Sunday Afternoons Kids’ Ultra Adventure Hat Review

There are two Sunday Afternoons kids’ sun hats in this roundup, and explaining the difference between them takes about one sentence: the Ultra Adventure is the Play Hat with a wicking sweatband, PFAS-free DWR finish, reflective panels, and a brim that folds flat. Everything else — the cordlock retention system, the SmartStrap breakaway chin strap, the neck cape, the UPF 50+ nylon fabric, the sizing range — is the same hat. At $4 more, the Ultra Adventure is worth it if you’re primarily a trail and camp family. For beach and school, save the $4 and get the Play Hat.

4.3/5.0

Best kids’ sun hat for trail and camp

Sunday Afternoons Kids’ Ultra Adventure Hat

The technical version of our top pick. More structure, more venting, more money — and it earns it on a long day out.

Shop at Amazon$42 Shop at REI$42

Sizes: M–L (fits approx. ages 3–12) | UPF: 50+ | Material: 88% Nylon / 12% Polyester | Chin strap: SmartStrap breakaway

Is the Sunday Afternoons Kids’ Ultra Adventure Hat UPF 50+?

Yes, tested in full Gulf Coast sun and confirmed effective. We ran it alongside the Play Hat at Gulf Shores for direct comparison — same conditions, same kids — and the protection held up identically. The face flap on the Ultra Adventure actually wraps slightly more completely around the head than the Play Hat’s neck veil, providing marginally more coverage on the sides.

Where we tested the Sunday Afternoons Kids’ Ultra Adventure Hat

Gulf Shores, Alabama: Oren (almost 2) wore this alongside the Play Hat across five days of beach and Gulf swimming. We rotated hats specifically to get comparative data — same wind, same UV, same kid. At Hestival, a camping music festival where we were outside all day in heat, the sweatband showed its value: moving around a festival field all day is different from sitting at a beach umbrella, and the interior wicking made a real difference in how comfortable the hat felt after a few hours.

Sunday Afternoons Kids’ Ultra Adventure Hat features — what actually stood out

Real talk: the sweatband is the upgrade that matters. It’s a small thing — a band of wicking fabric on the interior of the hat — but on a hot moving day, it’s the difference between a hat that gets uncomfortable after an hour and one that stays comfortable through the afternoon. Kids don’t report their findings on sweatband comfort. We noticed it wearing both hats back-to-back on trail.

The PFAS-free DWR finish means the hat actively sheds water rather than just tolerating it. In a light rain or a splash situation — or the rogue wave that hit all eight hats at Gulf Shores — water beads up and runs off. The Play Hat handles water too (it’s nylon), but the DWR treatment on the Ultra Adventure is more active water resistance.

The brim folds flat — more deliberately than the Play Hat, which lays flat but wasn’t designed to fold. For packing into a daypack lid or a compressed bag, the fold is convenient. On trail, where you might pull the hat out of a pack pocket rather than a suitcase, this matters more than it does for a beach trip.

The reflective panels on the brim are real and functional for low-light trail situations — early starts, late evening hikes, any time being visible matters. UV protection and low-light visibility are rarely needed at the same moment, but having both is useful for trail families who are out at all hours.

The retention system is identical to the Play Hat: cordlock at the back, SmartStrap breakaway chin strap. Oren wore it at Gulf Shores and kept it on once the distraction-during-application strategy worked. The face flap wraps more completely than the Play Hat’s neck veil — it’s more coverage, which is better, though it’s also more hat on a toddler’s face.

What doesn’t work on the Sunday Afternoons Kids’ Ultra Adventure Hat

The face flap is more substantial than the Play Hat’s neck veil. On a toddler who is not enthusiastic about hats, that’s more surface area for them to notice and object to. Oren needed a brief distraction during application — something to look at or think about other than the hat going on his head. Once it was on, it was on. But the application process takes a moment with a resistant toddler.

At $42, it’s the most expensive hat in this roundup after the Turtle Fur. For beach and school use, that’s more than necessary. The Play Hat is the better buy for most families. The Ultra Adventure earns its price specifically for hiking and camping families who will actually use the sweatband and DWR on trail.

How to care for the Sunday Afternoons Kids’ Ultra Adventure Hat

Hand wash cold. Do not bleach. Line dry. Do not iron. Do not dry clean. Same care as the Play Hat — the 88% nylon / 12% polyester fabric dries fast on the line, and the DWR finish holds through hand-washing. We wouldn’t machine-wash this one; the DWR finish lasts longer with hand washing and line drying.

Does the Sunday Afternoons Kids’ Ultra Adventure Hat pack down?

It folds flat, more deliberately than the Play Hat. The brim is designed to fold — press it and it stays folded, which makes it easier to pack into a daypack lid or a stuff sack. It won’t crush into a ball, but for trail packing where you’re fitting gear into specific compartments, the foldable brim is a genuine improvement over a hat that just lays flat.

Sunday Afternoons Kids’ Ultra Adventure Hat sizing guide

Available in M and L only — the Ultra Adventure skips the size S that the Play Hat offers, which means it starts at a slightly older age range (roughly 3+ in a medium). We tested the medium on Oren at almost 2 and it worked with the cordlock cinched, but it’s on the smaller edge. For toddlers under 2, the Play Hat in size S is a better fit. For kids 3 and up, the medium Ultra Adventure fits well with the cordlock. The L handles bigger kids and smaller adults. Same as the Play Hat: buy medium when in doubt, let the cordlock handle the rest.

Who is the Sunday Afternoons Kids’ Ultra Adventure Hat best for?

The trail and camping family that wants the best technical kids’ sun hat available. If you’re hiking at altitude, camping in mixed weather, or moving all day in heat, the sweatband and DWR finish make a real difference over the Play Hat. If you’re mostly at the beach and school, save the $4. Both are excellent hats — this one earns its premium in trail-specific conditions.

Pro tip: The foldable brim is designed to fold at a specific seam — don’t just crumple the hat. Press the brim at the seam line and it folds cleanly and stores flat. That fold comes out easily in use.

How the Sunday Afternoons Kids’ Ultra Adventure Hat compares to other kids’ sun hats