I have accumulated several Tilley airflow hats, LTM5 and LTM6's. They are great hats but deciding on a size can be tricky. Tilley says the hat is designed for a loose fit. They lead you to believe that loose sizing is already figured into their sizing chart. That has not been my experience. The Tilley chart says my 22.75" head should be a 7 1/4, as many other hat charts do. A 7 1/4 Tilley hat fits me like any other 7 1/4 hat which fits with a definite friction fit. Not what they recommend. I returned the 7 1/4 hat and got a 7 3/8. That was a more loose fit. I could turn my head down and it would take a few good shakes for it to fall off my head. I got a couple more. I've had them for a few years. I mostly wear them to keep rain and bugs off my head and I try to stick to the shade. Lately though, I've been been in the sun more and I'm thinking these Tilley hats are pretty hot on my head and not as breathable as they claim. A good price popped up and I decided to try a 7 1/2. This size fits more like what Tilley describes. It also now lets a air flow under the brim and feels much more comfortable in the heat. It still looks good on my head and does not feel sloppy or look too big for me. I turn my head down and it will fall off in one or two shakes. So I'm happy, it was a game changer for me to go two sizes above the chart. Depending on your hate for heat and humidity, go one or two sizes above the chart. If you are not a walking lawn sprinkler like me, one size up might be enough. You could always tighten the back half of of the strap for a tighter fit but these hats don't stretch at all if you need a looser fit. I did some temperature measurements on a picnic table in the sun. I compared Olive and Khaki. Even though Olive is my favorite color, Khaki was the clear winner for staying cooler. Like 20 degrees cooler under the crown in the noonday sun. No noticeable decline in quality now that these hats are made in China. If you want a more airy hat for mainly shade, the Sunday Afternoons Cruiser is a very lightweight hat to look at. I like it for evening or shade for bug protection. It is cooler and more breathable than the Tilley Airflo's. But for direct sun, the heavier material of the Tilley's gives more protection from the sun beating down on you. Read more
Best quality hat for windy conditions. I golf twice a week at mid day and in Hawaii there is constant sun and pleasant cooling tradewinds that vary from 10 to 15 mph or more. This combination makes it difficult if not impossible to wear hats that have wide soft brims that flop in the wind. Baseball caps just dont cover the back of my neck and ears. The Ltm5 has a shorter brim that is wide enough to protect from the sun but firm enough to keep its shape and not be a distraction when driving or putting. The chin and back straps are great for really windy days. I have tried many different hats but this is by far the best for comfort and durability. I have 2 colors and both have served me for over 3 years with minimal fading. I just hand wash on occasion and drip dry to maintain them. Highly recommend!! Worth every penny!! I suggest ordering 1/8 size up from their measurement table provided. Better to be slightly loose to allow your head to breathe. Read more
What else can be said about TIlley hats that has not already been said. First, the custom sizing down to an 1/8th of an inch is what originally got me hooked on Tilley hats. I have a semi-large, hard to fit 7 7/8 head, and for me the "One Size Fits All" of other hat makers usually meant it would not fit me. The fact Tilley offers hats with specific sizing is a nice feature, and makes it easy to order their hats sight unseen if you know your Tilley hat size. Their sizing is very consistent year after year and across their different models of hats. I own many Tilley hats purchased over a 23 year period, and they are all 7 7/8, and all fit pretty much the same. Next, Tilley just keeps on innovating and coming up with great products. They made their mark with the cotton duck T3, T4 hats, and kept on innovating - coming up with hats like this LTM5 (and LTM 6, LTM3, etc) which are made of nylon, virtually indestructible, and include an Airflo vent to help the nylon breathe. I also own Tilley's Hemp and Organic Cotton hats, which are also very nice hats! I started off personally with the T3 Cotton Duck in the mid 90's, and over time I tried the popular LTM6. At first, I thought I would not like nylon-based hats mainly because I typically wore natural materials like cotton. My head runs hot and other nylon hats were just too uncomfortable for long periods. But the Tilley LTM6 was different - due to the venting, the design the hat just plain ran cooler. Then, it was SO comfortable it became a desired hat for hiking. The LTM6 was great, and served me well - but it's larger brim made me look at other hats for "every day" type wear. I like the larger brim on the LTM6 for activities where I wanted maximum sun coverage - like hiking or yard work. But for more "around town" activities like running errands, I picked up the LTM5. It gave me all the benefits of the LTM series - the comfortable fit, the Airflo vents - and also gave me a more stylish look and a smaller brim that gets out of the way a little more than the LTM6. To complete the collection, I also added an LTM3 over time ;-) - so now I have a "hat trick" of LTM hats! I can't say enough how comfortable these hats are to wear! And the fact they are virtually indestructible makes them worth their premium price tag. If I lost any one of those hats, I would buy another to replace it. Highly recommended! Thanks for reading. Read more
Very comfortable. Excellent protection, looks high quality. Wrinkles a little which is annoying but can be removed to some degree by wetting the hat and drying. This hat looks like much higher quality than comparables. Make sure you know how to fit it by having the hat slightly grasp your head, not grip it. one issue that is a challenge is that the shape is perhaps a bit narrow in width so it will grasp many heads more tightly there leaving space in the back. You may want to get a hat that is slightly larger than expected and borderline measurements should go with the larger hat. Drawstring and secret pocket on the inside lining. This brim is not supre wide but wide enough with a nice long back to protect your neck. Looks very stylish too. Read more
