FURI | Spring 2025

Effects of Hat Color and Style on Thermal Discomfort in Extreme Heat Conditions

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of differing hat styles and colors on thermal comfort in hot and sunny outdoor environments. In hot environments with high radiation, people often experience significant thermal discomfort, and conventional wisdom leads many of those people to wear hats to alleviate some of their discomfort. Despite this common assumption, the effectiveness of different styles and colors of hats relative to each other has not been thoroughly researched. This research will be conducted to create an experimentally justified recommendation for hat selection to limit thermal discomfort in hot and sunny areas.