Tilley T3 Duck Hat Review

Reviewed by Amanda Hayes

If you know someone that loves the outdoor life, loves travelling or walking, or you yourself are that person, you know they can be hard to buy for as they have all the obvious gifts, drinks bottles, rucksack, socks, etc, so what can you buy, or ask for as a present that’s both unique and useful.

A brand that I hadn’t heard of before, until I was given the opportunity to review it, was a Canadian brand, Tilley hats, which has a fabulous range of outdoorsy hats that has something for every style. As I spend the majority of my leisure time outside, I was extremely pleased to be offered a hat from their T3 cotton duck hat range and raced to their website to check out the style, choose my hat size and colour. The hats come in 11 different sizes and there is a handy “right fit” sizing chart on the website to help you get the correct fit. I measured my head, just above my eyebrows as per the description, and added 1-2cm to the size as suggested, this made me a size small, which sounded right as I have a tiny head. The T3 comes in 8 colours, I wanted to wear mine in winter and summer so went away from the bright and light and opted for a traditional olive, which I hoped could be worn year-round. Order in I waited for my Tilley hat to arrive. Whilst waiting I browsed through the website looking at the styles and brand information to be greeted by something extremely unique and special, the Tilley hats are guaranteed for life! This isn’t just a throw away comment regarding a faulty product, this is a 100% guarantee against normal wear & tear, which is seriously impressive. On receipt of your hat, you register it via the website and they will repair or replace it free of charge.

The very next day, a box that felt empty it was so light, arrived from Royal Mail and inside was my fabulous super light Tilley hat. The colour was lovely, a light khaki coloured olive, not too dark, but definitely suitable for both summer and winter. In fact, the first thing I noticed from the attached cardboard labels was that the hat is both water repellent and has a UPF 50+ sun protection rating. It also floats, so no worries about dropping it overboard on a trip out. The hat can be worn in two ways, with a wide brim, or you can put the sides up using the two robust poppers on either side of the hat, just having the brim at the front and rear to protect the face and neck, so basically you have two hats in one. The hat has four good sized ventilation holes, two on each side, very useful for walking, and a removable boot lace style tie to tie under your chin if required. I though this was a great idea, as if you go indoors, you can just leave your hat hanging round your neck and don’t have to carry it. Conversely if its windy, you know your hat won’t blow away, although the hat fitted so nicely it felt like it would stay put in most weathers. The hat is made of 10oz cotton duck, a canvas type material, and so can be hand washed or machine washed on delicate, without it shrinking. There are washing instructions inside the hat with the lifetime guarantee, and it states to wash frequently and reshape using your knee, which is very reassuring as I’m always frightened of washing hats and them losing their shape or shrinking ruining my hat.

The Tilley T3 hat may not be the cheapest hat on the market at a RRP of £70.00, but its amazing quality. Lightweight, UPF proof. Water repellent and washable with a life time guarantee, makes it worth every penny. You won’t find a better Christmas gift for the outdoor types in your life than a Tilley hat and with a range of styles from straw sun hats to wool bucket hats there is something for everyone.

Rating: Highly recommended 5 out of 5

RRP: £70.00

This product can be purchased from Tilley Hats here.