (feathers, flowers, wired bows, etc.). But I do have a few that your packing technique will work for. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Your hats sound amazing!! It’s so fun to personalize a hat.
I’m so glad to see you recommend the hat clip. I gave my cousin a similar one as a gift and she raved about it after extended trips to Israel and Italy. I ended up purchasing one for myself. It is a game changer!
My husband was so impressed when mine was strong enough to carry his along with mine, so he asked for one for Christmas!