The North Face Horizon Ball Cap

An excellent hat that is lightweight, dries quickly, and is comfortable on my big noggin. Made of 70D nylon ripstop fabric, this hat is ideal for taking on the summer heat and can be worn for a multitude of high or low energy output activities.

Conditions:
I bought this hat in the spring of 2019 and have worn it regularly for six month since. It has quickly become my go-to hat, not only for outdoor activities like hiking and biking, but also for everyday casual wear.  

Fit and Adjustability:
I have a pretty big head, measuring 24.25 inches (61cm) or a 7 ¾ in hat sizes. A lot of times, when a hat claims to fit most head sizes, it doesn’t fit me. That’s why I was concerned that this hat might not fit, as the sizing is either S/M or L/XL. To my pleasant surprise, the L/XL fit great, even though my head is bigger than manufacturer's sizing chart.

In fact, it not only fits great around the head (circumference), but also has plenty of volume to fit lower on the head than any other ball cap in my collection, which means that more of my pale bald head is covered from the sun when I'm wearing this one. It comes all the way down behind my ears. It feels like this hat is actually covering my head, as opposed to merely sitting on top of my head. I've read some reviews online that say this is a drawback of the hat, leaving too little of room for sunglasses, but I personally think this is a very positive attribute of the hat and have no trouble wearing shades with this hat.

The North Face sizing chart

• S/M = 21-22.5 in. (53-57cm)
• L/XL = 22.5-23.5 in. (57-60cm)
• My actual head size is 24.25 in. (61.5cm) (7 ¾ in hat sizing) and the L/XL fits very well, with plenty of room to spare. Not too tight, and not too loose. 

The cinch strap at the rear makes for very easy one-handed adjustments. I tuck the remainder of the strap back into the little slot that holds it in place. Very simple to adjust on the fly. It can also be clipped/unclipped, which makes for hanging it to dry very simple.

Comfort:
Most people I know who regularly wear ball caps (myself included) have that one special hat that fits flawlessly and is perfectly comfortable, no matter what they're doing. In short, most of us have our go-to hat. That used to be a different have until I got this one. Now, this is my go-to hat for almost anything. The comfort is unparalleled for a ball cap, mostly because it is so light weight, holds its adjustment well, and has a soft elastic band that doesn’t dig into my head. I can wear this for hours, take it off, and not have any red marks on my head. That is almost unfathomable for my big bald head when wearing a ball cap.

Handling the Heat:
This hat is best suited for warm weather when the sun shines bright and the head sweats ensue. This hat has kept the sweat at bay in temps north of 100°F (37.8°C) and in high humidity hikes. Even though I bought a darker color, it doesn’t bother me in the heat. The lightweight nylon ripstop material and elastic band pulls sweat away from the head and dries quickly, keeping things cool even when the outdoor temps aren’t.

Sun Protection:
The UPF50 rating means this is ready to take on the pounding ultraviolet rays from that fireball in the sky called the sun. It’s really hard for me to judge the efficacy of this UPF rating, but it does seem to do the job.

Rain, rain go away:
Many baldies like me don't enjoy the rain without a hat, as the water tends to drip straight into our faces. Hence, I always wear a hat in the rain. This one does a fine job for a ball cap at protecting from the rain (but my favorite rain hat remains the wide-brimmed OR Sombriolet). What makes this hat nice though is how much faster it dries compared to cotton ball caps. 

Construction and Cleaning:
The hat is made from lightweight 70D nylon ripstop, so it is built to last and I won’t be surprised if it outlasts most, if not all, of my more “standard” cotton ball caps. It weighs just 2.2 oz (62 g).

In order to clean the hat, I simply toss it into a normal load of laundry (cool wash) and then hang it to dry. I’ve done this on numerous occasions the past six months with no issue whatsoever. No special cleaners or detergents needed.

Brim:
The size and shape of the brim both work great for me, but it isn’t quite rigid enough to hold its shape. I personally like a little bit more curve in my brim than this hat holds. The stiffer the brim, the more it can hold its shape, but the heavier it would be, so I understand why it is the way it is…to save weight, which I’m okay with. It holds a slight curve, as seen in the photos above. 

Lastly, a word on the tags:
Unfortunately, I ripped the tags off so fast after my first time wearing this hat that I don’t have photo evidence of just how obnoxiously large they are. Sewn into the rear left band of the hat, the numerous tags were laughably large. I’m sure there are some specific codes and requirements that call for these tags, but they are obnoxious nonetheless. I highly advice removing them upon purchase.

Recommendation:
I recommend this hat for those who want an easy-to-adjust ball cap that is lightweight and dries quickly. This comfortable hat is a great option for warm-weather pursuits like hiking, running, biking, fishing, etc. For those with big heads who struggle to find ball caps that fit comfortably, I highly recommend this hat. 

Background

As a baldy, it is very rare for me not to be wearing a hat when outside. Ball caps are go-to, of which I have several. This has become on of my favorites due to its light weight, comfortable elastic band, and full head coverage.