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First it was the boots, and now it's the hats—Western wear is back with a fresh and modern twist. Cowboy hats, in particular, are in the current fashion spotlight, thanks to the revival of some beloved Y2K trends and celebrities like Lil Nas X, Orville Peck, and Lizzo taking an effortlessly cool approach to the western hat style.
“Cowboy hats are a fun way to add personality to your wardrobe without making a huge investment,” says wardrobe stylist Samantha Brown. “They come in a wide range of textures and colors, so you can experiment with what you love.”
So, we set out to find the best cowboy hats, taking into account things like construction, quality of materials, and design.
From classic styles to funky animal print and everything in between, here are the best cowboy hats for every style and occasion.
Best Overall
Bullhide Legacy 8X Fur Blend Cowboy Hat
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Hatcountry
The Bullhide Legacy 8X Fur Blend Cowboy Hat is our best overall pick because it’s not only a great casual option but also works for dressier occasions, so you’ll get a lot of wear out of this Western hat. As the name suggests, the cowboy hat is made from a high-quality and durable 8X fur blend that is tied together with a monochromatic hat rim and silver side buckle. Plus, it has that iconic cattleman crease, giving it a timeless design. This is one of those hats you’ll have in your closet forever.
Price at time of publish: $110
Material: Fur blend | Sizes: 7, 7⅛ , 7¼
Best Budget
Fashion Nova Did Someone Say Rodeo Cowboy Hat
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Fashion Nova
This straw cowboy hat from Fashion Nova is one of those versatile styles that works for everything from a day by the pool to a casual brunch. We love the classic design, relaxed style, and texture of the paper straw material. It also has an adjustable chin strap to keep things safe and secure that can be tucked into the hat crown when not needed.
Price at time of publish: $30
Material: Paper | Sizes: One size with adjustable pull string
Best on Amazon
Queue Essentials Western Style Pinch Front Straw Canvas Cowboy Hat
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Amazon
With 4.3 out of 5 stars from over 3,000 customers, this cowboy hat is our top pick for the Amazon category. After researching many great options on the marketplace, we landed on this one because of its classic design and color options—it comes in sand, black, white, and brown—plus its comfort and versatility. The timeless cattleman-style cowboy hat is also incredibly lightweight, which is a must for a hat this size, and comes in both felt and canvas.
Price at time of publish: $46
Material: Canvas, felt, and straw | Sizes: S/M, M, L/XL
Best Designer
Gladys Tamez Fur Felt Western Hat
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Nordstrom
If you’re looking to invest in a designer cowboy hat, we recommend this stunning rabbit-fur felt hat by Gladys Tamez. It’s traditional and timeless, constructed with the utmost quality, and has subtle detailing in the rope-like headband, which gives it some nice flair. Additionally, it's made in the USA and Latinx-owned and founded.
Price at time of publish: $475
Material: Rabbit fur | Sizes: Large
Best Classic
Stetson Grant Straw Hat
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Walmart
Made of shantung straw with metal eyelet detailing, this classic cowboy hat is made for heading to the ranch. We love this pick because it’s lightweight, quality, and has the most stunning hatband ever. We love the mix of black and brown with the beautiful silver conchos detailing. With its simple and timeless design and intricate details, it’s a great unisex choice, too.
Price at time of publish: $140
Material: Straw | Sizes: 6⅞, 7, 7⅛, 7¼, 7⅜
Best Color Options
Urban Outfitters Brook Western Felt Rancher Hat
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UO
Cowboy hats traditionally come in more neutral hues, so if you’re looking to spice it up with some color, we recommend this felt rancher from Urban Outfitters. The 100 percent wool hat, which has that cowboy crown crease with a flat brim, comes in a rusty red hue, green, and pink, along with some neutrals, too.
Material: Felt | Sizes: One size
Most Versatile
Brixton Sedona Straw Reserve Cowboy Hat
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Simons
For this category, we went on a mission to find the perfect cowboy hat that mixes that classic cattleman fit with a fashionable twist. And, let’s just say we are obsessed with this straw cowboy hat from Brixton. It’s made of durable tripilla straw and tied together with a suede band with a leather interior sweatband and 50+ UPF sun protection. But, aside from its functionality, it features a super stylish A-line design at the crown that gives it an elevated look.
Material: Straw | Sizes: XS, S, M
Best Trendy
Hats by Mat Cowboy Party Hat Glitter & Boa Combo
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Etsy
This trendy cowboy hat brings on the Y2K vibes in a major way. The handmade hat is covered completely in glitter with a boa-trimmed brim and dazzling silver band. And while we love the pink and white color combination, it’s also available in black, red, gold, silver, emerald, blue, white, and purple, with tons of boa colors to choose from, too. This party cowboy hat is perfect for a night on the town, a bachelorette, a concert, and more.
Price at time of publish: $44
Material: Not listed | Sizes: 25 -inch circumference
Best Animal Print
Brixton Ranchero White Cow Print Wool Cowboy Hat
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Lulus
For the best animal print cowboy hat, we had to go with this Brixton hat, which has that rancher feel and features a classic cow print. What we love the most about this print is that it has a mix of black and brown cow spots, which adds some depth and detail to the more classic pinched top design. In addition to its print, the hat is made of felted wool and has an adjustable band, which is a major plus.
Price at time of publish: $135
Material: Wool | Sizes: XS, S, M, L
Best Black
Charlie 1 Horse Bucksnort 4X Felt Hat
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Amazon
We swoon for this black cowboy hat, which has an elevated style compared to some more traditional options. The base of the hat features a classic cattleman silhouette with white buck stitching around the brim and hatband, giving it a modern upgrade.
Price at time of publish: $315
Material: Felt | Sizes: 6¾, 7, 7⅛, 7¼, 7⅜
Best White
Stetson Skyline 6X Cowboy Hat
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Amazon
With its slick design and quality construction, this Stetson hat is made for special occasions—and we love the pure white for a Western wedding-day look. The versatile hat is made with 6X fur felt and a cattleman crease with a matching hatband and silver buckle. In addition to its stark white hue, the cowboy hat also comes in a range of other colors, including black, chocolate brown, granite, a Sahara sand hue, and soft cream.
Price at time of publish: $290
Material: Fur felt | Sizes: 6½, 6⅝, 6¾, 6⅞, 7, 7⅛, 7¼, 7⅜, 7½, 7⅝, 7¾
Best Brown
Charlie 1 Horse Acorn Felt Western Hat
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Charlie 1 Horse
This brown felt hat from Charlie 1 Horse has a softer, more bohemian feel with its mix of pinch front crown and wide, relaxed brim. It made our list because of its unique design and detailing on the hatband, plus it has a casual, worn-in feel and is the most perfect soft brown color.
Price at time of publish: $101
Material: Wool felt | Sizes: S, M, L
Best Straw
Stetson Open Road 1 Vented Straw Hat
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Stetson
The great thing about a straw cowboy hat is that it doubles as a sun hat. We chose the Stetson Open Road hat for this category because it’s made of a lightweight and top-tier shantung straw with a cattleman design for strong Western vibes. It also has ventilated detailing on the top of the crown, which is stylish and functional on a hot, sticky day. We love that this hat has a shorter brim, giving it more of a city-meets-frontier style. It’s a hat you can wear with virtually everything that will never go out of style.
Material: Straw | Sizes: 6¾, 6⅞, 7, 7⅛, 7¼, 7⅜, 7½, 7⅝
Best Leather
American Hat Makers Ridge Cowboy Hat
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Outback Trading Co.
When looking for the best leather hat, we were on a mission to find one that, of course, stood up to our quality standards but also has a soft, worn-in feel. The Ridge hat from American Hat Makers is just that. Made of weathered top-grain leather, it features a braided band and bronze conchos.
Price at time of publish: $80
Material: Top grain leather | Sizes: S, M, L, XL
Best Western
Shyanne Black Telescope Concho Band Wool Felt Western Hat
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Amazon
If the classic cowboy hat silhouette isn’t your style, but you still want to touch on the trend, we love this Western option. The hat features a flat brim with a telescope crease and is constructed from high-quality wool felt. But the real showstopper is the stunning band, which is decorated in dazzling studs and conchos.
Price at time of publish: $150
Material: Wool felt | Sizes: S, M, L
Meet the Expert
Samantha Brown is a wardrobe stylist based in New York City. She has been working with clients to refine their styles for over a decade.
What to Look for in a Cowboy Hat
Proportion
“Proportion is key,” says Brown. She suggests paying attention to the brim size and how well the hat sits on your head to ensure everything looks proportioned and well-fitting.
Symmetry
In addition to proportion, your hat should look symmetrical. “Make sure the hat is balanced and symmetric and that the brim isn’t more bent on one side than the other,” says Brown.
Why Trust Byrdie
Contributing writer Jessie Quinn has a bachelor’s degree in fashion journalism. From working in the fashion closet and interviewing designers at NYLON to now writing about the best style trends for various publications, Jessie researches and sources the best fashion finds. When curating this collection of the best cowboy hats, Jessie drew on her journalism experience and personal affinity for Western wear to meticulously research and source styles for every category. She considered everything from fit to flair to material and more and, as a result, created a robust list of the best cowboy hats the internet has to offer.
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