Baby Sun Hat from Breathable Cotton Muslin

Baby Sun Hat — soft cotton muslin, six sizes, and a tie that keeps it on

A lightweight hat in 100% cotton muslin with a self-colour tie under the chin, in Baby Pink, Baby Blue and Baby Lemon. Six sizes from newborn to two years. Machine washable, packs down to nothing, and keeps direct sun off a scalp that has very little hair to do the job itself.

📏 Measure the head. Do not buy by the age on the label

This is the single most useful thing on this page. Our sizes run by head circumference, and babies' heads vary enormously at the same age:

• 0–3 months — 36cm
• 3–6 months — 42cm
• 6–9 months — 44cm
• 9–12 months — 46cm
• 12–18 months — 48cm
• 18–24 months — 50cm

Notice the jump between the first two: 36cm to 42cm is six centimetres, and plenty of babies are past 36cm well before they are three months old. Take a tape measure round the widest part of the head, just above the ears, and buy to that number. If you fall between two sizes, size up — the tie takes up the slack on a hat that is slightly big, whereas a hat that is slightly small gets pushed off within the minute.

☀️ What this hat does, and what it does not

What it does: keeps direct sun off the scalp, the ears and the back of the neck, and lets heat out rather than trapping it, which matters because a baby in a hot hat will simply refuse to wear it.

What we are not claiming: a UPF rating. This is a soft cotton muslin hat and it has not been tested for one, so we are not going to put a number on the label that is not there. Woven cotton gives useful physical cover rather than technical sun protection.

And the honest priority order, which is worth saying even though it means talking you out of relying on the hat: shade first, timing second, hat and clothing third. NHS guidance is to keep babies under six months out of direct strong sunlight altogether, and to stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm in the summer months. A hat is the layer you add to all of that, not a substitute for any of it.

🎀 The tie is the feature

Every baby pulls a hat off. It is not a design flaw in the hat, it is a developmental stage, and it starts at about the point they discover their own hands. A hat with a soft tie under the chin survives that; a pull-on hat does not. The tie is self-colour so it does not look like an afterthought, and it adjusts, so one size covers a slightly wider range than the measurement suggests.

🧵 Muslin, and why we use it for summer

Cotton muslin is an open weave, which is exactly what you want against a hot head — air moves through it, so it does not sit on the scalp like a lid. It is the same fabric as our muslin bibs, and it behaves the same way: soft from the first wash, softer after ten, and quick to dry on a radiator or a line. It also crushes into a pocket or a changing bag without caring, which is the real reason it ends up being the hat you actually have with you.

The maker states the fabric is free from fluorescent whitening agents — the optical brighteners used to make pale fabric look whiter than it is. We mention it because it is a fair thing to want to know about something sitting on a baby's skin all afternoon, not because it is a certification.

Specification

• Suitable from: newborn, in the right size
• Materials: 100% cotton muslin
• Sizes: six, by head circumference — 36, 42, 44, 46, 48 and 50cm
• Colours: Baby Pink, Baby Blue, Baby Lemon
• Fastening: self-colour tie under the chin, adjustable
• Care: machine washable. We would wash it cool with like colours and let it dry naturally
• Sun protection: physical cover only — no UPF rating is claimed or tested

❓ Frequently asked questions

Which size do I need?
Measure, do not guess. A tape measure round the widest part of the head just above the ears, then buy to the nearest size up. The gap between the 36cm and 42cm sizes is the one that catches people out.

Is it UPF 50?
No, and we will not say it is. It is woven cotton muslin, not a technical sun fabric, and it has not been UPF tested. It keeps the sun off physically. For strong sun, shade and timing are doing most of the work.

Will it stay on?
Better than a pull-on hat, because of the tie. Nothing stays on a determined one-year-old indefinitely, but a tie turns it from seconds into a walk round the park.

Is it warm enough for spring?
It is a summer hat. Muslin is open-weave and deliberately airy, so on a cool, bright April day you want something closer-woven for warmth and this for the sun.

How does it wash?
Straightforwardly, and it softens rather than stiffens. Cool machine wash, dry naturally. It will crease, and ironing is optional on a hat nobody is inspecting.

Can they wear it in the pram or carrier?
Yes, and a pram or carrier hood plus a hat is a better combination than either alone. Take the hat off once you are indoors or in the car — a hat on a sleeping baby in a warm car is how overheating starts.

Safety information

Remove the hat indoors, in the car and for sleep. Do not leave the tie fastened on a baby who is sleeping or unattended, and check the fit as their head grows. This hat provides physical cover from the sun and is not a substitute for shade, appropriate clothing or staying out of strong midday sun.

☀️ Before you take them out in the sun

Our guide to why sun hats matter for babies covers how much sun a baby can safely have, what to look for in a hat, and why the first summer is the one to be careful about. Worth five minutes before the first proper hot day.

❤️ From our family to yours

Carefully chosen products for babies, toddlers and parents. Pair the hat with our organic muslin bibs in the same soft fabric, or see everything we stock that works from birth — free UK delivery on orders over £25.