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Searching for sustainable hats? Whether you’re looking for a sustainable cap, beanie or eco friendly bucket hat, we’ve got you covered with our recommendations, all from brands you can trust.
If you don’t have time to read the full article, check out our quick links below.
Sustainable Hats Top Picks
Best for sustainable caps – Plant Faced
Best for sustainable beanies: Colorful Standard & Frank and Oak
Best for bucket hats: Girlfriend Collective
You can also use this table of contents to jump to brands you like the sound of.
Let’s jump into the recommendations.
The Best Ethical and Sustainable Hats
1. Colorful Standard
Types of hats: Organic cotton caps, Unisex wool beanie hats
Sustainability: 100% recycled merino wool, Environmentally Friendly Oeko-Tex® certified Dyed Yarn
Ships to: Worldwide
If you’re looking for a organic cotton cap to keep you cool in the summer, or warm, eco-friendly hat in winter, look no further than Colorful Standard. They have caps and beanies in over twenty different colors!
Each sustainable cap is created ethically from orgainc cotton and eco-friendly dyes.
Thier beanies are ethically knit with luxuriously soft, Woolmark certified yarn and dyed with Oeko-Tex® certified environmentally-friendly dye. So you can find a color to perfectly suit your style while making sure the environment is protected.
I own a Colorful Standard beanie in red and wear it often. It’s warm, and the quality is excellent. Plus, we’ve only ever had good interactions with the brand.
2. Happy Earth
Types of hats: Sustainable beanies and caps
Sustainability: Organic cotton hats, Ethical production, trees planted, trash pollution removed, B Corp.
Ships to: the US & international
Happy Earth is a social enterprise working to drive the conversation around sustainability forwards by offering its customers a chance to have a direct positive impact on the environment.
You can choose which environmental campaign you want to support for each purchase. Whether it’s the removal of trash from waterways, planting trees to help reforestation or initiatives that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. – your purchase helps to make a difference.
You can find chunky organic cotton beanies and caps in cool colors, perfect for the colder seasons.
3. Plant Faced
Types of hats: Unisex, vegan, eco-friendly beanies and caps
Sustainability: Ethical vegan brand using 100% animal-free sustainable materials like recycled fabrics.
Ships to: Worldwide
Make a statement with Plant Faced Clothing’s super cool beanies and caps.
The bold brand is famous for its cool slogan tees and hoodies, but its selection of sustainable hats is awesome. Plus, each hat is 100% vegan and made ethically from sustainable fabrics like organic cotton and recycled materials.
4. Pangaia
Types of hats: Sustainable bucket hats, eco-friendly caps
Sustainability: Natural fibers, organic cotton, recycled cotton
Ships to: Worldwide
Meet Pangaia, a vibrant clothing brand using innovative earth-friendly materials to create its elevated basics.
Expect to find on-trend streetwear designs, including sustainable bucket hats, caps, and beanies, each created from natural fibers including hemp, organic cotton, and recycled cotton.
In addition to the brand’s commitment to using responsible fabrics, Pangaia also partners with Grassroot foundations to fund important initiatives, including NGOs protecting bees, ocean clean-ups, and replanting trees.
5. Tentree
Types of hats: Sustainable caps, festival hats, bucket hats
Sustainability: Certified B Corporation, Climate Neutral certified. Hats created from sustainable and eco-friendly materials like hemp, recycled polyester, TENCEL™, 100% organic cotton – Every item plants ten trees.
Ships to: US, Canada, UK, Europe
Look no further than Tentree for sustainable caps – it has a huge selection of unisex hats created from a range of eco-friendly materials like cork, recycled wool, hemp, recycled polyester, TENCEL™, and 100% organic cotton.
As a certified B corporation, Tentree meets high ethical and environmental production standards by ensuring that products are created with safe working environments for employees and sustainable materials.
Tentree offers a seed collection program that supports planting ten trees for every item purchased, so you know you are helping the environment while keeping your head warm.
6. Outerknown
Types of hats: Baseball caps, five-panel caps, wool beanies
Sustainability: Fair Labor Association accredited brand creating sustainable clothing and accessories from sustainable materials.
Ships to: US & International
Outerknown – created by professional surfer Kelly Slater – is a sustainable clothing brand creating practical and stylish menswear, womenswear, and accessories.
The brand champions fair labor in its supply chain and is fair labor association accredited. In addition, Outerknown sources at least 90% of its fibers from organic, recycled, and regenerated sources.
As a brand, Outerknown is striving for a circular business model by 2030; you can read more about its sustainability pledge here.
Outerknowns’ sustainable hats are perfect for both men and women, with a range of cool caps, cozy beanies, and vibrant bucket hats.
7. Patagonia
Types of hats: Unisex, sustainable beanies, caps, bandanas
Sustainability: Transparent, eco-friendly company, 1% for the planet organization creating ethical clothing with minimal environmental impact
Ships to: Worldwide
Our first sustainable hat brand needs no introduction; Patagonia is one of the most significant sustainable outdoor clothing companies globally, creating high-quality outdoor gear for all your adventures.
Patagonia designs a great range of sustainable caps, beanies, and bandanas, each created from low-impact materials such as recycled fabric, including caps made from 100% recycled fishing nets.
We personally have used and own multiple Patagonia products and have always been impressed with the quality.
8. Frank and Oak
Types of hats: Sustainable beanies and sustainable caps
Sustainability: Certified B Corporation, creating ethical and eco-friendly beanies from low-impact and eco-friendly materials.
Ships to: US, Canada, and International
Canadian brand Frank and Oak have expertly designed a fantastic range of stylish, sustainable beanies and winter hats.
Its lambswool beanies are created from responsibly sourced wool, and they even have a range of SeaWool® beanies, made from upcycled oyster shells from the food industry and recycled polyester.
Frank and Oak is a B Corp, meaning it is committed to valuing people and the planet above profits.
9. Girlfriend Collective
Types of hats: Bucket hats
Sustainability: Ethical and sustainable clothing brand creating products with sustainable, low impact materials, including recycled and organic cotton. SA8000 Certified factories.
Ships to: United States, Canada, the UK, and Australia
This year, bucket hats are the must-have accessory, as loved by celebrities including Rihanna, Hailey Bieber, and Dua Lipa.
For an eco-friendly take on the classic bucket hat, check out Girlfriend Collective. GF is better known for producing the hottest sustainable activewear on the market, but they also create a host of accessories perfect for styling up your fall and winter wardrobe.
Girlfriend Collectives’ bucket hats blend heavyweight cotton canvas from 50% recycled cotton and 50% organic cotton sources.
Girlfriend Collectives’ bucket hat is 100% biodegradable and 100% sure to make you look good.
10. For Days
Types of hats: Sustainable beanies, bucket hats, caps
Sustainability: Zero-waste, recycled polyester beanies and hats
Ships to: the US only
For Days is an eco-friendly clothing brand creating sustainable hats from recycled materials.
The brand operates a circular design model, creating fully recyclable clothes and accessories from recycled fabrics, including organic cotton and recycled polyester. You can recycle your old For Days clothes at the end of their life in exchange for credit which you can use on your next purchase.
11. United by Blue
Types of hats: Beanies, baseball caps, trucker caps, and five-panel caps
Sustainability: Certified B corporation using sustainable materials and ethical manufacturing, every product purchase supports trash removal from oceans
Ships to: US & International
If you’re on the hunt for a cozy pom beanie or a sustainable cap, United by Blue is a great choice. UBBs eco-friendly hats are unisex and perfect for the great outdoors and city commutes.
United by Blue is doing good for people and the planet, for every product purchased, United by Blue removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways. The brand is a Certified B Corporation, scoring highly on the assessment.
All hats are ethically manufactured in transparent supply chains, using recycled, and sustainable materials, including 100’% recycled polyester beanies and eco knit caps.
12. American Trench
Types of hats: Beanies, pom pom beanies, watch caps
Sustainability: Ethical hats made in the USA using sustainable materials including recycled materials
Ships to: US & International
American Trench celebrate USA manufacturing, by ensuring all of its products are made ethically in the USA.
American Trench have a great range of beanies, watch caps, and baseball caps, in various colors. American Trench chooses high-quality materials to create its sustainable hats, including recycled cashmere, lambswool and merino wool.
If you want a classic, long-lasting beanie, this is one of the best places to find one.
13. Topiku
Types of hats: Sustainable caps – baseball cap and five-panel styles
Sustainability: Climate-neutral certified, creating sustainable hats ethically in Indonesia
Ships to: US & International
Topiku works with Artisans in Indonesia to ethically create sustainable baseball and five-panel caps from up-cycled and recycled materials. In addition, Topiku – which means “my hat” in Indonesian, ensures the creators of their sustainable hats are paid a fair living wage which helps to empower communities within the local area.
The brand is climate-neutral certified and a member of 1% For The Planet.
Their caps are created from recycled plastic and recycled twill fabric, which would end up in landfills.
Indonesia is the second biggest ocean waste polluter globally; through encouragement and education of local communities to reduce and reuse materials, Topiku is trying to reduce the waste sent to the ocean and landfill.
14. Finisterre
Types of hats: Unisex baseball caps, five-panel caps, and beanies
Sustainability: Certified B Corporation, using sustainable and recycled materials
Ships to: The UK, US, and Worldwide
Finisterre is a UK-based sustainable outdoor clothing brand, creating durable, practical, and stylish outdoor gear and apparel.
Finisterre has been committed to sustainability since its launch in 2003 and is continuously striving to improve its environmental impact. As a certified B corporation, Finisterre products meet strict ethical and environmental standards.
Finisterre’s caps are created from a range of lower-impact materials, including organic cotton, grown with less water and without any harmful chemicals or pesticides. If you’re looking for a cap or hat that will last you for many outdoor adventures to come, this is a great option.
15. Aldri Sur
Types of hat: Responsible wool beanies, Recycled beanies, and caps
Sustainability: Recycled materials, hat recycling program. Responsibly sourced Wool.
Ships to: the USA, Canada & International
The ALDRI SUR recycled headwear collection is the first step of many towards promoting sustainable apparel that is functional, fashionable, and planet-friendly.
The sustainable headwear brand creates recycled beanies, wool beanies, and sustainable caps from eco-friendly materials, including RWS Responsible Wool Standard certified Wool, recycled acrylic, and cotton.
We love the stylish ribbed construction of Aldri Sur’s sustainable beanies, which come in a cozy knit perfect for a warm winter noggin and a rustic stamped leather logo patch for outdoor chic.
16. Cuyana
Types of hats: Straw hats in varied hat sizes
Sustainability: Ethical hats created by artisans using sustainable materials
Ships to: US & International
For a classic, sustainable sun hat with a wide brim, check out Cuyana, a sustainable clothing brand creating eco-friendly, ethical hats in Ecuador.
Created from Toquilla straw – a renewable resource made from young Toquilla palm fronds – Cuyanas sun hats are stylish and sustainable.
Cuyana’s hats are perfect for both sun protection, and style.
17. Soluna Collective
Types of hats: Organic beanies
Sustainability: Beanies created in Fair Trade factories from GOTS organic cotton and Oeko-tex certified dyes
Ships to: US & International
Soluna Collective is a slow fashion brand creating a range of organic clothing and sustainable beanies.
Each hat is knit ethically from super soft GOTS Pima cotton and dyed with eco-friendly oeko-tex certified dyes.
Unfortunately, Soluna Collective only create chunky beanies in two colors, but they’re perfect if you’re looking for an ethically made beanie.
How We Chose These Brands
1. Eco Friendly Materials
If a brand uses a high proportion of sustainably sourced materials, that’s a positive sign. In particular, we love when brands are transparent about exactly where their materials come from and the processes used. Materials that are a good option include GOTS Certified Organic Cotton, GRS Certified materials, or innovative materials like TENCEL or Seawool.
2. Sustainability Certifications
When a brand makes it’s sustainability a focus by applying for and receiving certifications, that’s a strong indicator that they care about their actions. Some examples include being B Corp Certified, being WRAP Certified, joining 1% For The Planet, and joining the Fair Labor Association.
3. Ethical Actions
At the end of the day, we care most about the actions a brand takes. For example, a small brand may not have the finances to apply for certifications that sometimes carry a membership cost, but they may be doing everything in their power to ensure their clothes and hats are created in the most sustainable and ethical ways. If it looks like a brand is doing that, we’ll consider including them.
We do our best to make the best recommendations with the information we have at the time of publishing. If you think we’ve missed something, please leave us a comment below and we’ll make sure to review it!
Wrapping Up: Ethical Hats and Sustainable Beanies
We hope you enjoyed the article, please let us know your feedback in the comments below.
If you want to keep reading, we recommend you check out our top picks for sustainable boots, hair accessories, winter jackets, rain coats, and scarves.
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Get summer ready with Colorful Standards Sustainable Sunglasses.
We love Colorful Standards sunglasses, and with so many styles to choose from you’ll be spoilt for choice! Check out our review here, or jump to their website below.
