In US shops this is the infant baseball cap: the grown-up cap, made small and soft. It turns any baby into a very small baseball coach.
Its brim shades the eyes and the forehead, and nothing else. So you do not need one if your baby has a hat with a brim all the way round, which shades more. A cap is the second sun hat, and the one to try on a toddler who throws every other hat on the ground.
Wear it from UV 3 on the UV index (the forecast's number for how strong the sun is), with shade close by to cover the rest, such as the stroller seat with the canopy up. From UV 6, at the beach, or anywhere without shade, choose the all-round brim or a cap with a neck flap instead.
- For ages0–3years
- You'll need1–2sun hats
- Wear it atUV 3–5
Does a baseball cap protect from the sun?
Only from the front. The brim points wherever your baby looks, but the sun also shines from the side and from behind. Sunlight reaches the ears, the cheeks and the back of the neck, and a cap leaves all three bare.
So a cap is a poor sun hat for a child. If your child wears one anyway, cover the ears and the back of the neck another way: with clothing, sunscreen or shade.
Where the shade falls
The sun here is halfway up the sky, as on a summer morning or afternoon. A lower sun reaches further under every brim.
Cap
Front only
6–7 cm of brim, all of it in front. The sides and the back have none.
Legionnaire
Peak and flap
A peak like a cap's, and a flap over the ears and neck. The flap meets the peak at the sides.
Bucket hat
5 cm (2 in)
At least this much brim, angled down all round, on a deep crown that sits low. That is the minimum for a child.
Wide brim
7.5 cm (3 in)
Brim all round, and at least 6 cm of it on a child's hat.
- EyesIn the shade
- CheekIn the shade
- EarPartly in the sun
- Back of the neckIn the shade
- EyesIn the shade
- CheekIn the sun
- EarIn the sun
- Back of the neckIn the sun
- EyesIn the shade
- CheekIn the shade
- EarIn the shade
- Back of the neckIn the sun
- EyesIn the shade
- CheekIn the shade
- EarIn the shade
- Back of the neckIn the shade
- EyesIn the shade
- CheekIn the sun
- EarIn the shade
- Back of the neckIn the shade
- EyesIn the shade
- CheekIn the shade
- EarIn the shade
- Back of the neckIn the shade
- EyesIn the shade
- CheekIn the shade
- EarIn the shade
- Back of the neckIn the shade
- EyesIn the shade
- CheekIn the shade
- EarIn the shade
- Back of the neckPartly in the sun
- EyesIn the shade
- CheekIn the shade
- EarIn the shade
- Back of the neckIn the shade
- EyesIn the shade
- CheekIn the shade
- EarIn the shade
- Back of the neckIn the shade
- EyesIn the shade
- CheekIn the shade
- EarIn the shade
- Back of the neckIn the shade
- EyesIn the shade
- CheekIn the shade
- EarIn the shade
- Back of the neckIn the shade
Types of baby cap
Soft cap
Soft cotton all over, brim included. It squashes when your baby leans back or rests against your shoulder, so it is the one for babies. Shops may list it as unstructured, or as a dad hat, even in baby sizes.
Structured cap
Stiff front panels and a firm, curved brim: a grown-up baseball cap shrunk down, team logo and all. Its stiff front does not give when your baby leans against you, so keep it for a toddler.
Cap with a neck flap
A soft cap with a curtain of fabric down the sides and back, so it shades the ears and the neck too. Shops sell it as a legionnaire hat, or a cap with a neck cover.
How to choose a sun cap
1. A brim that bends
Press the brim with a finger. On a baby's cap it should bend easily, then spring back. A young baby's hat should crumple when the head goes down, so nothing pushes against the face.
- Good: Bends under one finger
- Good: Springs back into shape
- Not good: Brim too stiff to bend
2. A deep crown
Try it on, or look at it from the side. The crown (the round part) should sit low and snug, just above the eyebrows and the tops of the ears, without leaving red marks. A shallow cap perches on top and leaves with the first breeze.
- Good: Sits just above the eyebrows
- Good: No red marks after a walk
- Not good: Shallow, perched on top
3. A back that adjusts
An elastic band, a strap with a slider, a Velcro tab or a snapback (a plastic strap with snaps) lets the cap fit now and grow with your baby. A closed back fits one head size, and a baby's head keeps growing.
- Good: Strap or elastic at the back
- Good: Room left to loosen it
- Not good: Closed back, no adjuster
4. A tight weave
Hold the cap up to a window: the less light comes through, the less sun does. A UPF 50+ tag (the sun rating for fabric) means at most 2 in 100 of the sun's rays get through. Mesh panels, as on a trucker cap, let the sun straight through.
- Good: Little light shows through
- Good: UPF 50+ on the tag
- Not good: Mesh panels over the head
How to wear one
Cover what the cap leaves open. In the stroller, pull the canopy well forward, so the ears and the neck sit in its shade. A top with a collar covers part of the neck.
Turned backwards, a cap shades the neck instead of the face. That just moves the problem.
Questions parents ask
When can babies wear baseball caps?
From birth: soft caps come in newborn sizes. A cap only starts to help once your baby sits up and looks out, though. Lying flat, a baby points the brim at the sky, and under 6 months a baby belongs in the shade, not in direct sun.
Do I still need sunscreen if my baby wears a cap?
From 6 months, yes, on the ears, the cheeks and the back of the neck, the parts the brim never reaches. A younger baby is better off in the shade, in clothes that cover the skin, with sunscreen saved for the rare day when there's no shade at all.
Which cap is best for sun protection?
One with a neck flap, because it shades the ears and the neck as well as the eyes. A plain cap needs shade or a collar for the rest.
What color cap is best for sun protection?
A darker one may block more UV. Shape matters more, though: no color makes a brim reach the ears.
My baby pulls off every sun hat. Is a cap better than nothing?
Yes: shade on the eyes and the forehead beats a bare head, and a snug cap with nothing flopping into the eyes may be the one that stays on. Put it back on every time it comes off, and expect to do that a lot. Wearing your own sun hat helps too, because babies copy what they see.
Is a baby cap with a chin strap a good idea?
Yes on windy days, if the strap opens when it catches on something: a safety clip or a Velcro tab does. Like any hat, the cap comes off once your baby falls asleep.
What size cap does my baby need?
Go by head size, not age, because two babies of the same age can need different sizes. Measure around the head just above the eyebrows and the ears. Between two sizes, take the bigger one and tighten the back.
How do I wash a baby cap?
Check the label first. If it allows the machine, wash the cap on a cool, gentle cycle inside a mesh laundry bag or a pillowcase. Skip the dryer, which can shrink it, and let it dry over a rolled-up towel so it keeps its shape.
