Kid’s outdoor gear reviews Tested by Actual Kids
Honest gear reviews and outdoor guides for parents who hike, camp, and adventure with their kids — mud, meltdowns, and all.
Best Sun Hats for Kids 2026
We tested eight kids’ sun hats in real sun conditions — a Gulf Coast beach vacation, Great Sand Dunes National Park, a camping music festival, and school days throughout spring. Prices verified at time of publication.
Field Rated by Parents
Real Miles, Real Kids
Affiliate-supported, editorially independent
Gear guides
Product Reviews
Destination guides
How Tos
Field Rated by Parents
Real Miles, Real Kids
Affiliate-supported, editorially independent
Gear guides
Product Reviews
Destination guides
How Tos
Gear Guides
The Good, The Better, The Best
The gear that earned its spot, the gear that almost did, and the gear we’d buy again.
View All Guides
Best Sun Hats for Kids 2026
We tested eight kids’ sun hats in real sun conditions — a Gulf Coast beach vacation, Great Sand Dunes National Park, a camping music festival, and school days throughout spring. Prices verified at time of publication.
Best Rain Jackets for Kids 2026
Best Stroller-Friendly Walks in Denver, Colorado
Denver has one of the best paved trail networks in Colorado for families with strollers. We’ve walked all of them. Here are the four we actually recommend — with real parking, restroom, and surface notes from someone who’s pushed a stroller around every one.
Reviews
Thoroughly tested. Honestly Reviewed.
Long-term reviews of the products we actually use — months of trail time, not a weekend unboxing.
Patagonia Block-the-Sun Hat Review
Quincy wore it, then passed it to Oren. Good ethics, good build, good coverage. The catch: at $39, the Sunday Afternoons Play Hat has better retention for nearly the same price.
Flap Happy Kids’ UPF 50+ Swim Hat Review
The fastest-drying hat we tested and the only one made from swimsuit fabric. The catch: no chin strap, and Oren removed it every time he noticed it was on his head.
addie & tate Kids’ Animal Sun Hat Review
We felt silly buying a shark hat for a gear review. Then Cypress chose it over seven other hats and wore it to school. Catch: low neck coverage.
Reima Rantsu Sun Hat Review
We ordered a 3–4 year size. Our nine-year-old niece wore it all week at Gulf Shores without being reminded. Catch: it’s direct-buy only — no Amazon, no REI.
Sunday Afternoons Kids’ Ultra Adventure Hat Review
Same gold-standard retention as the Play Hat, plus a wicking sweatband for trail use. The catch: it’s $4 more, and those extra features matter most on the trail — not at the beach.
JAN & JUL GRO-with-Me Quick-Dry Sun Hat Review
This hat arrived to us already used — three kids before Oren, multiple countries, brim a little wonky. Everything else still works. That’s the case for buying it.
How to
Helpful tips & How-Tos
The stuff we wish someone had told us before our first family hike, camp night, or rainy-day road trip.
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About Ben & Roxy
We’ve spent a decade learning what’s good the hard way.
Roxy and Ben Dawson — guidebook authors and full-time outdoor family — share the gear, trails, and tips they’ve tested with their own kids.
